My Whole Body Action Plan

Last spring I worked particularly hard to get in shape. I did the 30-Day Shred twice and ended up having some pretty great results. I was toned, fit, strong, and I felt incredible. I spent the summer and fall running and was more than pleased with how things were going. Right after Thanksgiving weekend I pulled something in my leg - and the weather became colder - so I stopped running.

And started snacking. On absolutely nothing healthy.

Suddenly it was November and I could hardly see straight as I became busy with holiday preparations and craft sales and baking and Christmas card-making. Under the misconception that I "deserved" it because I was a hard-working busy mom of three Things, I allowed myself treat after treat and high-caloric-and-fat-filled-gingerbread latte after another.

I paid no attention to what was going on until I noticed my jeans were all getting tight and becoming difficult to button. And then, yesterday, in the spirit of New Year's, I weighed myself.

Yowza. I have gained ten pounds!

My approach is that there is "no use crying over spilled milk", so I am going to forge ahead and make some changes. Starting Monday, of course.

By chance, I found this Whole Body Action Plan from Whole Living in my e-mail inbox a few days ago and have decided it looks like a plan I can follow.

The program claims, "Every day, beginning January 4, we'll learn new strategies for living a healthier lifestyle. We'll revamp our eating habits with a four-day detox program, clear our minds with stress-relief exercises, and energize our bodies with a workout that builds week after week to incorporate cardio, strength training, and flexibility".

After reading through it carefully, I think it suits me perfectly!

Days 1-3 are for preparing to cleanse and then days 4-7 are for a mild cleanse. I was skeptical, until I saw that the plan is fairly reasonable and that you can still eat some real food while doing it. (I tried a cleanse a few months ago that was quite harsh and made me feel pretty sick, so I didn't last more than a couple days.) The actual cleansing is only four days - I figure I should be able to handle that, right??

Along with following the Whole Body Action Plan I'll be starting the 30-Day Shred yet again. I don't have a treadmill or any other way of doing cardio inside, and working out 20 minutes a day to an exercise DVD was always something I was able to fit in my day. So until the weather eases up a bit I don't think I'll be hitting the snow-covered streets in my runners.

If you're joining me in a quest to get fit or be healthier in 2010, tell me about it! What are you doing? What are your goals? I wish you all the best of luck and invite you to join me as I will be updating at least once a week on my progress.