Last year I ate my last Paula Deen orange brownie on Christmas night and decided I was going to make some serious and consistent changes in my lifestyle… I had run my fourth half marathon in October and when you are running 40 miles plus a week it is easier to eat junk from time to time without noticing much of a physical difference.. but I had let my strength training wain and that quickly showed once my mileage decreased and my eating habits remained the same…

I started seeing a personal trainer, Whitney, I still train with her at least once a week and have grown to call her a friend… she is supportive and has given me the guidance I needed to start a clean eating diet with very few processed foods.. she helped me understand that it is not what the scale says but how I feel and how my clothes fit that matters most.. muscle does weigh more than fat it is not a myth… and she helped me to understand that if I “fall of the diet track” that I should not beat myself up.. just get back to it and be good more often than I bad…

I had always looked at calorie counting as the way to be my healthiest… eating less food better than eating more.. but realized the sugar in my diet was sabotaging my efforts to stay in shape and become a “Better Me”

I am so happy with where I have come in a year.. it does take time.. dedication and determination.. I remain focused on my goals most days.. and reward myself with new workout gear or a manicure when I have been especially good… but I am not done yet and my quest has shown me this is a process that is never “over…”

I recently flipped through some “diet” books at a local bookstore.. just looking for some new motivation.. and settles on “The Abs Diet” as the best resource for me for now… If you are looking for ways to change up your diet in a good way to stoke your metabolism or help you gain muscle or lose fat I would suggest doing the same… it is nice to have something to go by…

Good luck to you with whatever you plan to change in the New Year and if you don’t plan to change anything… I am envious :)