“Can you believe it is May already. A new day, a new month, a new beginning with every new breath. ” That is how my May 1 blog began. So where did May go? And did I use it well? Today I am looking at the goals of this past month to gauge whether I used the month or wasted it.

Goals in May:
1. “Spring Into Bathing Suit Shape” Challenge – With so many end of school things going on, DH being off work for three weeks between Spring and Summer semesters, I felt continually hindered from progressing in this challenge. Deciding to leave it with promise to watch for it early next Spring, I found another challenge that is similar which I will start in June.
2. 5% challenge – goal of losing 5% of my weight by August, starting at 163 with a goal of 8 lbs this summer, I am currently down in the scales, but will report specifics on this with my June 1 weigh-in.
3. Beat my 9 days of food tracking for April – 8 days this month thus far. I plan to track tomorrow to tie last month, but I did not surpass it.
4. Get at least 1000 fitness minutes this month – I have 785 right now. To make the thousand will mean doing more than 100 mins today and tomorrow. Hum…
5. Increase my strength training sessions – I have done better with this one, but still needs work.
6. 150,000 steps by months end – 114,467 thus far. I did well on our trip, but from the look of the numbers after our return, I sat down.
7. I will again number the days, hours, minutes between sweets – I have gone 25 days this month without sweets, the longest stretch being 14 days. And I feel stronger in that area than I have felt in years.
8. Continue to improve quiet time regimen – I have done well and am having excellent time with the Lord. I even started writing again: darlenesponderings.com/ .
9. Continue to work on improving FLYLADY routines – I have to ask myself if it really hinders me that much for DH to be home and my schedule messed up, or is he just my excuse?
10. Complete counseling course study awaiting my attention – It is well under way, then DH’s schedule changed and I did not get back to it.
11. Visit or call at least one friend a week –
12. Do something outside the house at least 2 times / week – Finally!

One major victory this month was my work on my yearlong goal of developing guiding principles to live by that will help me to press forward in my journey, May being focused on the practice of mindfulness. That is going great! Though I did not track as I planned, I know from past tracking and the scales being down some and clothes fitting better that I am doing well at eating better. My mindfulness practice has helped immensely at staying off the sweets and in keeping a good attitude even in the struggle. And though I did let schedule-changes hinder my progress in areas of exercise and getting normal things done, I am doing better at seeking the Lord in each day and striving to follow Him. Being available to cooperate with DH’s schedule is just a fact of life for me; a habit developed over 37+ years of marriage. June is coming, schedules will get back to some semblance of normal, and I am doing better. Thus I prepare to leave May and now turn my thoughts toward a brighter, hotter June.

I hope you had a great month and are ready to press forward in your journey to a healthier lifestyle.

BLESSings to you,
Darlene