Why HELLOOOO there!

Welcome to everyone's Day 1!

You have oh-so-many hopes wrapped up into today... into this first month in fact, right? oh, yes... right!

I WILL stay in calorie range!
I WILL EXERCISE for 2 hours!
I WILL NOT cheat or binge at ALL!! So help me!
I WILL drink that 8 glasses of water!

And then... reality sets in like the

Stomach is growling.

Your mood is

You see everyone else eating and continuing on like they have been before and it makes you want to

And then... all those good intentions go

And then you realize

And then you get and and then more and then get more and then....well then, you just

Nice, huh? Yes, I am that nice to write it down and point it out like the Advocate that I am... because it is how everyone (ok, maybe 99% of the population right now) is starting off the New Year and that is great and all, but the reality is ... well, the reality of it all is that most people will give up those good intentions before the week ends.

So here I am to give you a reality slap in the face (and me too - I am coming off the whole eat whateverIwantandIwillstartover
intheNewYear state of mind too) but I have some tactics to share after UMPTEEN times of playing this game.. and here they are:

Try your darnest to stick to your plan

Drink that water like you are a fish living in the sea and track EVERYTHING! (oh yes, track the good, the bad..and the ugly).

Be gentle and start slow if you are just returning to working out. A little bit a day makes a bigger difference than you know and you won't burn out as fast if you go whole-hog.

Time.. give yourself TIME to adjust to changes you are doing. I'd say the first two weeks are the WORST (even for me! I'm expecting some real fun now that I'm back in the proverbial tracking saddle again!)

Be ZEN about things and don't get nuts when you slip up or go over calories or miss that workout. Imagine the healthy changes as a larger part of a whole...the more good you do, the better than if you didn't do anything at all right? Right. But don't get cocky now...stick to the plan as best as you can.. and last but not least

FORGIVE yourself if things do go awry... um, and they just might! Expect it, plan to dodge it or alter it to a healthier aspect of how you want to live.. and then move on the way YOU want to do things.

That's all I got folks... I'm right there with you with the tummy already grumbling at 10am, my water bottle by my side, and the plan for Chinese food tonight with the in-laws already altered in my head (with steamed veggies and brown rice for me...ok, and maybe an eggroll - LOL)

So in the meantime: GOOD LUCk!!! Keep on blogging it out... talking here and getting the support we all need (oh yes, we all need this support to be successful at this game) . . and make the most of this brand new year!

and many happy to you !! (seriously, has anyone every questioned why there is a mullet emoticon?) Do people actually use it???