Can we start the new year now?

I finally feel like I can start the new year. I realize we are more than halfway through January, but that's the way it is.

I had a big, out-of-state conference the second week of January, which turned into part work/part family vacation. It was fun all around. But I knew that I wouldn't be eating totally well or getting in as much exercise as I would like during that time, and also in the run-up to it the week before. And also the week before that (between Christmas and New Years). And the week before that (the run-up to Christmas). So I knew that my time to re-focus and kick things into gear would be right about now. I know myself - I need a few decompression days after a trip like this. A few days to get back into life. I wish that wasn't the case, but it is. And frankly, that really couldn't start until my mom left on Tuesday. So the fact that I'm here on Thursday thinking about this is probably actually one day ahead of schedule.

This trip will happen again next year, but one week later. So next year, that means the entire month of January might be affected. I'm going to work on doing better before and after, so that the impact on my "normal" is minimized.

Now...it's not that I totally threw caution to the wind and scarfed up everything in site. And it's not that I didn't exercise at all. I was up and down and standing and walking for 3 days at the conference, and then walking/standing lots and theme parks for 2 days. I was very frustrated to feel the need to rent an ECV at the parks. But the bottom like was that after standing for 3 days, I was beat. And if I had to walk every bit of the parks, I wouldn't have made it. As it was, I did plenty of walking/standing. I only used the ECV between points - parked it and then walked around. I never took it in a line for a ride, even though you can do that on plenty of them these days.

And I rode everything - no limits. Last time I was there, I weighed about 40 pounds more, and the time before that, about 60 pounds more. Didn't have an ECV on those trips, which means it's either me getting older or those 3 days of standing at the conference that made it necessary this time.

So the standing/walking got me some exercise. And I didn't go totally processed-carb crazy. The food I did eat seems to be balanced out by the exercise I did do. I came back and weighed less than what I started the year at. Still higher than were I was in December. But at least I didn't gain anything on my trip. Bonus points!

That means I still need to lose what I did gain over the holidays. I gained about 9 pounds over the holidays, which seemed really high to me. I don't feel that I did THAT badly. But it's okay. I can lose those suckers.

So I need some goals. They aren't much different from the goals from last year. I'm going to keep tracking things on Sparkpeople - every bite and exercise. I'll be staying around 1900-2000 calories for now. That amount was working last year, and I was losing. I'll be shooting for 250 fitness minutes per week (1000 per month). And my food will be composed mostly of things that follow South Beach Diet Phase 2 - lean protein, lots of veggies, small portions of good fat/starch/fruit, lowfat dairy. Again...I go with what works.

As for the number on the scale, I've learned that setting a goal of X pounds by Y date never works out. I never make it (case in point, last year, when I thought I could be back to 100 pounds lost over the summer, and it took an extra month or more...and with the holiday weight gain, I'm really still at that marker right now). But that said, I know that this year has to be the year that I get under 300. My ambitoius time goal for that is to be at that point before I go to visit my dad in April. Even if I'm not there, I'll be well on my way.

I was frustrated with myself a bit on this trip...for not getting this done sooner. I was *supposed* to be done by the time my daughter turned 13 (last year). Had I not taken the better part of two years "off," I would have been pretty close. I would have been able to sleep in a hotel bed without issue (it was a HUGE issue, for another post), and I would have been able to walk the parks much easier.

But I can't change the past. I can only control today, to set myself up for a better tomorrow.

Onward!