At Casa Savoy we welcomed 2012 with a feast and friends.  The feast consisted of home made goodies only. 

From top going clockwise: Spring rolls, cabbage orange salad, balsalmic guacamole, roasted veggies with cranberries & peanuts, apple chutney, and in the middle is a basmati rice stuffing.  Very yummy, and high in fat as the spring rolls were deep fried, however the rest is healthy!  

So, January 1st, it's raining, yet here in Ontario, it's winter and really it should have been snow, but it isn't. Signs of times to come if we do not get our act together, and soon.  However, despite this, I feel like the rain brings with it a renewing feeling, so for the first day of the new year and rain, that feels like a good thing to me. 

I've been contemplating what I want to have accomplished this year, and basically, I have set the following goals: 

1- to complete my weight loss journey and get nicely toned up
          ~ track my food/drink intake as well as calories burned on Sparkpeople
          ~ drink 2L water per day with lemons in it
          ~ exercise 6 days a week and stick to the schedule
2- to apply for the excess skin removal and breast reduction surgery once #1 is completed. 
3- to do a daily blog on this website consisting of:
          ~ recipes & photos
          ~ exercise notes, tips, struggles, successes and set backs
          ~ video blogs and videos in general on various topics
          ~ discussion and links on various topics regarding health/environment etc
          ~ and a variety of miscellaneous muses I am sure! 
4- take a course in fitness & nutrition to continue upgrading my education.
5- empty the basement and set up the "den" and "exercise room" plus have an "artist room" on the main floor as well as the "reading area & library"

I am sure I have tons of other goals, ideas, so on and so forth that I could put in, but these are my top 5 goals for 2012.  Keep me accountable!!!! 

So, January 1st falls on a Sunday. I have devised my new routine schedule to have my day off as Sunday this year, vs Saturdays, simple as hubby has a tendency to work on Saturdays, so I might as well still do the same routine on that day and relax on Sundays. Makes sense? Right! 

I will be using three pieces of equipment to start with, Bike (recubant), Treadmill, and the Elliptical. Tomorrow - Jan 2nd - I start with the bike for 30 minutes. Now I know I could probably do more, but I have taken quite the sabbatical so I want to not go overboard on the restart. The following day is the Treadmill, and then the Elliptical, and then back to the Bike. I will be increasing the time on a weekly basis. Once I hit my max for one session I will look at doing two sessions a day, but that's at least a month away before making that choice. 

Things that I know already get in my way of getting on with my morning routines as well as what to do to combat it:
--having hubby home while he is off work, we get into other things, and time just flies by, -- solution -- set a time and just do it! Use alarm clock on phone etc.
--having company over, you don't want to miss out on your friends so ditching them for your work out time seems justifiable, but is it? -- solution -- rework time of day to work out, or just excuse yourself for 30 min - 60 min. 
--hunger -- solution -- make sure I am fueled up and have my lemon water ready.
--distractions -- solution -- stop, and just do it, set timer, use alarms. 

So in a nut shell that is my thoughts about my new year, what I have to do to get it started off on the right track, and just do it. 

You with me?