Can you guys even believe it’s November? Wow…time really flies (when you’re having fun? When you’re getting old? When you’re busy?)! I’m currently sitting in the gym’s cafe, sipping at my black Americano with some cinnamon and thinking about how quickly time is going. Before you know it, Christmas will be here, including all the festivities that come along with it, and then it will be New Year’s (and subsequent New Year’s resolution) time. Because I don’t want the time to creep up on me and thanks to several posts from blogger friends that have made me think, I thought I’d write a bit about goals today and – GASP! – set some myself.

You see, I’m really not a goal setter. I’ve spoken about this in the past and how ironic it is that, as a personal trainer, we talk about goals and I occasionally have people set them (probably less than other trainers as that’s just not how I’m geared). I know all about HOW to set goals (make them S.M.A.R.T! – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and set with a time frame) but have never been driven by them. I’m much more about my top two rules or bottom line:

Move More.

Eat Real Food (and less of it).

…more my style.

Those are the only real mottos fitness-wise I live by. I try to get some kind of movement in daily, alternating tough workout days (like today’s! Whew!) with easier days, sometimes lifting heavy and often running a long run on the weekend because I love the long, slow movement and being outside. But besides that, I typically don’t set goals in the gym but rather try to maintain.

I’m much the same when it comes to how I eat – stay away from processed foods, stop before I’m full and make most of what I eat REAL. However, I don’t really deny myself either. If you’re over and you bring wine, I’ll have a glass (but only one, and usually small!); if I want something sweet, I’ll usually have it; I simply try not to go overboard.

Often I wonder what I would look like, how healthy my insides would be, how much stronger and leaner I would be if I actually followed a workout or nutrition program.

I’ve kind of implemented that with intermittent fasting and still do one 24 hour fast a week (Mondays!) and eat the “Lean Gains” style the rest of the week: fasting in the morning with an a.m. workout followed by my first meal around noon (usually a green shake with all real foods in it!), second meal around 3 pm (usually salad with a protein) and a meal around 7 or 8 pm. But I still include random bites here and there that aren’t helping my waistline – you guys know I’ve blogged recently about gaining 5 lbs which, while not a lot, is more on a 5’2″ frame and will.not.go.away. I’m weighing myself less but whether I fast or not, workout or not, everything stays the same.

…maybe it’s time to tighten up?

I love the Turkey Day Challenge that Janetha is doing with her gym, GPP Fitness (click the link to read the stipulations – love the way this challenge is set up!) and can get behind MizFit’s commitment to eat no processed foods for 30 days. With their support (hi, guys!) and my personal desire to clean up my act a bit, here’s my challenge!

The refined sugar? Well, tis the season! So I’ll simply have to be prepared with more protein-packed snacks and watch my intake. The processed foods won’t be too bad, but it means watching myself as I occasionally take a leftover (free) muffin from work (healthier made, but still a muffin’s like cake in my mind!), the rare birthday party (which I’m pretty good at celebrating the person and not the food), and bites of ice cream at home out of the freezer (one bite never stays at one bite anyway!).

The water won’t be a huge challenge, but I’ll have to keep up with my drinking throughout the day and not leave it to the end.

And why the HITT? Well, as I said above, I’ve been bouncing around with my workouts and I know I’m not getting the most out of them, so I’ve decided for these 30 days to stick with H(high )I(intensity) I(interval) T(training) and get 5 of those in a week, plus the KB swings and burpees, which honestly don’t take long, I can do at home and are a great metabolism booster.

Here’s what gets me most: I can commit to health and fitness stuff no problem, but connecting with God for 15 short minutes a day? So hard for me! If I claim that my relationship with Jesus is the most important of my life, I sure better live in such a way that backs it up. I can write and eat and breathe health and fitness but the real source of my life, joy and hope comes through Jesus Christ. So why is it so difficult for me to put aside some time – either with earlier wake ups or instead of reading blogs – to spend with him? This should be a longer time and is of greater importance that what 15 minutes gives, but I need to (for my soul!) get back into a consistent time of prayer, reading my Bible and walking with Jesus daily.

So…anyone else want in?! I’ve seen others’ challenges and made this one my own, and it’s more about setting a goal and sticking to it since that’s what I’m trying to work on in my life!

How am I to inspire others if I’m not challenging myself but teetering on the edge of mediocrity? I don’t want to simply bump along in life whether it concerns my fitness, nutrition, social or spiritual realms of life. Complacency is a scary thing! I want to inspire others and push myself to be better – not to get skinner or lose those 5 lbs or never miss a day reading my Bible but instead be working towards SOMEthing in each area of my life.

I hope you’ll join me in your own way, but as someone who doesn’t always set or follow goals, I won’t hold it against you if you don’t. Make it count, whatever you do today, and keep in mind that the holiday season is upon us! Be prepared for it in whatever way works for you so that you’ll be able to come through the other side happy, healthy and whole. (Hint: future posts along those lines + 2 product reviews yet to come!).

Live well & be well (and wish me luck!),

Bonnie