This is Month 3 of my completely made-up diet called The Sparkle Plan. Check out Month 1 here and Month 2 here. The Sparkle Plan consists of big and small goals. The big goals are to keep you motivated throughout the year and the small goals are your monthly objectives.
My BFF went on a trip around the world (literally) and came back with this little nugget she likes to throw in my face when I’m being particularly annoying and/or hard on myself, “Expectations Reduce Joy.” 
I expected to be down about 7-8 pounds by this point. Guess what? I’m not. Naturally, I got all angsty and agitated about this and was ready to berate myself. A hard task, when I gave up criticizing myself for Lent. So let’s take a positive look at this situation.
I haven’t gained any weight, I’m still recovering from an injury that turned out to be a lot worse than I thought and I have finally started running again. Sounds awesome to me!
Let’s take a look at how I did with last month’s small goals and set some new ones for the coming month.
Small Goals – Month 2
- No eating after 9pm and eat M&Ms only one day a week at work.
- Walk three times a week for at least 40 minutes – either outside or on the treadmill at the gym.
- Do 10 pushups (yes, of the girl variety) a day, as well as arm circles.
- Do 50 crunches (in various forms) a day.
I did really well with these goals. In all honesty, I think there were only a couple nights I ate after 9pm. I stayed away from the M&Ms. Happily, I got my walk on! Not only did this give me more physical energy, but I just felt better mentally. And toward the end of the month, I finally started running again. Short distances – 1 mile – but I’m really proud of myself. I did the arm circles, pushups and crunches ALMOST every day.
Tip of the Month:
This comes courtesy of Mary Ann – one of my roommates from college. She suggested that you either flex your hands or form fists while doing arm circles. This works different muscles. I did this, as well as regular arm circles and definitely felt the difference! Thanks, Mary Ann!
Small Goals – Month 3
Every year, I have an incredibly busy March and April, due to my day job. This year, I will be doing A LOT of traveling in addition to a very heavy work and writing schedule. So my goals for this month are to continue with my small goals from months 1 & 2 and to give myself a bit of a break. Here is my one goal:
- Throughout all of my conferences, travel, etc., I vow to get at least 8,000 steps per day.
Your turn – I want to know how you did! If you made a goal last month, share in the comments your challenges and successes. If you’re new to The Sparkle Plan, feel free to let us know what your goal is now. Or just give us all a supportive box of marshmallow peeps and Cadbury eggs. Wait, no! I meant give us an internet hug. 😉
*I am not a doctor or anything close to a doctor. In fact, I wouldn’t even be able to play a doctor on TV – too many technical words and I don’t look cute in scrubs. Always consult your own physician before embarking on any fitness or eating plan.