Goals change. Goals morph into something else. Goals are not stagnant- but fluid and can be ever changing.
When I first started clean eating and working out, my goal was to lose weight PERIOD! My sole motivation was weight loss… it really wasn’t about health…. I wanted to lose weight. Sure I was concerned about the chemicals I ate (kinda). I was mostly concerned with my size 14 physique which was on a fast slide to size 16.
Then something changed. Sometime around April (about 2 1/2 months in) I stopped caring about what the measuring tape was telling me. The disappearing inches stopped mattering. It wasn’t as important to me. I started really caring about what I could do at the gym. I started caring about how deep my push ups were, how straight my plank was, how much weight I could curl.
I’ve noticed lately that my focus has changed again. I still strive every time for that perfectly straight plank but now my focus is on just working hard because I can. Right now- I’m really focusing on and enjoying what great shape I’m in- physically and mentally. I’m super fit but I’m also super happy. Life is pretty great.
Lately I’ve been getting the same question asked to me over and over. What’s your goal? What are you working toward? Do you have a weight in mind or a size? Are you training for a triathlon? A Spartan Race? American Ninja Warrior (one of my favourite shows- you should check it out!)
It’s a big NO for all those questions. I don’t have a “goal weight” (I don’t even know what I weigh right now). I don’t want to run a race or be on a fitness gameshow.
I still have a goal. I want to be fit and happy. I am fit and happy right now but it’s something I need to keep working at.
This week has brought HUGE changes to my life. Working full time is really different but it has been okay so far. To help me maintain my goal of fit and happy during this time of higher stress and pressure, I have decided to challenge myself. Summer was a little lax in the eating and drinking department :S I really want to get back on track so this is what I am committing to doing (notice I used the word committing and not “planning” or “hoping”)
Tracey’s Fall Back into Clean Eating Commitment
1. No alcohol
I tend to “forget” about clean eating when I’m drinking. I want to compliment my glass of wine with cheese and crackers
2. Eat clean
Only eat clean, even when I’m busy or stressed
3. Workout
I know that a lot of my happiness is grown at my gym innerathletes.net Endorphins and really nice people at that gym make me very happy
4. Floss everyday.
Weird I know. This one is about discipline. If you floss every day, even on the day you are sooooo tired and you remember while you are already lying in bed -you get up and floss because you are not lazy. You are committed and fabulous.

This is what I’m going to do. This is what I originally did when I started clean eating. Maybe you would like to do it too. Your goals might different than mine but I did those 4 things when my goals had more to do with weight loss and busting it in the gym. Comment on this blog post- if you plan to join my challenge. Support in numbers and saying that you are committing in your head is good but writing your commitment on the internet is AMAZING!

This is what I’m planing on doing until Thanksgiving. Why Thanksgiving? Its 5 full weeks (no long weekends, no holidays). Life is going to be busy these next 5 weeks. This Commitment Plan will keep my goals a reality.

It is beginning to feel like fall. Fall for me means certain foods- pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, ginger…. I found a clean fall cookie recipe that tastes like autumn. If you like a cakey cookie you will love it. I personally was a little disappointed in the texture- I was hoping for more of a crispy cookie. It was ridiculously humid the day I made the cookies and I think they need to be baked longer than the recipe states. I plan to revisit the recipe but they still are a pretty decent cookie considering there is no butter or brown sugar! Here is the recipe link for Ginger Molasses Cookies- http://thefitnessfreak.blogspot.ca/2009/11/healthy-ginger-cookies.html
You will need:

¾ C coconut oil
1 C agave
¼ C molasses
2 eggs
3½ C whole-wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
3 tsp. ginger (plus, optionally, freshly grated ginger root)
1 tsp. nutmeg
You can find the directions at the link above.

Choose happy 🙂