It's easy to say "I want to weigh 125 pounds by summer." There, I just said it. How easy was that? But the truth is, it's not easy. It takes a lot of work, determination, and will power to actually make it happen. I've always believed in setting goals, but throughout my life, especially when it came to weight loss, my goals kind of got lost in the dust of other things: school, work, theatre, family, friends, relationships. Somehow, these things always got in the way and made me lose track of what I really wanted. However, my life is very different now than it once was. I am on my own and in full control of what I do, so I've decided to finally start making goals I can keep. Each month, I will be making three to five mini goals to help push me to reach my final goal of 125 pounds by summer. Some mini goals will be bigger than others, but all of them will be achievable and will motivate me towards my final goal.

November was a good month, maybe not in the numbers on the scale, but I was able to conquer some demons and learn some lessons. I feel like I finally have my head on straight and am ready to move forward with this journey. I spent the month learning the Points Plus program and figuring out how to make it work with my lifestyle. I really committed to using the gym at my work, and worked out 3-5 days every week. I really made some progress last month, I just want to continue.

So, here's December:

• Try One New Recipe Each Week - Because Weight Watchers lets you eat essentially anything you  want, I've been pretty bad about cooking lately. So, I want to turn my focus on cooking more this month. Unfortunately, I only have a few recipes under my belt, and turkey burgers, although delicious, get old if eaten every night. Therefore I want to make sure I am expanding my culinary skills by cooking one new recipe each week. I, of course, will be able to cook more if I feel adventurous, but I wanted to give myself a realistic number to achieve first, and four recipes in the month of December is something I can definitely handle!
• Work Out at Least Four Times a Week - I have done pretty well working out in November, usually working out three or four times a week. I want to make sure I up this in December to a minimum of four times a week. The fact of the matter is, working out at the gym at my office is amazingly convenient for me. Waking up early has always been a struggle, and getting to sleep in an extra half hour or so instead of taking a shower and getting ready is right up my alley. Getting into work "dirty" forces me to get to the gym at some point in the morning, and it's worked great so far. If I decide I don't want to work out, then I have to shower in the morning before I leave my apartment, meaning I miss out on sleep - which I don't like to do, ever. So, I think this is something I can definitely accomplish.
• Reach the 140s by New Year's Eve - I realize I have very little control over this goal, but it definitely is my number one goal for December. As I explained in my last weigh-in, New Years Eve 2011 was the start of an amazing year, and that night I weighed in the upper 140s. I'd love to rekindle that feeling, and hopefully the good vibes that come along with it, and make 2013 even better! 2012 was somewhat of a crappy year for me - a lot of roller coaster emotions and big changes in my life, so I want to make sure I start off the new year on an amazing note. Being in the 140s would definitely do that, so I'm crossing my fingers the scale is sweet to me!