January has always been a detox month for me. I can’t remember where it started, or when, but for a pretty long time now, January has been where I made up for the excesses of December by spending no money, drinking no alcohol and eating healthily. It’s not a resolution, so much, as a habit.
And as such, it’s quite easy to stick to, because I spend 11 months knowing that it’s coming.
I discovered a fantastic detox drink last year, which you have an hour before breakfast, and it really does clean out the system. From years of experience with various detox concoctions, I can really vouch for this one’s effectiveness. And as an added bonus, it tastes pretty good. Feeling great is progress, and the sooner you get there, the more likely you are to stick at it, aren’t you? And they didn’t even pay me to say that.
Also, because it’s not a resolution, there’s no pressure to start on January 1st. In fact, since we have a busy weekend on a still festive theme, we’ve decided to start on Monday, January 4th, so that we don’t have the potential of failure looming up at us from the get go.
It’s all about SMART goals, really:
Specific Goals:
1) Spend Nothing (or at least nothing over our very low weekly budget)
2) Detox – no refined sugar, no alcohol, and for me, wean off the caffeine again.
3) Take control of wastage- i.e. plan meals to better effect, use up left overs, cook things and eat or freeze them before they rot. And recycle.
Measurable Goals:
1) How far under or over budget we are, determines the success of this one
2) The first few days are hard – but suck it up and you soon forget that you had those cravings in the first place. The day after a sugar high, you crave sugar fiercely. The day after that you don’t even think about it. How do you measure it? Well, check the scale, for a start.
3) Should be visible in the weekly garbage collection output.
Achievable Goals:
1) Totally achievable. So long as there’s food on the table and bills are paid, we don’t need much else.
2) I control my cravings, they do not control me. Now repeat that 100 times. Then repeat it another 100 times as you peel yourself away from the bakery window.
3) Yes. Just takes a bit of planning. But with all that time I’ll be spending not looking at or eating refined sugars, it’ll be easy enough!
Realistic Goals:
1) Done it before, so yes
2) *sigh* Must keep trying
3) Of course. If I can manage whole projects, surely I can manage one fridge?
Timely Goals:
1, 2 & 3) Let’s just focus on January for now. The rest will take care of itself. If 2 & 3 become a habit, that can only improve our lives.
So that’s my plan for January. Now to the kitchen, to see what should be cooking. Oh! For the slovenly life of December!
Happy January, Everyone!
Love it- but I must admit I tend not to start anything until way into Jan. (see here for my reasoning!) http://traceysthriftytips.blogspot.com/2010/01/waiting-it-out.html – it’s just too cold and miserable to start in Jan! Good luck though…
Thanks for linking!!!
I like your detox tradition! Are you going to blog about it as you do it this year? I’d be interested in following along. My husband is doing a detox this month as well. Good luck!
I gave up sugar 3 years ago and never felt better. I don’t eat flour, sugar, potatoes and rice.
Good luck with your goals!
Mary
January is the perfect month to chill out, relax and reboot, isn’t it? Sounds like a plan for me, too!
Great habits! I need some of those.
stopping by from SITS
I’d love if you’d link this to my “Resolutions” linky:
http://makinglemonadeblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/you-say-you-want-resolution.html
Thanks for the detox idea! I’m pregnant now, but REALLY want to do a detox once the baby is weaned from breastfeeding. I figured it’s not safe to use a product like that until after weaning, but then– watch out! I’m all about the detox!
Stopping by from SITS…
happy sits saturday sharefest! this sounds like a great way to start the new year. i am going to detox too!
Thank you for sharing your goals. I wish you luck in getting them done!
Stopping in from SITS!
This sounds really interesting. I’m breastfeeding at the moment so I dont feel comfortable trying to detox now, but maybe in a few months, I’ll give this a try. Thanks for sharing!
And, I’m stoppin by from SITS – have a fantastic day!!
http://carrigansjoy.blogspot.com/
Defs need a a detox. Urgently. Will check it out,.. and try your tips. Thanks!
Happy SITS Saturday Sharefest
All the best and thanks for sharing your tips with us! Its a good motivator and i like the idea that you are taking it nice and slow!
We tend to swing into a “detox” mode around here too. We can’t keep up with eating all of the sweets of the holidays, I think we’d get really sick. Time to let the chocolate supply run out and get back to real life!
I like your comment re Cravings – will use that mantra for myself!
Have a heppy 2010 and will pop by soon.
Thanks for sharing your January habits with us My Friend. Here’s Praying for a healthy and happy detox month for you and Sir Martin! <3
Me again! Don’t throw away those ornaments! 🙂 Here’s the web address for the ornament wreath: http://www.eddieross.com/eddie_ross/2009/12/ornament-wreath-challenge.html
My new post editor went all wonky – I had everything linked up before posting, but I guess blogger had another idea! I’ve gone back through and linked everything up again, so hopefully they all work now! Thanks for the heads up on the missing links!
That sounds like a good idea and some of it sounds like something we could try to incorporate into our home as well. Good luck w/ the first month!
great idea to start on the 4th! 🙂 good luck with all your goals for the month!
Stopping by from SITS!