Back with the 52 Days til Summer Challenge

Oh my god, I'm back again.

I was inspired by two lovely ladies I know to get back to my blog:

Emily, with her blog that I love love love;

And Ashley, as I'm thrilled to announce that I will be taking place in her 52 Days til Summer Challenge!

This challenge couldn't have come at a better time. Between being sick, crappy weather, and some unpleasant things happening in my personal life, April did not equal a healthy month for me. Food was more often chosen for its comfort value than its healthiness, and exercise was almost non-existent. I'm really feeling positive about May though (despite the sun's continued insistence on hiding away) and am really looking forward to this challenge, which I believe will help keep me accountable and will give me a little extra incentive to stay on the healthy track.

The first part of the challenge is to develop a list of reasons I want to participate in the challenge. My goal is not specifically to lose weight (although a few pounds lost would be a happy bonus), but instead just to get back on the healthy track and stay there. My reasons for wanting to get and stay healthy are:

- To take care of myself and ensure a long, happy life
- To feel (and be) fit and strong
- To have lots of energy
- To feel proud of the life choices I am making
- To feel confident in a bathing suit this summer!

The other component to this challenge is to develop a list of commitments that will help me to achieve my goal. My commitments are:

- To eat whole foods, especially lots of vegetables, as much as possible
- Work out 4-5 times a week
- Don't slack off on the weekends (this is a biggie - I have a bad tendency to do really well all week with food and exercise, and then eat whatever I feel like and be lazy on the weekends. I have to remember that weekends count too!)
- Take it easy on the alcohol (also applies to the weekend commitment)
- Keep track of my progress on this blog!

It's also back to tracking my activity with stickers and a calendar - a surprisingly great motivational tool. I guess the love of stickers never really goes away, no matter how old you are!

I'm really excited, not just for the challenge, but for the opportunity to start feeling more positive and developing some healthy habits. I hope you will cheer me on, and consider joining the challenge yourself!