Over the next course of these 109 days I have a plan in place with various tasks I need to stick to over in the hopes of making as much difference both physically and mentally. If I stick to these tasks I think I could really see a big difference and I should make a big dent in my fitness goals for the year. I have the daily routine to stick to written on my trusty whiteboard and I keep record of my weight so I can see what is working and what isn't, it just helps me visualize the routine so much more and I know that if I can visualize this daily I am more likely to stick to it as I can see things working. So here are the things I am sticking to daily...

Read a book

I really need to get back into reading and I know that it is really beneficial as it keeps my brain active but also helps me switch off which definitely needs to happen a lot more often as life is just getting crazier. I have a lot of books to start reading and even just one chapter a night will help tick this off and will helps me relax a lot more.

Wake up before 7am

I am usually pretty good at waking up however, I am a nightmare for getting up and getting on with my day as I just lounge around for far too long when in fact I could be getting up and getting on with things and being so much more productive. I am aiming to be up, out of bed and have started my day by 7am everyday whether its a weekday or weekend, the extra time to get things done is going to be really beneficial.

No alcohol

In these 109 days I am aiming for no alcohol however, the odd few over all those days are going to be let off just as I don't go overboard. I always feel so much better when I cut out the alcohol and I always see my journey going much better so fingers crossed this little task works in my favour.

7,000 steps a day

I am determined that for the whole 109 days I will be hitting my daily step goal. I know just how important my steps are on my fitness journey so I am going to make sure they are a key focus and I am nailing that non-negotiable every single day. This is definitely going to cut back on the lazy days and is really going to help me make big progress on my journey and in those 109 days, who knows as it progresses we might see that step goal but for now 7,000 is more than acceptable.

No takeaways

I don't know how many times I have said this in the past and not stuck to it however, this time I am really 100% focused on having this daily task one I tick off a lot. Not only will it save us money but it will also get me in the kitchen cooking much healthier meals for a change and I will actually know what I am eating rather than greasy meals that aren't even that enjoyable.  I am looking forward to trying to stick to this and playing. around with the meals I cook, it is time to make more of an effort and try new foods.

2 litres of water every day

Now I will be 100% honest this is something I do everyday without fail at the moment however, I really want to keep this on the tick list just as a reminder to keep it up. I need to make sure I am hitting no less than 2 litres a day as I know this is when I feel my best, I am hydrated and energized when I stick to this so expect a lot of water to be drunk over the next 109 days.

Minimum of 30 minute of exercise

This doesn't have to be strenuous exercise everyday it could simply be a long walk or time on the bike however, I will be mixing it up with tough days and lighter days just to find the balance in my body and give it recovery time. Exercise is so important for me as it is not only helping my journey but it also helps me mentally too so 30 minutes a day in non-negotiable.

Vitamins

I have been taking different vitamins now on and off for months however, I know now just how important it is for me to be taking them every single day. I have added them to this tick list to ensure I am taking them daily and giving my body everything it needs for me to function my very best and to stay nice and healthy.

Progress pictures

I am not going to be only relying on the scales for my progress, I am going to be taking plenty of progress pictures throughout the 109 days so I can see just how much change I am making and if I need to change anything else to make even better progress. I love progress pictures as you can just see exactly where the changes are happening.

Stretching 

Now I am working out a lot more and doing more challenging exercise such as my football and boxing I really need to incorporate stretching into my routine so that I am helping prevent any possibly injuries from over working my muscles. I have realised lately just how important stretching really is so I am aiming for 10 minutes of light stretching & mobility work just to help on the injury prevention side of things whilst also helping with post workout recovery in the long run. 

Daily gratitude

This is something I have only really started doing recently but I am really enjoying it and finding the benefits from it so I am adding it to my routine for the full 109 days. The daily gratitude just gives me 10/15 minutes on an evening reflecting on my day and what I was grateful for. This is a particularly good activity as if I am having a bad day I can check back on previous days and see the good in the to help keep me going. 

Weigh in daily 

Now I know people say not to get weighed daily however, I know that I am not going to obsess over that number and in fact I am going to use the daily weigh ins to keep an eye on if certain foods are causing me issues or if I am doing too much in one go. Weighing in daily will just help me see my fluctuations in my weight and show me areas I might need to improve on. 

Obviously I said at the start of the post that I wanted to push to feel confident on my holidays and be in better shape but I have set myself some mini goals which I am hoping to achieve by the end of my 109 days. Some goals are very realistic where as others are going to require a big push however, if I stick to these daily tasks I have the full belief that I can achieve these goals, if not do even better than them. So here are the goals I have set for myself...

Lose 1 stone 7 lbs 

Now this is just a ball park figure and to be honest it is the lowest amount I would be happy to lose, I would love to absolutely smash this number but I guess only time will tell. This would take me to over 2 stone lost overall since the start of my journey and will take it to my lowest weight in a long time. If I could hit 2 stones lost in these 109 days that would be perfect but lets keep it that bit more realistic and stick with a stone & half lost, a big push is going to be required. 

Only 4 meals out 

I know I have put a daily goal as no takeaways but the challenge is also to reduce the meals out I have as they are a big problem cause for me as I always pick the biggest burger and go way over my daily calories and this needs to stop. I have a few things going on in the 109 days but I am determined to limit myself to 4 meals out for those occassion and make sure I pick a better option from the menu when I do go out. There is no need for me to eat out as much as I do and I am using the 109 days to create the healthy habit of cooking more.

Drop 10 cm off hips & 10 cm off waist

My two big trouble areas are my hips and waist and I hate looking at them so I am hoping that by the end of these 109 days I see a difference on these areas and I would be very happy to take 10 cms off each which if I stick to the tasks daily I could honestly see quite easily as in the past I have noticed a pretty big change in these areas without the full focus on all the steps of my journey. The nutrition is going to be a big player for this so fingers crossed I get that nailed early on and make sure I am hitting all my training sessions, no excuses. 

Increase my strength 

I think this is where I could see a big change over the 109 days as if I am hitting those training sessions every week with no excuse I am going to be upping the weights a few times I hope. I have been lifting the same weights for a while now as I just haven't been consistent with my sessions for a variety of reasons but that has meant not being comfortable enough to up the weights. I would love to see an increase in my strength though as I have never really had any upper body strength and it has always been an area I have wanted to see a change in.

Smash my steps daily

I want to make sure that during the 109 days I don't slip under 7,000 steps. I want to be hitting my steps everyday with no issues as I know now just how important the steps are in my journey. I need to keep moving and need to cut out those super lazy days as they are doing me no good. If I am lazy I sit and binge eat, if I am up and moving I am not thinking of eating out of boredom and I am making a difference on my journey. Steps are an important part of the journey and I am looking forward to really challenging myself with them.

Feel better mentally 

I think this might be one of the most important goals I want to hit by doing this challenge, I feel as though by doing each task daily mentally I am going to feel so much better. The tasks are going to help me in recovery, help me physically and also help take the stress away from my life that I have been feeling so often lately for no apparent reason other than being so busy and feeling overwhelmed. I know that just feeling better mentally is going to help me out so much in the long run as my journey progresses. 

Develop a routine

I strive off a routine and when I have a routine in place that I can stick to the benefits start to roll in. That is why I am hoping that by doing these tasks daily for 109 days I create myself a routine to stick to rather than reaching the end and just giving up and losing my progress. I am fairly positive though that by day 109 I will be seeing a big difference in my routine and actually be continuing it into the future. 

Be in better shape for the inflatable 5K

As I mentioned earlier not long after my 109 days end I will be doing the inflatable 5K that I signed up for last year. I am no runner and honestly I am kind of dreading doing this but I think in the long run it is going to do me the world of good as it is something to look forward to and something different in general. I am hoping to have much better fitness levels for when this day arrives and who knows it might end up getting me into running. 

Find a good life balance 

Now this one might seem silly to some people but I think this is one of the biggest things I want to achieve over the 109 days. So many times over the past few years on this journey I have ended up worn out from life just going 100 mph with no slowing down, I have focused on far too much at once so I am hoping by focusing on those daily tasks and getting into a routine will help me find a good balance to avoid future burnouts.

Size 14 jeans

I am aiming to be able to treat myself to some new jeans by the end of my 109 days and I am really hoping that I can be in a size 14 but I guess only time will tell. Currently I am in a size 16/18 depending on where I buy from and to be honest the 18's fit that bit better so there is going to be a big push to be in a size 14 but I think if everything falls into place and I do drop the cm's and the weight overall I could comfortably be in a size 14 by the end of the 109 days in at least 1 shop. Fingers crossed this works and I can treat myself to those new jeans as I need some that fit in a more suitable colour for the warmer weather. 

Medium tops 

Now I buy all my tops from the men's departments as they just fit me better and are a lot more comfortable. Currently I am in a large so I am hoping the hard work over these 109 days will take me down to a medium in normal day to do shirts and t-shirts so that I can have a little shopping trip before my holidays to get some nice fitting clothes to take away with me. I am already squeezing into medium football shirts but it would be nice to fit these a bit more comfortably by the end of the 109 days too as it will be time to start buying new season & World Cup shirts which means plenty of treats.

Have my shorts fit better for my holiday

I got some really nice shorts in a large men's last year for my holiday but they fit quite tight. I am wanting to wear these again for this years holiday so fingers crossed I can get to the stage where they are fitting me much more comfortably so I can wear them as much as possible on the holiday and into those warmer months. I just have a feeling I might need to go try find these in a size smaller though if I am making as much progress as I am hoping to, I just want a good fitting short this time around.

So there you have it that is my plan of action for the 109 days between the 14th of February and the 3rd of June, so far I am off to a pretty good start but I know I really need to focus in and get ticking off those daily habits with no excuses day in day out if I want to see the progress I have set out to make.  I have my trusty whiteboard to hand and ready to get marking off those steps and really see progress. This ear is the year where I really want to push to my end goal and lets hope this really helps make a big step towards it.

I am looking forward to hopefully smashing a lot of the goals set and getting into a new routine. Do you think I can do it? It is time for me to start believing in myself and show myself just what I am capable of.