Cranberry Green Smoothie & Why I’m Starting My New Year’s Resolutions Now – During The Holidays!

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Last week I shared a picture of my morning smoothie on Instagram.  I started drinking smoothies this past week for breakfast because I just felt yucky.  Really yucky.  Even my comfy, cozy pajamas were feeling snug and I felt tired, irritable and gross.  I HATE feeling like that.  To be honest, I have felt like that a lot in the past few years.  I am a busy mother and have honestly not taken that great care of myself.  I am the type of person who likes to be at home.  I love to clean, cook and spend time with my family.  I kind of like the quiet time I get when I am at home and away from everything and everyone.  My husband always jokes that I don’t like people.  I do like people, I just like to keep to myself more, maybe part of that is because I am not comfortable in my own skin right now.

I have chosen some poor lifestyle habits.  My problem is, is that after we moved to the country a few years ago there really weren’t a lot of people around, so I didn’t feel like I had to get moving.  My daily walks I took when we lived in town stopped, I nibbled more and more here and there while I was sitting, working on the computer for Cozy Country Living while my waistline and my confidence in myself suffered.  Well, I have had enough.  There is no better time than the present and I am making my changes and starting my New Year’s Resolutions Right NOW!  During the Holidays!

Okay, I am going to admit it.  My exercise routine has been pretty non existent since the Spring.  I was running regularly using the 5K Running app before our vacation to Florida in March, but then I stopped.  I have walked and run on the treadmill a little bit, but I just didn’t feel motivated enough to stick with it.

My husband is the greatest and all 4 of my children just love me for me.  I feel like I don’t have to be a certain way for them.  They love me just the way I am and that’s SO wonderful!  I love them for that and I love them the very same way.  Getting myself back is for me though and feeling good is for me.  I spent my 20’s having children and now that my body is done with that, my 30’s have to be spent getting healthier so I can enjoy my family.  I think in order to make a change in life and have it last, it has to be for you and only you.  I really love the cozy and comforting meals that I make for my family.  That won’t stop and Cozy Country Living will still be full of great family friendly, simple & tasty meals, but my main focus is to get moving!

I know this time of year is ridiculously busy.  I guess I have just come to a point where it just doesn’t matter how busy it is.  Life is busy.  There is ALWAYS going to be other things going on around us and in our lives.  I am making myself a priority for once and a 30 minute workout isn’t going to ruin my Holidays.  Really?!  Think about how fast 30 minutes goes by.  Exercise for me has always been key.  When I do a workout I feel so much better All.Day.Long!  I make healthier choices when I am eating and I am a happier person all the way around.  I hate feeling on edge and irritable when my children want to do something together as a family or when they want to go somewhere.  I don’t want my insecurities to keep me from being the best mother I can be to them.

I will still be enjoying our weekly date night at home (take out dinner & wine) with my husband, making our family’s favorite Holiday foods and I am still going to baking Christmas Cookies and sip the occasional hot chocolate.  I will just not give myself the “Oh, I am going to eat better after New Year’s” excuse to have a free for all all month long.  I’ve done that before and what happens is I end up starting the New Year 5 lbs. heavier.  Not this year!

I am always motivated the most during the first few weeks that I have decide to make a change.  That means that this is the perfect time to start a new exercise routine and better eating habits!  It’s easier to resist that extra Christmas Cookie or Holiday drink if you are feeling great and you’ve been active that day.  You feel better about yourself and can enjoy those great Holiday foods in moderation.  I find that if I wait until after the Holidays to start exercising then I don’t feel good about myself, I want to eat all of those goodies, I do, and then I feel even worse about myself.  It’s a horrible cycle.  How great is it going to feel to start the New Year ahead of the game and with momentum?!

I’ve got to tell you, just from a weeks worth of nutrient fruit & veggie packed smoothies for breakfast in the morning & 3 Circuit Training Workouts at home (this video by the way, just about killed me, but I love it!)  I feel great!  So good in fact, that I don’t even crave all of the things I did just a week ago.  Sure, 1 cookie or Ghiradelli chocolate square at the end of the day still might come into play, but not the overindulging.  It’s just not worth it!  I’m looking ahead.  The things I do today are going to effect me tomorrow and I want myself back.  I want to feel my best everyday.

So who’s with me?  How about kicking off your New Year’s Resolutions right now?!  What is your biggest struggle this time of year?  This can be the best gift we give ourselves and our loved ones this Holiday season!

Now how about that smoothie?  Since it’s cranberry season, I thought I would add those antioxidant packed little berries into one of my morning smoothies.  You get all of the benefits from the cranberries, without really any tartness because of the other yummy ingredients I’ve put in here.  All you need is fresh spinach (you really don’t taste it),  greek yogurt, a ripe banana, ice, unsweetened almond milk, a mandarin orange and of course…cranberries.  This is a delicious, filling smoothie that will fill you up until lunch time!  I hope you like it!

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