Well the end of the month marks the end of the first monthly challenge and I will be 100% honest I am really proud of how I did with this one and how easy I found it to stick to. The challenge for the first month was no alcohol throughout January and I absolutely smashed it. 

To be honest I don't really drink too much normally however, over the course of December I had a fair bit whilst celebrating the festive period and just wanted to cut back again to see if it could help me progress in my fitness & weight loss journey. I previously did this last year and lasted around 8 months without having alcohol so I was hoping I could step straight back into this mindset and it 100% worked and I have gone the full 31 days of January without touching a drop of alcohol. 

I am actually pretty surprised that I wasn't tempted with an alcoholic drink at all even when everyone around me was knocking back pints, I just stuck to soft drinks or alcohol free alternatives and the lack of alcohol didn't bother me at all. I think it really helps that these days the alcohol free drink variety is massively improving and you can feel like you are drinking without all the side effects that come with having alcohol. I am feeling so much better for going alcohol free and I am going to see just how long I can push this for even now the challenge has ended, even if I can just get to summer without having any alcohol I will be happy as if you combine this with other changes I am making it should really help my fitness journey. 

So onto February's challenge, we are going into something a lot more physical and demanding however, I think this challenge might just end up being my favourite of the whole 12 months. I am going to be challenging myself to 30 minutes on the punch bag every day throughout February. 

I used to absolutely love going on our punch bag as much as possible however, the past few months or so I have barely been on it and I am actually missing it which I never thought I was going to say. I am hoping the 30 minutes daily gets me into a good routine and will help me incorporate the bag into my routine once more as at the moment it is just sat gathering dust. Since starting to go to the boxing class I do on a Wednesday I have really fallen in love with boxing so this should be easy to stick to over the course of the 28 days and it is safe to say it is going to be giving my arms a really good workout daily. 

A big thing I am wanting to improve this year is my fitness, at the moment my fitness levels are absolutely shocking and for my football to improve I need to get those fitness levels up and that is a big focus over the course of the year. The 30 minutes daily on this should really help towards building a foundation to improve on and get me some much needed cardio in. If I do stick to this for the 28 days of February by the end of the month I should really be seeing the starts of the benefits of doing this daily and I should also find a way to incorporate more punch bag usage into my routine week in week out over the course of the year.

I am really looking forward to getting started on February's challenge as I am looking forward to putting the gloves on daily and just having 30 minutes of myself and the punchbag working on different combinations and getting my body moving. This might even help me finally see a drop in my measurements which have been at a standstill for a while now and I am hoping that by the end of the month I might be able to see a bit of a difference in my progress pictures too as if I combine this with the rest of my workouts and finally get my diet under control I should have a very good month. 

Check back at the end of the month to see how I got on and if any visible or none visible progress was actually made by doing this challenge. Fingers crossed it is and overall a lot of change is made bring on the 28th of February so I can see the results. 

I have been on my fitness and weight loss journey now since 2020 and if I am honest I haven't made as much progress as I would have liked and I know the reason and that is what I am planning to change from this year. I have the workout side more or less nailed now and I am moving more however, it is the nutrition side of things. When it comes to eating I have never had the best diet and I now know just how important it is to fix this so that I can start making the progress I know I am more than capable of.

My diet has never been the best for a number of reasons and one of the main reasons is that believe it or not I am a pretty fussy eater, I stick to what I know and don't really sway away from those foods. Unfortunately those foods that I do stick with are just not the most nutritious and I know if I just tried some different healthier foods I could see the weight dropping whilst also discovering new favourite foods. I will be 100% honest I am sick of eating rubbish, if we eat well for a few days back to back I feel great and I can tell a difference in my body but throw in a takeaway and I start to feel ill and my skin breaks out once more, plus those takeaways we do get I don't even enjoy it is just a case of getting them for the sake of it which not only doesn't help my fitness journey but doesn't help the whole savings side of things either. 

After a long day at work the last thing I want to do is stand cooking and I make that known to poor Liam who ends up doing 90% of the cooking and on those days we are both being lazy we just order in or head out for something to eat and I know I need to step up and put that laziness to one side so that I can get the food in that I need to be eating but in the past I just haven't been able to do so yet and I always find myself making excuses but this will definitely be changing now as I get a lot more serious about my journey, I know what needs to change and how to do it. I don't think it helps that we stick to the same meals weekly either, it is rare we add anything new into our meals for the week and I think we just get sick of certain meals which leads to us ordering in once more. 

We both know now though that something needs to change when it comes to what we eat and here is what I am planning to do to finally get my nutrition under control and make that progress I am hoping for...

Smaller portion sizes

Having smaller portion sizes is definitely a big thing I need to change. With only 2 of us in the house some meals could honestly feed 4 yet we make sure we eat it all there and then. Smaller portion sizes would definitely benefit me in the long run plus most of the meals we make would make good lunches the following day. Just such a simple cutback could help so much.

Try new foods

This is mainly for trying different fruits and vegetables as at the moment my diet is seriously lacking of them and I need to change this. I know that by adding these it will aid my digestion, immune system and so much more but this is where the fussy eating comes in there are only a few I can tolerate. I am going to try add in one new fruit or vegetable into each week and hopefully this will help me discover new nutritious foods that I actually like. 

Use the air fryer more

My parents treated us to an air fryer towards the end of last year and we haven't used it as much as I would like if I am honest. I am determined to use it a whole lot more though as I can make so much in here and it is definitely healthier than frying foods and is just so much easier to use. I can even make myself so healthy snacks in here so it is going to be something that gets used more often from now on. I am sure I will post some of my makes on social media so keep an eye out for those. 

Cook books

Rather than eating the same meals week in week out I want to start using the many cook books we own to try new meals that we would both enjoy. This will just add more variety into our diet and mean that we are trying something we probably wouldn't have done previously. I am going to try aim for 1 new recipe per week to start with and see how it goes from there, we have plenty of cook books to work through and I am excited to try new meals and mix our weeks up a bit.

Make healthy swaps

This is a big one especially when it comes to snacking, at the moment I will more or less inhale a big bar of chocolate and I know that this is halting progress so I am going to change this. Rather than chocolate, crisps and other unhealthy snacks all the time I will be reducing these and swapping them for things such as skinny bars, fruit and even homemade snacks such as healthier cookies or brownies. These healthy swaps will soon add up and to be honest I look forward to making my own foods from time to time. 

Make more of an effort in the kitchen

If I make more of an effort in the kitchen we are honestly less likely to order in as poor Liam wont be left to cook every single evening. Just by sharing the effort we will no doubt cut back on eating out and ordering in as we are less likely to be lazy and pass on our cooking day as we won't be cooking eery single day and taking it in turns will just reduce that workload etc. 

Make better choices when eating out

I am one of these people who goes out for a meal and orders the biggest thing on the menu just because they can and I will be honest I am sick of doing this as it really ruins my progress and puts me about 10 steps backwards every time I do it. Most places have the calories on the menu these days so I can chose something I like which also fits in my calories for the day rather than opting for something 3 times my daily calories just for the sake of it. It might also help me find new favourite meals.

Meal prep & plan

By meal prepping I will be guaranteed at least a good nutritious lunch and it will 100% taste nicer than a meal deal whilst also costing me less so it will help with my budget. I waste so much money on meal deals I don't enjoy so an hours meal prep on a weekend will ensure I can have a good healthy lunch that I am really going to enjoy. When it comes to meals on an evening if we have plan in place we are a lot more likely to stick to what we have written down plus it is something to get excited for as we know what we will be eating each day and will also prepare us for who is cooking each evening. 

I am really hoping that putting all these changes in place will really help me get my nutrition under control at long last whilst helping me discover more nutritious foods. It should also help my bank account look a lot healthier each month as I won't be wasting money on eating out and pointless. I am taking control of what I eat and I am looking forward to seeing what sort of difference is made on my fitness & weight loss journey by making these changes. 

It is time to take control of my nutrition and start making this progress. 

All of a sudden my life seems to have got very busy and at times it is starting to get a bit too much. Last year I actually ended up burnt out and I have sworn to myself that in 2023 that won't be happening again as everything became such a struggle in that burnt out period and I totally neglected the goals I set out for myself in the year. As I say life has got very busy lately and it is rare I actually have time at home at the moment which I can't decide if it is a good thing or not. I am getting back to doing the things I love and I am working towards my goals however, it just doesn't seem like I get the chance to switch off which gets a bit overwhelming at times. I have said though that this year is going to be the year where I finally learn to manage my time better with a full time job, family life, a fitness journey and 3 websites I need to make sure I am managing my time better so nothing gets neglected and I don't wear myself down. 

With the 3 websites I end up always neglecting one as I just haven't found a way to balance them all yet however, my plan for this year is to sit down on a Sunday with my weekly planner and plan out at least one evening a week where I can spend a few hours working on a specific website and getting ahead of myself. That will be 3 evenings sorted out and I might throw in the occasional extra evening just to work on all 3 sites finishing off anything I didn't get done on the specific day. I am determined to limit the blog evenings though and keep a few evenings clear to either play games, see family or just fully switch off as this should help combat the overwhelm. 

I will also use the Sunday to plan out where I am each day so I know if I have enough hours in the day or not. I will put in when I am at work or if I have a day off, those blogging nights and then it is a case of adding in the extras. I will add my football training day, football game day if I have one and then I will add my weekly boxing session. From this I can see when to schedule my weights workouts in so I aren't adding too much into a single day. Luckily for me I am starting to get my workouts done pre-work so it frees up an extra hour on an evening which is definitely needed, plus working out in the morning always makes my day better. Once the main things are in I will add in any extra events for the week just so I know what extra I have to account for. 

Sunday is basically what I am calling a reset day and it is something I have decided to do after watching people do similar on YouTube of all places. It is where I can sit and look at the week just gone and make changes to the week ahead if needed. It is where I will plan my week like I mentioned earlier and I will also use the day to meal prep. This might mean an hour of cooking but will free up more time on my lunch breaks to work on any bits of content etc, I never thought of it this way and thought I was wasting a precious hour on a Sunday but it is definitely beneficial in the long run. I will also use Sundays to catch up on any housework, washing and little tasks that I need to get done. I will even use it to plan my outfits for the week as again it just speeds up the process during the week which is much needed and takes out the guessing work. 

I am also planning on managing my time better by trying to batch shooting content for my Instagram and spending a few hours scheduling in the posts. This will just save so much time whilst also making me more consistent across my many accounts, something which I am not doing too well with at the moment. These few hours a week doing this should help the consistency stick and help me grow and hit those goals I set myself for the year. I definitely want to show up online more and this should really help make that happen. Even if this takes a full day of creating if I get plenty done it will keep me on track for uploading for at least a week I hope. 

It is really hard to balance it all at time however, I am determined to get on top of it all in 2023 and create habits that are going to make life a whole lot easier over time especially as life only seems to be getting busier these days rather than quietening down. I can't complain as I am getting so many great opportunities I just wish some weeks would be a little bit quieter. Let's hope this managing time gets better and I can find a routine that suits me and helps me tick all the boxes. 

It is time to get ahead of myself and make some good progress in every aspect of life now whilst avoiding that dreaded burn out. 

As I am on my fitness and weight loss journey I have noticed I am more likely to really push and achieve something if I have a bit of an incentive in front of me, these are usually in the form of rewards that I might otherwise put of buying, if it is something I really want I am more likely to work harder towards it. In the past my rewards have always been really random however, this time around I am wanting to make sure that the rewards are going to align with my goals for the year and actually help me achieve what I set out to rather than them just be something absolutely ridiculous. This year I have really sat and thought about what I would love to receive for hitting each milestone as I have set myself a pretty big weight loss target for the year so I need some good motivation to keep me on track and here is what I have opted for...

New boxing gloves

I have been after some new boxing gloves for a while now and as I know I am definitely sticking to the classes I could do with an upgrade. I don't just want to go buy a pair though I want to earn them. I want to know that I have earned the treat of a new pair of gloves and that my hard work on my weight loss has finally meant I can get a pair. I think this might be my first milestone treat of the year though (2 stone loss over all) as I could do with getting these ASAP as my current gloves stink and are developing a hole in the lining. 

New shin pads

At my 2 & 1/2 stone overall loss milestone which is still a pretty big one I am going to finally cave and reward myself with some new shin pads for football. Again my current pair are a bit worse for wear but I want to earn these. I am eyeing up a customised pair where you add your own pictures to each shin pad, they are more expensive than normal however, they will definitely be worth the reward. I am definitely going to get my wear out of these too as I have training every week plus games most weeks. 

Sports earphones

At a 3 stone overall loss I am going to really push the boat out and make a pretty big purchase and again it is an item I have wanted for a long time but just haven't been able to justify due to the cost. The reward will be a new pair of earphones that are suitable for working out in both in the home gym (that will hopefully be complete by then) and for running, which I am definitely going to be doing plenty of by then. I have had my eye on a few different pairs of earphones so I will be doing my research before making the purchase to make sure I am getting the perfect pair of earphones for what I will be using them for. 

New football shirt 

When I reach a 3 & half stone overall loss I am hoping that it will be in time for the new season so I can reward myself with a new shirt for one of the many clubs I enjoy supporting. I always buy plenty of shirts each season however, there are normally a few that I end up missing out on just due to how expensive they are these days. I am going to make sure I have one specific shirt I am aiming for when it comes to that reward to make sure that I am fully focused on hitting that milestone and getting the shirt I really want and I am going to make sure I don't get the specific shirt until I hit that milestone. 

Running shoes

At 4 stone lost overall it is going to be time to treat myself to another pretty big purchase and this time it will be a new pair of running shoes as if everything has gone to plan my current running shoes will be worn out by the time I hit this milestone and I will be ready for a new pair. Running shoes that are good quality and going to prevent injuries are definitely on the more expensive side of things so it is definitely a big milestone treat rather than a half one so it definitely gives me something to really push towards. I am going to make sure I get some that are going to prevent injuries rather than just fashion ones as I am determined to be running a lot more often. 

New workout clothing

By the time I get to 4 & 1/2 stone lost I am definitely going to need a restock of workout clothing. I am going to really try limit myself to how much workout clothing I buy until I hit the 4 & 1/2 stone loss target and only buy items when I really, really need to like shorts if they are falling down. I am hoping if I hold out for buying them then I will be more determined to hit my goal to be able to treat myself, plus by the time I get to the goal I might have plenty of money saved ready to go out and treat myself to plenty of new pieces in my workout clothing wardrobe.

New weights

By the time I get to my 5 stone overall loss the home gym will definitely be complete and I am hoping that I will need to purchase some heavier weights for my workout as by the time I have lost the 5 stone I am hoping that I will be able to lift much heavier. I don't want to buy cheaper weights this time around though I want to buy some more expensive ones from a proper fitness shop rather than just Argos ones. These are definitely going to be an expensive but worthwhile purchase and to be honest I am really looking forward to making this upgrade.

When I get to that 5 stone loss I will be taking a lot at where I am and if I want to continue losing a bit more weight or if I want to maintain the weight and tone up. But until I get to this stage I really have no idea on what my plan is going to be heading. There is a high chance I am going to want to continue a little bit further but 5 stone is a big loss so I guess we will just evaluate the situation when we get there... fingers crossed I am closing in on having to think about this by the end of the year. 

When I do settle on the end goal though I am planning on having one big reward of a big shop to completely rebuild my wardrobe with clothing that fits the style I will be aiming for when I am at that total loss and I have my eye on a Palm Angels t-shirt that has been on the wish list for far too long. I am already saving up for this big shopping trip and I can see me having plenty of money in the pot by the time I reach that end goal, it is certainly going to be a long shopping day or even a few spread out over a period of time. I might even add some new football boots onto this as by the time I get to my goal weight my others might be worn out and as they are expensive I want to get my money worth out of the pair I have before moving onto a new pair. These would definitely not be being purchased before 2024 at the earliest however, they are definitely a good incentive. I might even add a final reward to the journey as a new camera for some projects I am working on and for sorting out Instagram content, I know this isn't really a weight loss style reward but it is going to be expensive and will benefit my fitness content and I just can't justify it any other way. 

Let's hope we can get moving with this weight loss and that I can start treating myself to some of these rewards really soon. I am hoping that 2023 is going to be a good year for my journey but I guess only time will tell. For now though it is time to start working towards that first goal of those boxing gloves, fingers crossed I can make that purchase very soon. 

Do you find setting reward incentives helps you achieve your goals sooner?

I have set myself a bit of a reading goal this year as I am determined to use some time each day just to switch off and relax whilst also learning new things like how to manage my confidence, work rate. I already have a fair few books on the bookshelf that are going to help towards this reading goal and help me basically level up my life. I don't just want a year of reading self help books though, I also want to read some of my women's football related books which are mainly autobiographies from some of my favourite players of all time and lets just say that collection of books is growing very nicely. So here are some of the books I am absolutely determined to finish by the end of the year...

Alex Scott : How not to be strong

I got this book on release day and I have only just got around to starting reading it which I am a bit annoyed at myself for as I said I would be reading the second it arrived, but I guess like everything else I set out to do nothing goes to plan. Scott was one of the first female players I ever saw play a long time ago now and she will always be one of the best defenders in my eyes so I am really looking forward to sitting down and getting lost in this book all about her life on and off the field.

Beth Mead : My journey to glory

Beth Mead is one of those players currently playing that I really just can't get enough of. Since being left out of the Olympic squad she has been on what fans call a revenge tour and WOW she has really stepped up her game. I am really looking forward to reading all about her life on and off the pitch as I think this book is going to be an interesting read and give me a bit more of an insight into one of my current favourite players. 

Christine Sinclair : Playing the long game

Christine Sinclair is by far one of the greatest women's footballers of all time and at 39 years old she is still playing, something you don't see too often. She has definitely had a long career, with breaking records along the way so I can't wait to sit down and get lost in the book all about her life on and off the pitch as I think it will be a very interesting read. I honestly think I could end up binge reading this book and completing it in the shortest amount of time as it could easily be the one I am most looking forward to.

Shoe Dog 

This book is a memoir by the creator of Nike, one of those brands I have always loved and it has just been sat on my bookshelf for far too long. I am determined that 2023 is going to be the year I finally read this book as it has been recommended to me far too many times yet due to my lack of reading I keep putting it off. I am really looking forward to getting an insight into my favourite company and seeing how they grew into what they are today.

The subtle art of not giving a f*ck

Oh look another book that has been sat on my bookshelf for far too long unread but I am 100% going to change that this year. I have been told that this book is one that is great for self improvement and that I can really learn from. Self improvement is going to be a big area for me in 2023 and honestly it is going to be any little helps so I am looking forward to seeing what this book has to offer.

How to win friends & influence people

This book is actually one of Liam's but I am planning on stealing it to see if it others any takeaways that I can use in my day to day life. This is another book that has been recommended to me a lot of times now and I have only just found out Liam owns so it has gone straight on my TBR pile and I am determined by the end of 2023 I will have read cover to cover. If the reviews are correct I think I might end up learning a fair bit from this.

I am determined to finish all these books this year before picking up any new books from the shops or working through the rest of the books just sat gathering dust on our bookshelves and let me tell you there are a lot of those. I am really hoping that the self help books I am wanting to read and purchase in the future are really going to help me level up my life as I am planning on doing. It is time to educate myself more and get back into reading as it is something I once loved and I could learn to love once more.

2023 is definitely the year of change for me, change for the good. I am determined to get my life in order and finally start getting on top of things that have previously been a downfall of mine. One big area I am trying to change throughout the year are my finances, in 2022 I was terrible and honestly I took a lot more out of my savings account than I actually put in them, reflecting on 2022 was honestly an eye opener and I realised this is something I should really start taking serious in 2023 and beyond for a variety of reasons. 

That is why I am now creating a budget that I am determined to stick to so that by the end of the year I am in a much better place financial and can do what I want rather than wasting money, previously I have spent just for the sake of it and looking back now that is a terrible mistake as I could have done so much with that money I have wasted but nope instead it has gone on spur of the moment purchases I have never used or got rid of. I am at the point now where I am noticing what I am needing to change if I want to do what I have planned. I am so fed up with wasting money clothing whilst I am on this weight loss and fitness journey, I keep getting sucked into sales and trends or simply just buying clothing for the sake of not going home empty handed, I have realised though just how much I have wasted doing this and I know that if I reign in that spending and just wear baggy clothes until I really need to repurchase then I could save a fortune to go towards my goal shop when I complete my journey so I can build the perfect wardrobe for myself. With the cost of living crisis going on too I need to reevaluate purchases etc to make sure we have enough money to cover our bills, granted at the moment we are doing well but with how things are going and with a variety of bills increasing this year I know I need to change my spending habits to cover for those and anything else that possibly crops up. As I say 2023 is the year of saving more than I spend and making better choices to ensure we can do what we want throughout the year, there are a fair few big purchases I want to make so I am keeping those in mind as I am with the jobs I want to get done in the house hopefully having these in mind all the time will help me stick to the budget and make those positive changes.

So here is how I am creating a budget that I am more likely to stick to and really benefit from...

First up I am sitting down and going through the past few months of my bank accounts and putting each purchase into a category and seeing just how much I spent on them categories. I will then be creating a spreadsheet with each category on and a budget in place based on what I have previously spent and what works best based on my income so I can make cutback and improve what I am putting into savings. By doing this I am also going to be able to see any subscriptions I pay for that require cancelling if I don't get the use out of them, I am not wasting money on things I don't use anymore. 

We will also have a food budget per month as we always pay for 2 food shops each out of our wage, this just breaks the purchases up for us and means one isn't struggling to pay before payday. We will set a budget for those 2 shops based on previous shops and ensure that is what we work towards each food shop day. We will also be meal planning before we go, making a list and sticking to that list as we waste so much food and could save a small fortune if we just stuck to a shopping list each shop. We will also cover buying things for lunches in this too rather than going to Tesco every break and spending a fortune on meal deals and unrequired extras. The big thing for me is making sure money is going into my savings account each month so that budget spreadsheet is going to have a bit where I can allocate a minimum amount into the savings with the aim of adding more by the end of the month which if everything goes to plan should happen but these days you just never know I guess. I am going to make sure that when I make a purchase or pay a bill I am adding it to my budget so I know just how much I am spending rather than totally forgetting and not being able to track where I am. Then it will be a case of having an hour or so on a payday just to sit and go through the month and see where I was under or over budget and see if any changes need to be made to make the budget more beneficial. 

Throughout the year I am going to be trying to do a low buy year too where I set specific rules on what I can and can't buy in 2023 but I will go more in depth on that topic in a blog post in the future as I start to play around with the ideas that are going to work or not work as I take on the low buy year. I will be incorporating this into the budget as well as giving no spend days a go, I am hoping these stop me spending for the sake of it and help keep the budgeted categories looking healthy even towards the end of the month which is where at times I would usually struggle. 

As part of the budget I am also going to bring the cash stuffing back as when I did this in 2022 it really helped with my spending and I noticed I was saving a bit more than I usually would. I use this for the things I should really use cash for and the categories are treat money, boxing, women's football, my football, holiday money and goal shop. This just shows me how much I have set aside for each of those things each month and if I can make a specific purchase or not. For these envelopes I will look at what I have budgeted for on my spreadsheet then withdraw that amount of cash each month to put in the envelopes. I will then just ignore my card for these things and use that cash.

As I said a big part of my problem is impulse purchasing so what I am planning on doing is something I have seen online quite a bit... I am going to have a list on my phone where I write down what I could have bought but opted against as I knew I didn't need them. This should really show me just how much I am saving by making better choices and at the end of the day show me just how much I am improving when it comes to my spending. I will have another list too where I create a list of items I want to purchase that need to fit in the treat budget. This will create a bit of a 'can't stop thinking about it rule' rather than buying something there and then I will add it to the list and come back to it in a few days, weeks or even a month to see if I still want it or not. If I haven't thought about it since I first saw it I clearly didn't want it and the item can be removed or if it is still there after a while and fits my budget I can finally make the purchase.

This whole budget is definitely going to be trial and error especially for the first few months however, hopefully as I stick to it over time it is going to be easier and I can really create better habits with money and see my savings massively increase and help me get those jobs around the house completed.

Do you have a budget or is it something you are looking at in 2023? 

The new year is here and the Gymshark 66 challenge is back better than ever. If you have read the blog for a while you will know I tend to o this yearly however, I have never actually completed it as I get overwhelmed and fall of track. This year is different though I have entered they year more determined and focused than ever so I am once again throwing myself into the Gymshark 66 with the aim this time around of completing it and creating little habits that are going to set me up to achieve my overall goals, there is no messing around and putting too much pressure on myself this time, I am documenting it for myself mainly however, the community seems a lot more supportive this year and holding myself accountable seems to be coming much easier than before, I think it is going to be my change in determination and the support from those on my social media that really help me stick to my pledge for the 66 days and help me see some real progress in my journey at the start of this year. 

This year you set out your big overall goal then create some smaller goals that are going to help you smash that big goal. For me coming up the big goal was easy as in the long run I now have two main aims for my journey... hit my goal weight which I set from myself in 2020 and improve my health and fitness levels for playing football. When it came to breaking it down to small goals to make this more achievable I have picked goals that are not only going to help me in the 66 days of this challenge but also going to help me for the rest of the year and into the future for me to hit that goal weight in the end and just be healthier and fitter. These small goals are habits I am hoping are going to stick after 66 days of use at the start of the year and if they do stick I think I will see a big change after 66 days and by the end of the year in general. A small goal that is really going to benefit me is cleaning up my diet. I know if I sorted my diet out last year I would have started this year in a better place but that didn't happen so 2023 is the year of cleaning it up. This is going to involve no/less takeaways as they were a big downfall last year & actually meal prepping food which is more nutritious. I also want to cut alcohol out of the majority of the year as I feel so much better when I do this and I don't need to drink it for the sake of it. I am also going to hit my 2 ltrs of water a day as a minimum as I feel so much better doing this and my body is definitely grateful for it and I am going to go back to hitting my steps daily as these make a big difference overall and I need to stop being so lazy. A long with the steps though I also want to do 30 minutes of exercise daily just to keep my body moving and see a difference this will be a variety of exercises with different difficulty levels but I know the more I move my body the better I feel overall. Finally another small goal is be consistent... I want to be consistent in these habits and other goals I have set out for myself as I know that consistency is eventually going to bring the results. 

 I know if I stick to these small goals I am going to make some great progress towards my goals and I am going to really notice a difference in myself. I am really looking forward to seeing where I am in my journey after day 66 as I have pretty high hopes but also the belief that I will really be able to notice a difference. Of  course I will be doing a wrap up post once the challenge is done to share how I got on and what I will be continuing or changing to be able to keep up the momentum of my journey in 2023 as I really push towards those end goals. I honestly feel like 2023 is my year and I am really excited to see what these first 66 days have to offer for me. Bring on the challenge.

I am still finding it a bit hard to believe that we have been in our house 5 years in March, it really doesn't feel like two minutes ago we were moving in. In the almost 5 years we have been in the house we haven't actually changed much since we originally decorated just after moving in however, now 5 years down the line we are looking at changing a few things as our original decisions were a bit rushed just to make the house feel like ours rather than the previous owners. In 2021 we made a bit of a start on the jobs by getting the most important room in the house complete... the games room, we stripped the walls of  the old wallpaper, had it plastered and then we painted it in the navy blue & grey we had picked months earlier. This just made that room more cosy to be in and made it feel like a room we took time with and created our perfect space, I love being in the room a lot more too as it feels like our room rather than a rushed job like before. We wanted to get more jobs done in 2022 however, time and money weren't on our side so the jobs got put on the back burner now though we are more than ready to start working through that list of jobs we have created ourselves and we are ready to see just how much we can get done. So here are those jobs we are determined to get done in 2023...

Redecorate the spare room

Since moving in the spare room has been used for various things however, these days it is a bit of a dressing room/office hybrid for myself and it is where I take myself off to blog or take pics & film reels. This room was really rushed when it came to do it and the cheap wallpaper is torn and peeling off in places and to be honest with me filming in here etc I just want to make it look a whole lot nicer. We are going to get this room emptied and plastered then painted just like we did with the games room, I just need to work out what colours I want to go for. Then it is just a case of styling it in the theme of the room which is football office and filming room, this is the part I am most excited for if I am honest as I have a few ideas in mind, I just want it to all tie together rather than be mix and match like it currently is. 

Redecorate the bedroom 

One the spare room is done it is going to be a case of saving back up to make a start on the bedroom, this will cost a bit more as it is a bigger space but I am looking forward to having a nice cosy room rather than one that is mix & match as it was thrown together as soon as we moved in. This is going to be stripped back and plastered then painted into colours we are yet to decide on, I am just ready to make this a much nicer, cosier vibe than it currently is and hopefully sort out some storage solutions to make it less cluttered as we have Ottoman storage dotted all around the room making it very cramped at the moment something which I am hoping to eliminate once we redo the room. 

Get a new built in wardrobe done

One reason the bedroom will cost more is because we are going to be incorporating redoing the little built in wardrobe in the room. Me and Liam currently share the wardrobe and fit our own shelves to give us a bit more storage however, the layout just doesn't work and it isn't practical for our needs. We are wanting to get someone in to build us a real wardrobe with a sturdy rail and practical shelving in the small space alongside sorting out the top of this space to allow us to store things there too much easier than we have been doing. Even just getting the doors redone on this is going to make it a nicer feature in the bedroom and easier to use as the current doors are useless. It might be a bit of a costly job but it should definitely be worth it.

Complete the back garden

The back garden is a job that has been going on for what seems like forever now but I think this year could finally be the year we got it all complete and just how we want it. To be honest this shouldn't take us too long as it just needs a tidy up and the planters finally filling once the few little bits of woodwork are done on them. It is then just a case of adding a bit more lighting, cleaning the decking and adding some more decorations then the back garden will be done although I am contemplating painting the windowsill, decking and fence, it is just a case of getting Liam on board with those ideas which might take a while. I think we might look at getting a new table and chairs for out here too so we can sit out and enjoy some meals in the summer, something we really should be doing together rather than melting indoors. I am determined to get this done by the time the weather starts getting better as I would love to host some barbecues and even drinks in the garden this year.

Complete the front garden

This should honestly be a quick and easy job and should honestly only take us one day as there isn't much to do. The main thing of this is going to be digging up a bit of a border around the edge of the grass and filling it with some nice plants whilst cleaning all the rubbish from under the trees and getting rid of the dead plants in front of the window. I am also tempted to paint the windowsill at the front and some other bits that are a bit outdated and just give the whole space a good clean. If we get the chance it would be great to repaint the gates and clean them up too as they don't look the most appealing at the moment. Granted this won't fully complete the front of the house as we have paving that needs redoing and a drive we want redone but that is a future job. 2023 is just a case of getting it tidied up and looking nicer with as little money spent as possible then it is a case of saving for the big bits in the future.

Complete the side garden

The side garden is currently just a long stretch of uneven grass with random things dotted around however, I am making this into a football training area and somewhere for the nephew to play so I want all the hazards out of the way. The old vegetable patch is going to be ripped out and we are going to put some grass seed down where it was, well the part where we aren't extending the gym out to. Then all the old fence posts are going to be ripped out and holes filled in followed by us finally getting rid of the random barbecue that is far too close to the trees. Again this should be a cheap job that doesn't take long but will just give the space a new lease of life.

Complete the home gym

This is my main priority this year, getting the garage turned into a home gym. At the moment I am working out in the living room and having to drag equipment in and out of place every session, I just can't wait for us to get the house back rather than walking into fitness equipment all the time and having to move everything around. Once that gym is done everything will have its own place and I won't spend most of my time setting up for a session plus I can hopefully get that treadmill I am desperate for. This is definitely going to be a big job that will be expensive however, it is definitely going to be worth it and I can't wait to see the progress and final result. Don't worry you will see a lot of it on here and social media as it is being built and eventually used.

We are planning on getting all the rooms upstairs done before moving onto anything downstairs as if we are making a mess we aren't carrying it through some newly decorated areas and having to go back over them. Upstairs the bathroom and games room are completed as we would like so the big priority is getting the spare room and bedroom done, the bedroom is definitely going to cost us more than the spare room so we will be getting the spare room out of the way then moving onto the bedroom as we will have hopefully have saved up a bit more money by then to do it exactly how we want. Honestly those are the two main jobs inside the house this year and if we only get those two done indoors I think I will still be happy as that will be all the rooms upstairs done with only the hallway left to do which again is going to be a costly job so that is in the plans for 2024 if I am honest. If we do manage to get enough saved to do the hallway though it is a job I would definitely love to get over and done with as I hate the current state of it, again though if this happens it would definitely be an added bonus and the main priority is definitely the 2 bedrooms and the home gym. As for the gardens these should be very cheap jobs to do as we can get these done on our own and on an evening or weekend I am sure the family would be happy to come round and help so should take us no time at all and hopefully create us a space that looks great where we would be happy to sit out and use as the weather gets nicer.

I am really looking forward to seeing just how much we can get done this year and seeing the house really start to take shape both indoors and outdoors. These jobs are definitely a priority and I am looking forward to being able to share the progress we make throughout the year. Now it is time to get saving towards job number 1. 

Do you have any jobs at home you are wanting to complete in 2023?

I said since towards the end of 2022 that my big focus for 2023 is going to be my fitness & weight loss journey as that is the area that I want to improve on the most. I made plenty of progress on my journey in 2022 however, set backs stopped me from achieving my full potential. I have got my act together though and going into 2023 I am more focused on my journey than ever and I seem to have gone into the year with my head well and truly screwed on with a vision of where I want to be by the end of the year. I have gone into the year setting goals that are smaller and more realistic than goals I have tried setting in the past. I am hoping that by setting these smaller goals I am more focused on them and have more of a chance of actually completing them by the end of the year. So here are some of the fitness and weight loss goals I am setting for 2023...

End the year on 11 stone 2lb or as close to it as possible. 

This is a big one for me, I would love to see the scales start moving in 2023 as they didn't move as much as I would have liked in 2022. I have set myself a goal of reaching as close to 11 stone 2 lb's by the end of the year as this would mean I am a grand total of 5 stone down on my journey since I started back in 2020. I know that by making better food choices and getting all my workouts done I am more than capable of getting as close to this number as possible and if not beyond it. Then it will be a case of reevaluating to see if I want to continue losing weight or maintain where I am at, but in that scenario only time will tell.

Be in a size 14 comfortably 

In 2023 I want to finally be in a size 14 comfortably, at the moment I am really in between sizes however, I want to comfortably in a size 14 in a variety shops rather than just one. I have set this as an end of year goal however, I think if I really put my mind to it I could do this before the end of the year and maybe get further than expected. This could be a hard one as sizes are different in all the shops I go in however, I am more than determined to smash this. 

Improve overall fitness

This is going to be a big one for me especially as I am now back at football and want to keep it up throughout the year. My fitness levels at the moment are absolutely terrible and I really struggle in games however, the plan is to massively improve on this by the end of the year and especially by the time the new season rolls around in September/October time. I want to be able to run around the pitch without really struggling and I know that overall my life would be improved so much if I could just get those fitness levels increased.

Improve overall strength 

I keep joking that I have noodle arms and to be honest my upper body strength doesn't exist and never really has done. I really want to improve on  my strength this year both upper and lower body wise as I know it could be great for the football and also just prove to myself I can lift heavier than I have been doing and just feel stronger overall. I will be monitoring this by tracking all my weights workouts and pushing myself to improve on what I lift rather than being scared to up the weights.

Run the inflatable 5K & a regular 5K

I am booked in to complete the inflatable 5K in June so lets hope everything goes to plan and I can get there and get that goal ticked off however, I also want to challenge myself to do a regular 5K too, no funny obstacles in the way just 5K of running, this could either be a 5K alone or as a Park Run (which I want to to try). Either way though I will be running at least one 5K in 2023 and I can't wait, we are getting a little training plan together for it and it should be a lot of fun.

Go into the new year my healthiest

I can 100% say that I went into 2023 my healthiest yet however, I want to improve on that massively in 2023 and make sure that when I enter 2024 I am going to be the healthiest version of me in a long time. I know that if I start getting a routine of hitting every workout and eating a lot better then this will be no issue at all and I will see myself as much healthier than I currently am. It is all about those habits and making sure the daily nonnegotiable get done.

Get a treadmill

I am on countdown to getting the home gym done so we can get our house back rather than it being over run with workout equipment. Once the home gym is done I will be planning on picking up a treadmill for in the room so that I can get those steps in and those runs done even when the weather isn't the best. A treadmill has been on the wish list for the longest time now so 2023 will be the year we finally get one.

Decrease amount of takeaways we have & cook more

In 2022 we were terrible at being lazy and just ordering in food rather than cooking our own. I look back on the year now and wonder how much progress I could have made if I just cut back on the takeaways and got up and made something myself. I am determined to see a lot less takeaways being purchased in 2023 and actually spending more time in the kitchen making more nutritious foods for me and Liam. This is going to help me achieve so many goals over the course of the year and who knows I might end up finding different foods I really enjoy.

Meal prep weekly

This ties in with the cook more goal however, this is a big one for me. When I don't take lunch to work I head to Tesco and spend a fortune on unhealthy lunches but I know if I spend an hour or so on a Sunday just making my lunches then I will not only save money but I will also be eating more nutritious foods that will keep me feeling full for longer. I am looking forward to playing around with the foods I take for lunches and adding more variety to my diet.

Start waking up at 5.30 am 

This is something I have tried in the past and absolutely loved so I am going to be aiming to wake up at 5.30 am daily to give me a bit more time in the day to allow me to get done everything I want to do. I would use the extra few hours to get up do my morning routine and get my workout ticked off all before properly starting my day to ensure it is done and not being skipped meaning the evenings were free for me to do whatever I like rather than trying to cram everything into just a few hours like I am currently doing. When I have done this in the past it has benefited me so much so I am aiming to get this as a daily habit to see just how productive I could actually be by hitting targets early on in the day.

Incorporate stretching to routine

Previously I have never thought about the benefits of adding stretching into my daily routine however, since getting back to football I think my eyes have been opened up to just how much I could benefit from having 10-20 minutes set aside to stretch my body and make sure I am looking after the muscles that have been used a lot more often. I am going to aim for 2 longer stretching sessions a week but also try do some shorter sessions daily just to stop my body suffering like it has in the past.

There are a few goals that I haven't posted on here as I want to keep them private however, I will definitely be keeping these in mind alongside the ones in this post and everything I do daily will be to work towards these goals and achieving them by the end of 2023. I am really hopeful of how much progress I can make this year and I am looking forward to checking back on this post at the end of 2023 to see just how much I actually achieved. I have a funny feeling that 2023 could be a fantastic year on my journey so lets see where it takes us. 

Do you have any fitness related goals for the year?

Something I see floating around the internet a lot at this time of year is people choosing their word of the year and I have always wondered about giving it a go for myself so why not give it a go in 2023, a year where I am wanting to achieve big things and could do with some extra help with staying on track to achieve those goals. I have picked out a word that I am going to be able to focus on and refer back to throughout the year that is going to be a key part in achieving 99% of my goals especially those fitness ones that are going to be my main focus for 2023.

The word I have picked for 2023 is consistency. Honestly this word is the first word that popped into my mind when I decided I was doing the word of the year and it just stuck, I tried thinking of other words however, this one just kept coming back around and I know why. If I have consistency I am more likely to absolutely smash my goals and it is a lack of consistency in 2022 that meant I didn't make as much progress as I would have liked throughout the year. I am the type of person that strives off routine and if that is broken it takes me a while to get it back so that consistency I am aiming for is certainly going to be very beneficial for me as it should mean I am in a constant routine and making the most of every day in the year. I always seem to have too much going on in my brain and general life and I end up neglecting certain aspects of life due to being overwhelmed so I am hoping that having consistency will keep me grounded and help me stay on track towards my goals and also help me find that right balance in life which I definitely needed in 2022 to avoid burning out. 

It is consistency that is going to help me achieve my goals and improve my life overall and an area I want consistency the most is with my diet & overall nutrition, in 2022 I did well at points then fell back into old habits however, I know if I am consistently hitting my daily calorie allowance, protein target and just making better choices with my food then I will be pushing towards my weight loss goal for the year whilst also having more energy and feeling better within myself. I also want consistency in my workouts as in 2022 I skipped too many due to being too busy or not being in the right head space to carry them out, 2023 though is going to be the year of smashing every single workout (unless I am ill and need the rest) as I know these workouts do me the world of good mentally. I also want consistency when it comes to working on my blogs, for so long I always prioritise one over the others and this year I have plenty of ideas for each site so I am hoping to be consistently uploading to each site, no month long breaks, I know if I want them to grow like I have my goals set for I do need to be consistent. This is the same with social media too I want to grow on my accounts so I know I need to be consistently uploading content to the accounts to be seen and hopefully eventually grow to he targets I have set for myself. Consistency is definitely a big thing this year and if I build that consistent routine consistency in everything else should slowly fall into place. 

I am hoping that by having a word of the year my goals are kept at the front of my mind all the time and I have a clear vision of how I want my life to be by the end of the year and how I am going to get there. I actually just have the word consistency written on my whiteboard, a Google sheet I use for planning, my diary and even my vision board so I can keep referring to it, this is going to really help if I start to struggle at any point in the year as I can just look at where I have written the word and be reminded of the thing I need to get towards my goal and all the good that can come with me sticking with that consistency.

As I said earlier in the post I am really looking forward to giving the whole word of the year thing a go as I have never done it before but have heard good things about the idea from those who have previously done it. Fingers crossed this works and really pushes me towards achieving my goals as I have big plans and high hopes for 2023. 

What is your word of the year?

I am more than determined to make 2023 a great year, I seem to have got some motivation from somewhere to make the most of this year and I am going into it with a clear idea of where I want my life to be at when we get to the end of 2023. I will have separate posts going up with my fitness goals & the goals for the things I want to get done at home however, today is all about the personal goals I have set in terms of relaxation, finances and even blog wise. I am really hopeful that this year is going to be a year of growth for me in terms of the blogs, social media and me personally, there are so many areas I want to work on including looking after my skin more, I want a decluttered life that will help me mentally and I would love to create a routine that will help me grow my websites and social media accounts but also allow me have some down time too so I aren't getting burnt out like I have in previous years. So here are some of the personal goals I am setting for myself for the year...

Build a routine

This is a big one that I really want to get ticked off this year, I really want a consistent routine that is going to help me achieve the rest of my goals without burning me out and leaving me lacking in motivation. I am one of these people that really needs routine in their life or they just don't do anything. I am aiming for a good routine to be built before work where I can tick off my workouts, get a good breakfast in and then do a bit of planning for the day ahead then I want a good routine post work where I can get some blog work done some evenings including scheduling social media posts and on other evenings I can go to boxing or football or even settle down and play some games or read a book. I don't want 2023 to be like 2022 where every night was in front of a computer screen, I do want some downtime to avoid that burnout. 

Create a skincare routine

At the start of 2022 I was looking after my skin really well and it looked great however, as the year went on I really stopped taking care of it and it went really downhill and I aren't happy with the condition my skin is at the start of 2023. I am going to build a skincare routine into my daily routine on both a morning & an evening and fingers crossed by doing this my skin will be much better condition by the end of the year and I will have created a healthy habit that I am always going to stick to. 

Improve my editing skills

This is a pretty big one for me as I want to get more into video content especially for this site and Edge of the Area. I want to start creating more content especially on TikTok however, I know that my editing skills need to improve if I want to go for the quality I have in mind. I know that this is going to be a case of practice makes perfect so over the course of the year I won't be shying away from making video content I will be trying my best when it comes to that form of content and hopefully I will see a big improvement with my editing overall both in the style and time it takes and fingers crossed this will be reflected in my content overall.

Improve my photography 

Alongside my editing I also want to improve on my photography, especially so I can get to the point where I can take outfit images for Instagram on my own without having to drag poor Liam out every time I need new content. Improving all areas of my photography is going to help massively when it comes to some of the social media goals I have set myself. I can't wait to look back on my photography throughout the year and hopefully start seeing some differences.

Get more confident in front of the camera

I know that to achieve some of my other goals (especially ones for Edge of the Area that I won't be covering in this post) I am going to have to get used to this. In 2022 I had so many ideas for the football website however, I never got around to completing them as I got too nervous about being on camera and they got pushed to one side. I am definitely going to work on this though and by the end of 2023 I want to be really confident in front of the camera and actually speaking it so that I can have these ideas and little projects up and running. By improving the confidence I think we will see a big difference in my content and just in myself in general, no shying away in 2023.

Grow on our Instagram & TikTok accounts

If you have read the blog for a while now you will know I have a few other websites and each one has its own social media accounts, more specifically they all have their own Instagram and TikTok accounts. Now the big thing for me this year is pushing the content I create on their, being consistent and actually growing my account. 2022 was a year where I neglected creating content for a variety of reasons however, in 2023 I am determined to be a lot more consistent with content and see growth across all my accounts. I have a good way of recording the starts for this year and I am hoping seeing them change will motivate me to stay consistent and then in turn push me to create better content. 

Grow all 3 websites 

For years now I seem to have fallen into the trap of always neglecting at least one website per year and I will be honest it drives me mad as I know each site has the potential to grow if I just gave them all the same amount of attention. As part of building my routine I will be setting out specific days to work on a specifc website and each one will have at least one evening a week then the weekends will be broken down accordingly. I am really hoping this helps with the plan of growing all 3 sites as the potential is there it is just a case of making sure nothing is neglected and I am on top of promoting the content etc. Again I will be tracking the stats monthly and I am really hoping that I see a change in 2023 and see the growth rise steadily and consistently for each site.

Read 10 books

I don't switch off often enough as I said earlier most of my evenings are spent glue to my PC screen and I don't want that to happen in 2023, in 2022 I definitely suffered from burn out and I can assure you I never want that to happen again so I am going to spend plenty of time switching off this year and making sure I am relaxing. My to be read pile is getting a bit out of control so I am aiming to read a total of 10 books throughout the year, they can be any topic but I am just looking forward to having some time away from a screen and finally reading some of the books that have been gathering dust for far too long.

Get back to the savings 

I was absolutely terrible at saving in 2022 so I want to make changes to that throughout 2023. I want to finish the year with £1,000 in my treat account and £2,000 in my home & car account even after jobs have been done. We have plenty we want to get done around the house this year so if we can keep topping the home account up even after taking a fair bit out I will be more than happy. It just gives us a good start towards 2024 jobs which are going to be a lot more expensive unfortunately.

Make better choices when it comes to shopping

I have a whole post coming up very soon about this topic so I won't go into too much detail in this post however, a big goal of mine is to make better choices when it comes to shopping, I waste so much money on items I don't really need and I want to stop that in 2023 especially with the weight loss buying items for the sake of it is just wasting too much money which I could easily be saving.

Streamline my wardrobe and workout clothing

I often find myself getting overwhelmed when opening my wardrobe or where I store my workout clothing as I just have far too much. I hold onto items for the sake of it and other items I just know I will never wear. That is going to change in 2023 though as I am going to be using a bank holiday weekend at some point to go through and be ruthless with clearing out, of course there will be a post all about doing this and plenty posted on social media about it too. I just want to be able to open my wardrobe piece together an outfit and get ready without feeling overwhelmed.

So there you go those are the goals I am setting myself for the year, I am really hopeful that I can smash each and everyone of these goals, it is time to knuckle down and get my websites and social media accounts to be where I want them to be with the view to grow even more in 2024 and beyond. I am also hopeful I can finally get my finances under control ready to get jobs done and go on some much needed holidays. Let's hope this all goes to plan and in my end of year goals wrap up we will be seeing some big growth in all these areas and see a lot of these goals completed.

Remember to check back as I will be doing a post all about my fitness goals for the year and the jobs we are aiming to get done around the house in 2023. Going into the year I have had a feeling it is going to be a good one so fingers crossed that feeling is right. Time to get smashing those goals and making this the best yet. 

Do you have any goals you are aiming for in 2023?

 Well I honestly thought that December was going to be a month where I only purchased Christmas presents and especially with me not being well I didn't think I actually had a chance to go out spending money but now I am writing this post I am realising that I have actually spent a lot more than I expected. To be honest though I did want to treat myself on a trip to Old Trafford and I did have some occasions I needed to make new purchases for so I can honestly say I required or saved for a lot of the items in this post. So here is what I picked up in December...