My Goals For The New Year

I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions because I don't think they work. Instead, I would rather set goals for things I want to accomplish. I think it's much less pressure that way and it seems doable.

Whenever I set resolutions in the past, they were always about weight loss and they never worked. I would be like others... workout for a few weeks and stop going for a while after that. I would change my diet briefly and go right back to the junk food within days.

What worked for me was a complete lifestyle change. Being told I would be on meds for blood pressure pushed me to change. Fear of diabetes also forced me to change. I had neuropathy in my feet, so I am certain I was pre-diabetic before my physical in 2012. I'm not sure what set me apart from others who just take meds instead of lifestyle changes. It certainly would have been easy back then to just take the pills. All I know is, I'm so glad I made the change to a healthy, plant based lifestyle.

Some of my goals this year include running a half or whole marathon, setting up a "PlantPod" in Bridgeport, where I work. A pod is set up through PlantPure Communities as a way to raise awareness about whole food plant based eating.

I'm doing a vegan challenge for some friends on Facebook in honor of Veganuary. This runs through the 17th of January. I'm hoping a lot of my friends are learning a lot in the challenge.

I'm also working on my weight loss book. So many people ask how I did it and I think it's important to get the information out there. I always figure if I can do it, anyone can. I hope by reading my story, others will be inspired to switch to plant based eating, lose weight and get healthy.