Hello friends!!!  I’m baaaaack!  While I can’t say I enjoyed leaving sunny, warm Australia and landing in cold, snowy NYC, I am happy to be home.  I want to first thank all my guest posters for helping me out while I was away.  They are the absolute best!  In case, you missed the posts from Nicole, Allie, Kim, Nellie and Davida, you can catch up on them here, here, here, here and here.  Thanks ladies!!

So, I have a confession… I ate and drank my way around Australia like it was nobody’s business.  I just absolutely let loose and enjoyed myself. I managed to stay super active and ate a very healthy breakfast and usually a healthy lunch but when it came to eating out and enjoying myself, I didn’t hesitate.  So now that I’m back and the holidays are over, it’s time to buckle down and get back into a healthy routine.  This time of year many people commit or recommit to a healthy lifestyle and I’m jumping on that bandwagon.  Last year I dedicated the month of January to being healthy and getting back on track with Jumpstart January and I am brining it back this year!

This month I’ll be posting tips, workouts and much more to help you get on track with a healthy lifestyle.  I’ll also be posting my journey back to healthy living every Friday in my Food and Fitness post.

Today I have a few tips to kick off Jumpstart January.  These tips can help you start thinking about how to get on track with your health and fitness goals.  Enjoy!

–  Plan.  Planning is essential to healthy eating and exercise.  Without a plan you are much more likely to let your emotions, hunger or level of energy influence your decisions. Meal planning for the week can help you stay on a healthy eating track.  Check out my Week of Healthy Meals in a Day for more info on meal planning and prep.  Also, make sure you schedule your workouts in just like you would an important meeting.  This is a surefire way to ensure you stick with your exercise plan.

– Get inspired and sign up for a race.  Training for a race you have already paid for is great motivation to stay on track with your fitness goals.  If you are new to exercise, start with something relatively easy like a fun run 5k or if you are more experienced, try pushing yourself with a triathlon.  Or try something new like an adventure race!

– Set some goals and try new things.  It’s no secret that I love to be active and stay fit and part of my passion comes from constantly trying new things.  Try a new class at the gym or buy a new fitness DVD.  Heard of a new fitness trend?  Give it a try!  Not only will your waistline thank you, you’ll exercise your brain and increase your anticipation by trying something new!

– Commit to healthy eating.  Like many healthy living bloggers, I preach the importance of indulgence in moderation so I’m not asking you to kiss pasta, chocolate and wine goodbye forever but we all need to set the reset button at some point.  In the fall I did a detox that mainly consisted of eating healthy fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins.  This January, why not commit to a healthy eating plan?  Your body will say thank you!

– Check back here for more info this month on ways to stay healthy and fit!  Also follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest & YouTube with the hashtag #JumpstartJanuary for inspiration and check-ins!

Readers, are you committing to healthy living this month?  What are your fitness goals for the year?