2013 Health Goals: Quarter One Check-Up

I'm using a little red diary to track my health goals this year. I've been food journalling and recording my exercise. Each day I use checkmarks to see if I've been successful with four goals:

• exercise each day
• eat no sugar
• eat no wheat
• eat no grains

Now that the first three months (one quarter!) of the year are past, I thought I should check and see how I am doing with each of these goals.

Exercise every day.
December was a bad month for exercise as I had a knee injury - as a result my marathon plans for January were scuppered. Then I had foot surgery on 9 February, and for two weeks after that I couldn't walk, let alone exercise. I had a pretty large scar that was healing and I only exercised two times (in quarter 1) since then. I went for my first run since then on 7 April and I am looking forward to a lot more exercise in the quarter ahead. Maybe I shall make my marathon debut in the summer.
Success rate: 19% (17 out of 90 days)
Success rate until 8 February: 38% (15 out of 39)

Eat no sugar.
Nutritionists and food philosophers may not agree about the merits of saturated fat, eating meat, and which fish is sustainable. Everyone, however, agrees that eating sugar is bad for you. I also feel strongly about this, but obviously not as strongly as I think! This is the food goal on which I have progressed the most poorly. I realised today while thinking about this check-up post that my head knowledge about sugar is not connecting with my lips each evening when crave a snack. It's time for me to start planning ahead better to have snacks available - or an alternative activity (like folding laundry?!).
Success rate: 20% (18 out of 90 days)

Eat no wheat.
I decided to give up wheat when I read about its inflammatory effects. Before this year I was badly affected by bloating and not eating wheat has made a huge improvement to this. It has been easier than I thought it would be to not eat wheat. I have replaced pasta with shredded vegetables (like courgette ribbons). I don't really like sandwiches, so I usually have a salad at lunch time. For breakfast I have been making these wonderful "breads". When I have eaten wheat, it has been out of conscious choice, for example, when I ate at a Michelin starred restaurant with a friend.
Success rate: 49% (44 out of 90 days)

Eat no grains.
When I feel tempted to eat rice, I have been substituting riced cauliflower. Instead of hot porridge for breakfast I eat hot scrambled eggs. I'm not sure why the success rate is so low for this goal, as I felt as though I was doing quite well with this. I don't feel too attached to many grains. So I think it is time to finally kick them out of my diet.
Success rate: 41% (37 out of 90 days)

All in all, none of these are very high success rates! Sigh. Well, at least I know that I can improve from here. Actually, even though I have not made wonderful progress so far, I feel quite positive about these goals. Reviewing them has made me see that I am committed to them and I want to continue with them. It's time for me to really make a difference to my health by meeting these goals. By the end of the year, I am sure I can do it.

What are your health goals? Do you track your success in some way?

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