In addition to the big set of ambitious goals that I set for my blog and business life this year – {Remember my list of 10 goals, including “Be More Awesome?”} I also made a more private list of personal improvement goals. Not the generic, “Lose weight, be more active, get healthier” type of goals, but a list with very detailed steps to take to get back into the great shape I used to be in. You know, in my old life. Before I had a baby…. {You can’t keep blaming the fact that you’re favorite jeans don’t fit on “baby weight” when your baby becomes a toddler…}

“Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.” – Doug Larson

I have always been a pretty healthy eater, but I’ve picked up some bad habits now that my nephews live with me, and we have more snack foods in the house. Plus, with my Mister, and my brother both making dinner a few nights a week… Well, let’s just say they’re not exactly into cooking light, lol. When I pulled my box of pre-baby jeans out of the garage, and realized that my old favorites STILL don’t fit – I knew it was time to get down to business. I’d been so busy over the past year – I had a baby, had family move in, earned my degree, and started this site – I hadn’t even realized that I wasn’t taking good care of myself. It was time for that to change!

“In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired.” – Author Unknown

To reach your goals, you have to break them down into small steps. Since my goal is to get back into shape – a shape that will fit into those awesome jeans again – here are some of the smaller goals I’ve been working on:

1. Get more active. Abby got the coolest new trike – the Tricycoo from Joovy a few months ago. It’s such a fun way for her and I to go out for walks around the neighborhood – and she has so much fun looking and pointing and giggling, that she’s actually ready for a nap when we get home each afternoon.
2. Eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies each day. This surprised me – I felt like I was eating pretty good foods. But when you track your habits, most of us are not getting enough produce!
3. Find a diet plan that works. I recently started the Nutrisystem diet. I love it. I’ll be sharing more about it with you guys really soon – But it’s such an easy solution for me. The food portions are prepackaged, so it’s simple to follow. And it’s re-training my brain on what an appropriate portion size looks like.
4. Add some healthy supplements. I take a Multivitamin, fish oil tablets – and just added in a 4X Pro-B tablet each morning too. I  have suffered from IBS for years, and while some changes to my diet, and doing my best to reduce stress, have helped – My doctor has been recommending that I add a probiotic to my diet too. This is a great choice if you’re looking to improve your digestive health too.

These changes combined are already making me feel SO much better. {Can you believe that since it’s march, we’re almost 1/4 of the way into the year? Wow, right?}

“If I’d known I was going to live so long, I’d have taken better care of myself.” – Leon Eldred

I used to skip breakfast – But now that I’m on the Nutrisystem diet, I have a protein shake and my breakfast choice each morning. That’s when I take my 4X Pro-B tablet too. I’ve been taking it for a couple of weeks now, and can honestly tell a difference. Nothing drastic – but it does help me feel, well, lighter. I’d been suffering from some really bad tummy troubles with my IBS over the past couple months, and they do seem to be getting better. I can’t wait to see how I feel after I finish the 2 month supply I ordered from Costco.com.

“When it comes to eating right and exercising, there is no “I’ll start tomorrow.”  Tomorrow is disease.” – Terri Guillemets

You might be wondering – “Ok, what in the heck IS a probiotic??” They’re bacteria that help maintain a healthy digestive system, and they help improve your immune system. You’ll find them in certain yogurts, and other foods – but getting them in tablet form is the best way to get a consistent daily dose. You need to have good bacteria in your digestive system, but as we get older, there are less of these good guys in your system. And things like diet, stress, and other lifestyle factors can cause your bacteria levels to get off balance. According to Costco.com, the 4X Pro-B “patent pending caplet technology protects delicate probiotics from stomach acid, ” making them one of the best options available.

“You get whatever you settle for.” – Unknown

I have settled for less than the best for quite some time now. I have already seen some great changes – getting out and being active each afternoon with Abby gives me a bigger boost of energy than the cup of coffee I used to have. Eating more fruits and veggies makes me feel SO much better than grabbing some chips or a cookie. The Nutrisystem program is rockin’ for me, and adding in the 4 X Pro-B tablets is just another step towards success. By the middle of the year – Hopefully I will be writing another blog post with a picture of me IN those skinny jeans up there!! Those babies are the goal – and I WILL reach it.

For more information on the 4 X Pro-B from Costco check out my Album on Google+. You can also find Costco.com on Facebook to stay updated on cool new products!

{Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. I received a complimentary product for review purposes.}