I lost two pounds. Normally I would not think much of a mere two pounds. However, losing even this small amount has motivated me to continue on with the hard work of losing weight. I decided just before the end of the year to get my head on straight, buckle down, and lose the weight I have desired for so long to lose. My plan was simple but required changes to my daily routine. Changing a routine is not easy to do especially if you are in the routine of breaking any logical routine you set for yourself.
Here are my goals for the New Year:
Eat breakfast daily. Yes, I have written about how breakfast is the most important meal of the day. However, I am not a breakfast eater. Oddly, I am often not even hungry when I wake up. Even stranger…if I am I tend to just drink coffee and ignore it. Since I made the commitment to myself to eat breakfast I am happy to report I have actually consumed calories in the morning from a source other than coffee and creamer.
Workout at least 3 times a week. Once upon a time I worked out six days a week. I am no longer in the shape to do that without needing hospitalization. So, I decided to set a goal that would be easy for me to achieve. Once I felt successful I would up my workout routines. I’ve not always had the time to do a formal workout, yet I have made sure I burned calories at least three times a week. Remember losing weight is a numbers game. You need to burn more than you eat without starving yourself as starvation mode only causes you to store fat. So even playing the Wii and working out to a DVD will burn extra calories necessary to lose weight. Honestly, I prefer the hard workouts a gym has to offer where you are soaked with sweat and huffing and puffing when it’s over. Yet, I am out of shape and have a very busy life. It will take time to implement a solid sweat soaking routine into a life where none existed. So I am being patient with myself. When I was not patient and wanted to just go back to the shape I was in years ago in an out of shape body it only caused me to give up.
Eat healthy and no senseless snacking. Eating healthy also includes drinking the proper amount of water a day. I have so far resisted the urge to open the bag of chocolate chips in my cabinet and eat them. I have done this by replacing high sugar food with the proper balance of healthy food. That alone has caused me to not crave so many sweets. I also purchase 100 calorie yogurts and snacks to have on hand to curb any urges.
I cannot guarantee I will not fail on a few points but I can guarantee this is not a year of failure. Little setbacks will not accumulate into a year’s worth of “my diet starts on Monday.”