Ugh…New Years Eve and already I have a holiday hangover…too much shopping, too many Tollhouse cookies, and an overload of parties. And now the numbers are in and they aren’t pretty. Credit card bills and the bathroom scale made an ugly combination as the ball dropped in Times Square. Those cute outfits from White House Black Market that fit like a charm in October have now been traded for comfy pajamas circa 2007.
So what’s a girl to do? Be held accountable, that’s what! No crying over spilt milk. Or in this case, spilt wine. The key here is to hop back up on that elliptical tomorrow after a nice healthy breakfast of oatmeal and eggs. I kept telling myself to think of it this way – Planet Fitness, which is sometimes packed with people, is bound to be empty on New Years Day. I might have the entire gym all to myself! My assumption was totally off-base. When I arrived around Noon, there was a nice mix of regulars and newbies. I picked an elliptical machine and ended up beating my personal best record of 3 miles in 33 minutes.
The truth is – I actually enjoy working out and eating healthy foods. But then along comes a party that derails the Train to A Long And Healthy Life. So as 2013 drew to a close, I used the Thesaurus to find words that are synonyms for “resolution” because resolution is such a cheesy word at this time of year. I founds the words “promise” and “vow” which I like better, as they both have a positive connotation.
Anywho, I made a promise to hold myself accountable for the past holiday season and turn those numbers around in 2014. I know that a lot of our readers have promised themselves the same thing, perhaps for the 800th time. We’ve tried a zillion different diets that sound ridiculous now, but must have guaranteed us to look like a supermodel in a matter of weeks. Anyone remember the Cabbage Soup diet??
Last April I began working out and eating better and by November had lost over thirty pounds. I wasn’t even sure how much I wanted to lose and I still don’t, but I will know when I get there, for now i just want to buy hcg to help me lose weight faster. Not only had I lost weight, but my clothes fit so much better because my muscles were getting toned. The time that I invested in my own health was the best time and energy that I had ever spent in my life.
I did enlist the help of a personal trainer and some might say that is cheating. I don’t agree with that because ultimately it is me that has to stay focused and continue exercising at all hours of the day or night, depending on my work schedule. And ultimately it is me that has to turn down every cupcake at an office birthday party or freshly baked bread before dinner at Bonefish Grille.
This year I’d like to get back on track with all of YOU and swap stories of our highs and lows, ups and downs. I believe that we can all be more successful this way. It doesn’t matter if you are old, young, male or female, let’s all hold ourselves accountable together in 2014!
My intention is to weigh-in with you guys each week so that we can touch base with each other. I will be truthful about my progress and share details of my menus and workouts. For now, I know that champagne is out of the question, holiday or not!
Til next time…
Congratulations on your weight loss, Jennifer. I had a significant loss last year also, thanks to dieting and exercise. I did weekly weigh-ins to check my progress and found that it was helpful to measure both my weight and my circumference each week. Some weeks I wouldn’t lose any weight but lost a half-inch around the middle. The loss in inches kept me from getting discouraged over the plateau in pounds.
I agree about the inches completely! We are a society of instant gratification, so it would be so nice to lose 5 or 10 pounds in a week. But it isn’t always realistic.
This is good sound advise in how to eat to live rather than live to eat. I realized I was doing the latter and have begun to take baby steps to eating to live. I now have snacks of peanut butter on celery and nuts and raisins and if I am desperate for chocolate a handful of dark chocolate chips. I am trying berry shakes with frozen fruit and ice water and protein powder for breakfast or scrambled eggs with spinach and onions. I am following the Daniel Fast program and will let you know how it goes.