Tough New Year

It has been 4 months since I last wrote, but a lot has happened in the last 4 months. Of course, the holidays came and went. I think I did pretty well during all the celebrations and holiday food. I haven't really gotten back into running since my fall. I have jogged a couple times, but nothing of any consequence. I started the new year with lots of motivation. Unfortunately, it only lasted for 4 days because I got the flu. I was out sick and on my couch for a week. Then, when I was finally able to get back to work I had a cough and major sinus congestion. Now, finally, after a month of not feeling well, I have energy and am eating normally again.

My Motivation - If she can do it, I can do it!

Now that things seem back to normal, I decided I am going to take things slowly. I will start with small goals and celebrate those accomplishments with small rewards that are not food-based. I recently read a book about a woman who lost about 160 lbs. without joining a gym or seeing a nutritionist. She had some really good advice, and I started following her on Facebook (BigGirlFitGirl - see picture on right). I wrote down the advice that was most pertinent to me, and I chose 3 pieces to focus on. Once I feel like these are becoming habits, I will try something else. So, my 3 pieces right now are....
     1. Change one thing at a time - This means that as I eat things in the house, I should replace them with something healthier. I am not going to clear out my whole kitchen and start from scratch, but I can slowly change over to healthier options one item at a time.
     2. Drink more water - I have pretty much cut soda out of my diet. When I do drink soda, I drink Sprite. I still drink coffee every morning, which isn't bad, but I continue to drink coffee through most of the morning and sometimes into the afternoon. I am going to try drinking more water and less coffee. I just get bored with the flavorlessness of water.
     3. Plan to Succeed - I am going to try a very simple meal planning system. I did start this during the new year, but then I got the flu and wasn't eating at all. I liked meal planning. I was trying new recipes with common ingredients and lots of flavor. I was eating healthy and completely satisfied. I knew what I was cooking or reheating each night of the week. I am going to try that again.

My current goal is to stay on track with these tips for 6 weeks. That will bring me to the end of March. My biggest hurdle right now is maintaining my focus and staying on track. I am usually really good for a few weeks, even up to a month, but then I sabotage my progress. So, I took my before measurements (as I had when I started at the beginning of the year), and I figured they would be either the same or more than January 1. Guess what! They all had decreased by at least a little bit. It was a pleasant surprise. So, now I am hoping to see more progress at the end of my 6 weeks. If I saw progress with only slightly being focused on my health, I should definitely see progress after 6 weeks of better focus. I am looking for better health, not just a smaller number on the scale.