I thought I would do a short mini series to talk about how to maintain your New Year's Resolutions throughout the year. Things you can do and resources available. To start the mini series off, I'm going to talk about losing weight. Since this is something that is a real struggle for me, I would love comments on how you have lost weight in the past. Do not take this personally, but I am not looking for anything that deals with quick fixes, pills, miracle shakes, wraps, or surgery. That isn't my style and it isn't what I will be covering in my blog. I was a Beachbody Health Coach and while I LOVE their products ... I want to be clear that I do not think the shakes are a fix-it. They are also not in my budget for a large family.
Losing weight is a VERY hard task. It is something that you want immediate results and it just does not work that way. Sorry! I keep hoping that I will wake up one morning and I'm just thin. Wouldn't that be awesome? Yeah ... I have to work for it. I ate horribly for YEARS and put on the weight. I went from 180 to 267 in 13 years. It isn't just going to come off. That is the first hurdle that you must pass. Putting losing weight on your resolution list is great ... but you must realize that it will take some time.
Small Goals
The first task in achieving your New Year's Resolution of losing weight is to set small goals. These goals should be attainable! Here are my goals so you can get an idea of what you should put down for your goals.
- Lose 2 pounds a week
- Be going to the gym 3x a week for 30 minutes by the end of February
- Be going to the gym 5x a week for 30 minutes by the end of March
- Be going to the gym 5x a week for 45 minutes by the end of April
- Get back into Water Fitness by the end of April
- Be drinking 10 cups of water a day by the end of January
- Be drinking 1/2 my body weight a day in water by the end of March
- Sign up and participate in a 5K Race
- Eat clean and/or Paleo for 80% of my diet by the end of January
Notice there are a LOT of small goals. I want something that I can hit and achieve. You NEED deadlines. If I just put "going to the gym 3x a week for 30 minutes" ... I have given myself the ability to delay it all year! I know that losing weight is diet AND exercise.
Change the Diet
You are what you eat. You cannot expect to lose weight and still eat pizza, fast food, and other junk. I have participated in one clean eating challenge already this year and am preparing for my second. Changing the diet is actually something that can be done all at once, but it is best if you do it slowly. We are first increasing our fruit & vegetable intake and decreasing our carb intake. We have cut a lot of dairy out of our diet, mainly because Turtle and I seem to have lactose intolerance issues. I now make sure that my plate is 1/2 fruits and vegetables, 1/4 protein, and then 1/4 starch. There are so many options when it comes to finding a diet for you, just adjust them to meet your needs. I don't like high protein meals because of the costs, but I don't want vegan meals either. I am not saying they are wrong ... they just aren't for our family!
Eliminate the Temptation
I have absolutely no willpower when it comes to sweets. One of the worst things for me is Pinterest. I had to completely cut out my boards that pin sweets because then I end up craving the sugar! Now when food comes up on my Pinterest feed, it is all Paleo, healthier desserts, and clean. This allows me to feel okay with pinning it and thinking about making it. I do make sweets, especially for parties, but I know how to Google.
Figure out what tempts you and get rid of it. By not having desserts made up, I am less likely to binge on them. I am not sugar free yet, and I do look forward to the day where I can be completely free of those types of desserts ... but I'm not there yet. I'm not even sure I will be there before the end of the year. You know what though, it's not on my goal list for right now, so I'm okay with that!
Schedule Workouts
My biggest hangup is working out. I have an exercise area in my basement, but I do better when I leave the house and don't have my kids bugging me non-stop. I use working out as a way to de-stress. I cannot do that with four children whining and complaining at me over everything. Therefore, I am working on getting a schedule down that works with Jeremy's schedule. One that I will make it out of the house and get some time to myself to workout.
I was very ill and so I realize that I am going to need to work up to working out again. I can't just jump into it because I did, technically, just have surgery performed on my throat. While I am feeling SO much better and want to start working out again ... it is important for me to remember that I need to let my body heal. It is the same for you. If you are going from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one, let your body build up to it. You will burn out otherwise and not be able to maintain your weightloss throughout the year.
Okay ... so, finally ... here are the apps that I am currently using to get healthy (these are all on Android but should also be available for iPhones):
I also am using Runtastic's and Zen Lab's other apps for specific toning.
How are you planning on maintaining your New Year's Resolution of losing weight? Let me know in the comments below!
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