The good: I got to relax, I got to spend a lot of time with my family, and I was reunited with my doggy Sadie.
I have a serious problem with weight gain around the holidays. It happens every year, and then I spend the next few months trying to lose the weight. It's such a terrible cycle. Every year I tell myself that I am not going to let it happen this year, and every year it still happens. Looking back, it is obvious why I gained weight. I went 3 weeks without really exercising, and I ate a lot of unhealthy foods that I don't typically eat. Beer, wine, restaurant food, white bread, pizza... the list goes on and on.
A lot of people who meet me in person, or read this blog, assume that I have always been thin. That is definitely not the case- if I don't watch it the weight piles back on so easily. I know that feeling sorry for myself doesn't solve anything, so it's time to get moving. Here are the weight loss principals I'm going to follow, and how I'm going to make them happen. Anyone want to join me?
I think I'm off to a pretty good start with this plan, you can see my grocery order above. The kid at Harris Teeter who bagged my groceries even asked me if I was "opening up a fruit farm." I loved hearing that, it meant I bought lots of produce!
2) Drink a glass of water before having a snack. Maybe I'm just thirsty.
I think this is a great tip. I read that as far as our brains are concerned, the signal for hunger & thirst are very similar. Drinking the water before I snack will help me make sure I'm truly hungry.
3) Be accountable.
I entered a "Biggest Loser" contest at my office. Most people in my department at work have entered the contest, and we are all weighting in on the mail room scale every Monday (yes, it's just like on The Office). I will be super embarrassed if I don't lose this weight.
This tip is SO helpful, and I have been slacking off on doing it. I hung the schedule for the YMCA on the fridge, and each week I will go through & make gym "appointments" with myself.
5) Remember that its not a diet, its a lifestyle.
As you can see from my groceries, I will still be eating chocolate & cheese. Every healthy lifestyle has room for treats, I just have to make sure I only eat a small portion of dark chocolate each day. If I starve or deprive myself, I will just end up going crazy on the sweets later on.
Let's do this!