A New Year, A New Blog, A New Me

Last year, I started blogging about my weight-loss journey.  If you had previously followed me, you know I slacked off big time towards the middle of the year.  We are getting ready to embark on another year and I have made it one of my many resolutions to keep up with my blog.  It really does help me stay on track and focused about my efforts.  I also appreciate the love, encouragement, and support I get from all of you.  Please help keep me accountable this year. :)

I find that when making new year's resolutions, it's helpful to look back over the past year to see how far you've come, as well as how you've fallen short.  Last January, my goal was to lose 50 pounds in 2011.  I have fallen far short of that goal.  As of last Saturday I was holding at 15 pounds gone.  There were a lot of things that happened to which I could assign blame, but ultimately, the choices were mine, and I made the wrong ones. 

I've written down all of the events that happened in 2011 and sorted them into 2 categories, events that I could control, and events that I couldn't control.  Some of the things that fell into the first group were vacations and trips, baseball season, and holiday food.  These were all events that I knew of well in advance and could have planned for better.

If there is one thing I can take away from 2011 it's that the key to effective weight-loss is planning.  Good intentions can't get you to your end goal.  How many times have you caught yourself saying, "I didn't intend to eat that," or, "I meant to go to the gym."  As the old saying goes, "Wish in one hand, poop in the other and see which one fills up first."  It's crude, but true.

In an attempt to stick with the plan and actually hit my weight-loss goal by the end of 2012, tonight I am going to sit down with my calendar and plan out all of the events that I know are going to happen during the next year.  I will then form a plan-of-attack so I have a strategy already in my head for how I'm going to handle the situation.  There are 2 events sticking in my head right now...both vacations.  I can't live my life inside an isolated diet bubble because as I've said before, this isn't a diet.  It's a lifestyle change.  The trick is staying on plan while living my life.  I haven't quite figured that part out yet.

I'm excited to see what 2012 brings.  With the new year comes a renewed sense of commitment and motivation.  Here's to seeing a little less of myself! :)