New Years Resolutions

Every time I go buy smaller size clothing people are always asking for my “miracle diet tips” everyone wants a fast easy way to lose weight and inches. I would like to say that I am not perfect. I have awful seasonal cravings. I don’t always make my step goal. I also know I just need to brush off the crumbs and resume my healthier lifestyle. It’s not about diets, it’s all about life style changes. I have been working on this gradually since June 2009.  It’s not fast in any way. There are blog post about this too.

So with this disclaimer:  I am not a medical professional. This is what works for me. Always talk to your doctor or other medical professional before making major lifestyle changes.

For me it’s about getting the bad for me stuff out of my life. These include high fructose corn syrup, artificial sugars, 80% of the regular sugars. White potatoes and white rice. I have also eliminated most soda, I had 1 bottle of soda since June 2018.  I had a really sudden and bad migraine and needed to drive across town in a few hours. I am not perfect by any means.  Perfection in lifestyle is an ugly facade.  It’s also about drinking more water or unsweetened teas.

Next it’s about moving your body.  You don’t need to buy an expensive gym membership, unless of course you want to. I got a pedometer and did a two week base line, of 2,500 steps a day. Yes, really. Once that was established I would increase my step goal by no more than 10% when I felt I could handle more exercise. My current goal is 8,080 steps a day.  You can find me walking in circles or figure 8’s around the house if the weather is not ideal or I am having a bad body day.  I also started deep cleaning the house. Small things like emptying the linen closet, deciding what to keep and what to get rid of.  Fold all the keepers and putting them back. Drawer by drawer. Closet by closet.  Until there was less.  I recommend Zenning in 5 minutes a Day.  Then start doing things like sweeping the floors on a regular basis.  Take over the vacuuming.  Do 30 minutes of housework a day.  It might sound really silly, but there is a method to my madness. The more you move and do things the more muscles you will build.  The more muscles you build the more calories your body uses, the more lean mass you build the more inches you will lose.  For more details on this ask your doctor.

Since June 2018 I have been trying to follow the low glycemic diet with 45 grams of carbs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. With snacks only if I am hungry. Again check with your doctor about this. I buy whole grain bread, fresh fruit and vegetables. I try to eat lean meat and eat fish several times a week.

So this is my invitation for you to join me on the slow trip to a thinner you.  The ultimate goal is better health no matter what size you end up at the end of your journey.