Slim Down Sundays – New Year, New Start! (January 2nd)

Earlier this year, I started weekly posts I titled “Slim Down Sundays” where I was going to chronicle my weight-loss journey.

Despite the kindness of my readers, I admit that I didn’t devote the time or the energy needed to lose weight and make my life healthier (and happier) for myself and my family! If you had seen me 12 years ago, I could have been a contender for The Biggest Loser – I was as round as I was tall and my lifestyle wasn’t healthy. Over a single year, I lost over half of my body weight and saw my entire life change! Since that time, the weight has slowly been creeping back. I have been well aware of the issue (every time I outgrow my clothes I curse and swear I am going to make changes…and then don’t!) but I haven’t shown the willingness to do what needs to be done to achieve this goal.

I know what I have to do…I did it before and I was successful. Where I fell down was in my thinking that once I had beaten my weight that I would never have to do it again. For me, weight is a lifelong battle and is something I need to recognize and embrace.

So here I am, on January 2nd, ready to face this challenge head-on!

Today (January 2nd) I weigh 180.4 pounds. (At 5 foot 2, this makes me between 50 and 60 pounds heavier than I should be!)

What are my plans and how will I achieve my goal?

1) Regular workouts are key to my success – having done the 7 days/week workout schedule in the past, I know that isn’t reasonable for me to do because it causes me to burn out and get frustrated. I plan to work out 5 days/week with 1 day off during the week and another on the weekend. I think it will also give my body a chance to recover from the workouts. Initially, I will be doing cardio for 1 hour/workout and I plan to add some weight training once I am able to connect with trainers at my local gym.

2) Healthy eating – I have been eating healthier overall but I have found the challenge in not being able to indulge in the same treats as the rest of the family! I plan to go back to eating more fibre in my diet, looking for lower-calorie options and eating at least 1 salad every day (I absolutely LOVE salad so it makes no sense that I have stopped eating them daily)!

3) Portion control – Eating healthier doesn’t help me to lose weight unless I also control my portion sizes. I have a tendency to fall into the mindset trap that if I am eating something I deem to be “healthier” that I can also eat more of it! One tool that I received a few monthes ago and I plan to use are the Yum Yum Dishes. I love the fact that they have built-in portion control – each bowl holds 4 ounces so I know exactly how much I am eating when I use my Yum Yum bowl! I found the Yum Yum Dish story really inspirational as well because I know it can make a difference! You can also check out some of Tracey’s articles here – I plan on using some of her tips in my journey to control my portion sizes!

So my journey is going to be a three-prong attack! I’ve never been the type of person to back down from a challenge, so recognizing that I’ve been ducking and weaving from this one just makes me more energized at attacking this one!

Check in next week where I’m going to let you know how the journey evolves!

*I received no monetary compensation for this post. I received a sample of Yum Yum dishes that I plan to use in my weight loss journey. The opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way*