2015: My Year of Willpower and Commitment
I'm so tired of this annual ritual of weight loss failure!
Another year is upon us and, as always, I spent the last few days of 2014 mentally preparing myself for my weight loss efforts in 2015. I actually got a head start on my workout routine by joining a gym in November. As for the food part, well... let's just say that I resigned myself to the fact that the holiday season is no time for a yo-yo dieter like me to embark on a weight loss diet. I'd just be setting myself up for torture, temptation and the inevitable bar of chocolate or slice of cake that would send me back to the downward spiral of sugar addiction and major bloating.
Why is it that food that is tasty and decadent and succulent has to be consumed in 'limited quantities'? Why can't lettuce be 'eaten in moderation' or 'consumed sparingly'? Wouldn't it be wonderful if one could derive a host of health benefits from a rich, red velvet cupcake or that juicy burger that conveniently gets juicier each time you eat it?
In theory, weight loss is quite simple: calories in < calories out. Burn more than you consume. Eat more low-calorie foods and less high-calorie ones. 1+1=2. 2 x 2=4. It's a rather elementary concept, so why are so many of us grappling with our weight?
It seems that there's a diet for every letter of the alphabet: Atkins, Beach Body, the 'C' Diet (yes, the 'C' Diet. Google it!), the Dukan Diet... the list goes on and on, but if all of these diets are as effective as they proclaim to be, why don't we all look like Halle Berry or Idris Elba? Shouldn't we all be able to slip into slinky bodycon dresses and athletic fit suits? Must those too-small clothes continue to languish at the bottom of my drawer in the hopes that one day I will finally conquer this weight issue and flaunt my fabulous new look?
But wait: don't I have a good excuse for my current size? After all, I come from a 'big-boned' family, right? I gain weight easily because of my genes. I've never been slim, even as a child. I look better this way; I just wouldn't look right if I lost a lot of weight. I've had 3 kids in 3 years and my youngest was born just 5 months ago, so it's normal for me to still be carrying baby weight. The further I creep into my 30s, the harder it is for me to drop the weight, you know, because of that slower metabolism...
If there's an excuse, I've used it.
So it's time for me to give myself a reality check. There are enough people who have buckled down, bitten the bullet and pushed their way to significant weight loss. I admire them.They made it work not because they found a magical diet solution, but because they employed two particular attributes that saw them through the tough times and those discouraging plateaus: willpower and commitment. The difference between a successful dieter and yours truly is that Mr. or Miss Success would ultimately resist the temptation to eat that brownie or drink that milkshake, whereas I wouldn't. The bottom line is that it isn't my body that I need to convince; it's my mind. To many people reading this, it might seem like a trivial issue, but to me it isn't. It's the main reason why I haven't been able to permanently shed excess weight. My hope is that acknowledging and accepting this fact will spur me on as I embark on this journey once again.
As I write this, I wonder what I'll be writing next year, God willing. Will I be looking back yet again on another year where I started out with the right goal and failed to achieve it or will I be celebrating a new year as a successful dieter with better health and a fitter lifestyle?
What exactly is my target?
My 2015 weight loss goal: lose 5 lbs per month
Yes. That's it. It sounds so simple, doesn't it?
If I can do this, I'll be 60 lbs lighter in a year.
And well on my way to Y.A.M. status.
:)
Another year is upon us and, as always, I spent the last few days of 2014 mentally preparing myself for my weight loss efforts in 2015. I actually got a head start on my workout routine by joining a gym in November. As for the food part, well... let's just say that I resigned myself to the fact that the holiday season is no time for a yo-yo dieter like me to embark on a weight loss diet. I'd just be setting myself up for torture, temptation and the inevitable bar of chocolate or slice of cake that would send me back to the downward spiral of sugar addiction and major bloating.
Why is it that food that is tasty and decadent and succulent has to be consumed in 'limited quantities'? Why can't lettuce be 'eaten in moderation' or 'consumed sparingly'? Wouldn't it be wonderful if one could derive a host of health benefits from a rich, red velvet cupcake or that juicy burger that conveniently gets juicier each time you eat it?
In theory, weight loss is quite simple: calories in < calories out. Burn more than you consume. Eat more low-calorie foods and less high-calorie ones. 1+1=2. 2 x 2=4. It's a rather elementary concept, so why are so many of us grappling with our weight?
It seems that there's a diet for every letter of the alphabet: Atkins, Beach Body, the 'C' Diet (yes, the 'C' Diet. Google it!), the Dukan Diet... the list goes on and on, but if all of these diets are as effective as they proclaim to be, why don't we all look like Halle Berry or Idris Elba? Shouldn't we all be able to slip into slinky bodycon dresses and athletic fit suits? Must those too-small clothes continue to languish at the bottom of my drawer in the hopes that one day I will finally conquer this weight issue and flaunt my fabulous new look?
But wait: don't I have a good excuse for my current size? After all, I come from a 'big-boned' family, right? I gain weight easily because of my genes. I've never been slim, even as a child. I look better this way; I just wouldn't look right if I lost a lot of weight. I've had 3 kids in 3 years and my youngest was born just 5 months ago, so it's normal for me to still be carrying baby weight. The further I creep into my 30s, the harder it is for me to drop the weight, you know, because of that slower metabolism...
If there's an excuse, I've used it.
So it's time for me to give myself a reality check. There are enough people who have buckled down, bitten the bullet and pushed their way to significant weight loss. I admire them.They made it work not because they found a magical diet solution, but because they employed two particular attributes that saw them through the tough times and those discouraging plateaus: willpower and commitment. The difference between a successful dieter and yours truly is that Mr. or Miss Success would ultimately resist the temptation to eat that brownie or drink that milkshake, whereas I wouldn't. The bottom line is that it isn't my body that I need to convince; it's my mind. To many people reading this, it might seem like a trivial issue, but to me it isn't. It's the main reason why I haven't been able to permanently shed excess weight. My hope is that acknowledging and accepting this fact will spur me on as I embark on this journey once again.
As I write this, I wonder what I'll be writing next year, God willing. Will I be looking back yet again on another year where I started out with the right goal and failed to achieve it or will I be celebrating a new year as a successful dieter with better health and a fitter lifestyle?
What exactly is my target?
My 2015 weight loss goal: lose 5 lbs per month
Yes. That's it. It sounds so simple, doesn't it?
If I can do this, I'll be 60 lbs lighter in a year.
And well on my way to Y.A.M. status.
:)
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