It’s been 13 days into the new year, and I’m still at it! With weight loss, that is.
Thank the Lord because I know there are several people who sadly fell off the “New Year, New Me” wagon.
I toot my horn as I say I’m not one of those people… yet. I’m kidding. Or am I….?
I barely kid because it’s so easy to fall off the wagon. And quite honestly, from the core of my heart, I CANNOT and DO NOT want to fall off again!
To keep things organized and to the point (without being lengthy) here’s what I’ve been doing new to replace the old habits that lead me into a ditch, every single time…
What’s New, Kid!?
Old habit: being so focused on the future (for results) that I become anxious and impatient, and eventually fall off the wagon.
New habit: I’ve vowed to take things one day at a time. Literally. Using a dry erase board helps me do as such. Each morning, I write down what I need to focus on, and I focus only on that. It helps me feel more in control and on track.
Planning
Old habit: Tricking myself into believing I can be successful without an effective plan.
New habit: I’ve realized and accepted that as a wife and mom of three, I require A PLAN. Without one, I become inconsistent. Currently, I am following 21 Day Fix by Autumn Calabrese, and I’ll be following some sort of exercise program from this point going forward.
We’re Blind to Our Blindness
Old habit: Being too stubborn to see how my lack of responsibility to not only study nutrition, wellness, and fitness, but to see how it works (or doesn’t work) for myself specifically. i.e. researching “why it’s so hard to stick to a healthy lifestyle long-term” and ways of which I can adjust myself or my goals so that it can become an actual life-long journey.
New habit: I’ve been doing some writing, y’all! Like, actual pen and pad type stuff! I shocked myself by sitting down, writing out my shortcomings when it comes to inconsistency, and figuring out ways I can become more consistent. There has been a lot of deep digging withing myself (my heart) and I can’t wait to share more about it when I get the go-ahead.
Nite Nite Time
Old habit: Embarrassingly, I’ve carried a really long and really bad habit of staying up all times of the night. There’s no wonder I was craving sweets, salty food, and caffeine throughout the day. My body and mind was on autopilot. Let’s not even talk about how fried my mind was. It was on the verge of scary; I literally wasn’t thinking straight. I forgot lyrics to long-known songs and everything (cringe!)
New habit: As of lately, I’ve been getting my behind in the bed at a decent time (for me). Thankfully, I pull in about 7 hours of sleep each night. Sure, it hasn’t been perfect; some nights I only get a little over 5 hours of sleep, but that only happens when I wake up around 3am and it’s hard to go back to sleep. Oh yeah, if you’re wondering, I seem to be thinking straight now! 🙂
Remember the Goal- Keep Your Eye On The Prize, Shawty!
Old habit: Vanity, vanity, vanity! “That’s all I have to say about that.”…..
New habit: Although, I want to lose weight — (I mean, who doesn’t these days!? If you’re good on weight loss, lucky you!) I’m reminding myself that my goal has to be bigger and deeper than that. It has to be more than skin deep. If I only focus on weight loss, what will I do when I don’t see enough progress. Personally, I know that if I don’t force this healthy lifestyle change, and maintain it, I’m setting myself up for failure in the future. This, is enough to keep myself on track! There are a lot of different ways that I want to feel and be, so by knowing this, it keeps me focused in order to achieve what’s not tangible.
Advice…
My advice to anyone on a weight loss journey, especially the one who finds themself inconsistent or frustrated, is to keep going. I don’t care how many times you have to keep going back to the drawing board; never stop trying!
I’ve recently read (remember the research I’ve dedicated myself to!? 😉 ) that it takes a while for a change to stick. With that in mind, let’s keep going, find out what works best for us, and continue placing one foot in front of the other. And for Christ’s sake, take things one day at a time! Literally!
Until next time, peeps….
Health, Wellness, Lifestyle 