Why do we do it? Why do we set ourselves up year after year? We decide on New Year’s Eve to change something in our live – usually a bad habit. If you make the decision earlier than December 31st you feel the need to overindulge prior to your start date.

One year I decided to lose weight for my resolution. I decided on this right before Christmas. In my mind, I was given a free pass to eat whatever I wanted over the holidays. If I remember correctly, I packed on 5 pounds! That made starting off even harder. Not only were my sugar cravings stronger come January 1st, but I had dug an even bigger hole for what I wanted to lose. Of course, it lasted only a few days and I was done with that resolution.

When I made the decision to throw out all ideas of making resolutions my life became more manageable. I was no longer tied to a date. Now, instead of telling people my resolutions, I became accountable for what I needed to change. Think about it. You spend a few days discussing what you want to change and then a few days trying to change it. Thank leaves 350+ days to not do it. Each day is a new start. Every morning you wake up you can create your day. This is starting on a small scale – day by day. What I did was move onto a bigger scale (no pun intended). I set goals – short term, midterm, and end goals for what I wanted to change. The short term is to keep me focused. Midterm is a great tool for checking in – making sure what you are doing is actually working and moving towards your final goal. If it is not working, midterm is an excellent time to tweak what you are doing. Your final goal is your deadline. It is flexible, depending on what it is.

I decided to eat healthier and move more. I began to count my calories in August of 2019. In that year I tracked my calories until August of 2020. I also started walking more for exercise. COVID really helped with that as I needed to get OUT of the house. In the year I did this I lost 25 pounds. An unbelievable amount for me without a thyroid (another blog in the future). I learned how to cut calories off of some of my favorite recipes. I did eat out at restaurants (prior to COVID) and I did have sweets. The point is I was accountable for what I did. Some weeks I gained a pound and some weeks I lost. During the midterm, I was at a plateau and increased my walking to break free of the plateau. It worked! COVID has added weight to most of us, but the time is not January 1st to begin to lose it. You need to put in the mental work of prepping to begin a new life post COVID. Set the goals and identify your obstacles. It is worth it – you are worth it.