New Year, New Me?

I was going to spend this post talking about all the things I did in 2011 to get healthier.  But the truth is, I had kind of a wake-up call.  When I went back to look at my progress, I realized I've weighed between 228 and 232 since the beginning of September.  I'm actually exactly the same weight I was on Sept. 7.

I've made a lot of strides towards a healthier life.  Matt and I eat a mostly vegan diet.  I've started incorporating activity into my routine.  But that's not translating into results on the scale.

On the bright side, I am 19.8 pounds lighter than I was January 1, 2011.  So I know it's possible to lose weight.  When I look back at what changed in September, it's not that I fell off the Weight Watchers' wagon, it's that I willfully jumped.  Every excuse I could think of, I used.  Traveling for work?  No need to count points, it's just one week.  Halloween?  If I gain from the candy, I can drop it next week.  Christmas party?  Well, Christmas only comes once a year.  Another Christmas party?  Well, I blew it at the last party, what's a couple more glasses of wine and cookies?  You get the idea.

I usually think New Years' resolutions are cheesy.  After all, if we need to make a change in our lives, we should just make it - no reason to wait until a special day.  But this year, I see the point.  I need to hit the reset button, and today has given me the opportunity to look back on the last year and see that.

It's pretty simple.  If I'm just trying to work out and eat healthy with no structure, I gain weight, or  I maintain.  If I count points, I lose.  Sometimes I wish the answer were more complex, because then I'd have an excuse.  But I don't, Weight Watchers' lays it out pretty clearly.  So my resolutions this year are simple, but concrete:

- Exercise at least 30 minutes 4 times a week.  Work up to 60 minutes 5-6 times a week.
- Track every day.  Learn to use the Simply Filling Technique for days that's not practical so I can still be on plan and not use it as an excuse to blow the week. (I will definitely blog about that when it happens).
- Get to a BMI of overweight

And my more abstract resolution - continue to strive to live a healthy lifestyle.  Be it through food choices, deciding how to spend my afternoon, or making movement part of my life, look for opportunities to be healthy, and take them.

For example, when I decided to spend Christmas afternoon doing this:

Instead of sitting inside watching TV.  Yes, that's me and Matt outside in 12 degrees weather.

Happy New Year!