new year, no resolutions....

I am not a big believer in resolutions.... but having said that, Jan 1st is a good day to assess what worked the previous year and what didn't.
Here is a list of what worked for me:
1. Shakeology - honestly, I have NEVER used a product as effective for getting my predilection for junk food under control. From a daily consumption of McD's breakfasts and Wendy's hamburgers and fries to MAYBE once a month getting an egg McMuffin on the run... huge  improvement for me.

2. Learning to eat more  "lean and green" than the way I used to. My diet used to be so screwed up. No breakfast (or McD's if I had $$$ in my pocket), cookies and junk food from the teacher's table at school, and then a HUGE plate of food for dinner (usually around 8 pm) because I was starving. I learned to eat breakfast - Shakeology, usually... and something healthier than cookies for lunch and smaller plate of food for dinner.
3.Exercising at least three times a week. ChaLean Xtreme was an incredible experience and was instrumental in getting me stronger and functionally fit. An incredible DVD exercise program. This was very important for me - being very heavy and having not exercised for decades, this program used light dumbbells and averaged 30 - 40 minutes per session. And it was a 90 day program... pretty substantial.




Here is what I need to work on for this year:
Diet:
1. I need to learn to eat every three hours, small portions.
2. I need to eliminate gluten and dairy from my diet as much as possible. I have seen such incredible results with my son and his allergies that I really want to give this a shot. I know removing dairy and gluten won't hurt me, so let's see if this is doable. I think it is.
3. I need to change my mindset about the caloric intake as it relates to weight loss. My natural bent is to think "eat as few calories as possible to lose weight". To a degree, this is right. But there IS a line that says if you cross it, your body goes into "starvation" mode and the fat quits leaving. I need to keep my calories higher than I have been used to... right now it is around 1900 calories.
4. I need to become knowledgeable about food and exercise and nutrition.
5. I need to lose 30 more pounds. Seem like a lot of weight? Hey - in April of 2011, it was "lose 60 lbs"! I am halfway there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Finally - all of the above is a moving target - as my weight drops, as I change my dietary habits and my exercise routines change - my metabolism will change. My body's needs will change. I have to be aware of this and be willing to change up something if necessary. As a great example - I made it from 260 to 232-ish this summer. I have plateaued around 232, so I need to look at what has happened, and make a change or changes. 232 is still obese for me. I can't stop here. So what do I do? change up my diet. change up my exercise routine. keep moving forward. This is shaping up to be a great year.
I would be honored if you would join me in this weight loss journey - let's make 2012 the year the fat melts away and we achieve some kind of fitness goal.
Regards,
Paige