Fulfill Those Resolutions

This is the first new year since I can't remember when that I haven't approached with dread. Every year, guilty and ashamed about my weight, I made a resolution to diet, no matter my personal readiness or commitment. Today, I realized this is the first year of my entire life that I actually kept a New Year's resolution. Whew!! What a gift to have that burden gone. I'm so excited to pass this one year milestone of committing to a healthier me and look forward to more good things in 2008.

Last January first, quaking in my boots, I started, oh-so tentatively, on the healthy path. I believe one of the reasons that I've actually followed through, was that I started with very, very small steps. Last year, I did not vow to eat 1000 calories a day, lose 30 pounds a month, exercise everyday, and never eat fat or junk food again. I'd tried that method more times than I can count. The result of that plan was a return to old, bad habits by February. How many of us keep returning to old ideas and methods that never work, hoping that this time, they will succeed? For change to happen, you have to make changes in your life. The same-old, same-old just won't work.

At first, I kept my changes small. I started by planning. I researched the "hows" of losing weight and what seemed approachable. I thought long and hard about expectations and the self-defeating struggle to be a "perfect dieter." That meant lowering my expectations on how fast I would lose weight. I sought help from my Sweetie and medical experts to get me going. To work up to the change, I set a start date three months in advance. After I got on the path, to make connections with others who fought the same battle, I started this blog and my Yahoo group in July.

Amazingly enough, good things came of all the small steps. I wish you all the same kind of success 2008. You can fulfill those resolutions! Let me know if it's your time to change. I'm here to listen and cheer you on.