New Year for You

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I went to my Weight Watchers meeting on Tuesday and it was great to be back (I'd missed my regular meetings because of Christmas and New Years days) and to see all the regular Tuesday meeting peeps.  It was also nice to see a lot of new faces in the crowd.  I've also seen a lot of people posting on blogs and twitter in the past few days about restarting Weight Watchers or starting a new healthy living program.  I've previously posted that I am going to be at my Weight Watchers center to celebrate One Amazing Day on Saturday.  All of these things have made me think about the things that helped me be successful with weight loss.  I thought since I was already thinking of them that I'd share them with you.

Make small changes:

• Set small, but achievable, goals.  If I'd have looked at the fact that I needed to lose 227 pounds when I started Weight Watchers I would have quit at the first sign of trouble because that's what I've done every other time!  Instead I focused on hitting losses in 10 pound increments.  It was hard enough to work at it but they came quickly enough so that I didn't get discouraged either.
• If you're new to working out I'd suggest starting that slowly too.  Begin walking 10 minutes or 20 minutes rather than trying to incorporate an hour.  When I started walking I started at 20 minutes on the treadmill and increased time or speed every few days.  This made it seem less daunting and more fun to see the improvement that I could go farther/faster.
• If you're new to tracking you can start by always tracking one meal - do that for a few days and then add in another meal or snack.  In a few weeks you'll be tracking everything like a pro!  Don't forget the good health guidelines - they will really help you feel full and satisfied all day long.  Perhaps the small change is to focus on getting in the good health guidelines for a few days before focusing on PointsPlus.  

Work toward progress and not perfection:

• I think it is important to focus on making healthy choices but don't let one unhealthy choice or meal derail all the hard work you've done.  Make healthier choices now than you would have before - instead of a second helping of something how about a glass of water with lemon first?  Then see if you're still really hungry for that second helping. 
• If you do make a choice that you feel is less than stellar don't let that completely derail until next week.  Get right back on track at the next meal.  That was the mentality I used over the holidays.  Before the party I calculated and tracked everything and got in some good activity, then I allowed myself to relax a little at the party but the minute we left I was back plan.

If you feel comfortable with it (I didn't at first) tell people what you're doing:

• Making any kind of changes like this are 100% easier when you have friends/family who are supporting you.  Whether it be helping to prepare meals or joining you when you decide to work out the encouragement and support you get will be amazing.  If you don't feel comfortable telling people around you (I didn't tell anyone at work for months and months - in fact I'd lost almost 75 pounds before anyone even realized!) then check out healthy living blogs for inspiration.  There is an incredible amount of support on Twitter for those of us trying to get/be healthy.

In other news for any local readers - I'll be at the Weight Watchers center on Saturday to celebrate ONE AMAZING DAY - a day long event with success stories, refreshments, prizes and more!  I've been asked (along with a few other amazing people) to share my success story!  If you're in the area feel free to stop in and see me and the new Weight Watchers center on Saturday, January 12 from 11 am until 2 pm. The center is located at 205 S. Randall Rd, Algonquin, IL. I hope to see you there!