As 2019 was coming to an end, I saw myself pushing over the 300 lbs. mark, and I realized that I needed to take advantage of the concept of a New Year Resolution. Normally my annual resolution is “Don’t die,” which has given me quite a bit of an undefeated streak. Weight loss is considerably more difficult than staying alive, so I was going to need a plan. I needed small, achievable, and measurable goals if I was going to succeed.

July: Vegetarian Meals and Scaling Back

This three-month period involved periods of vegetarian meal planning as well as periods of being alcohol-free because I felt that they would be good health choices to experiment with. Earlier in the summer, I found myself having a drink nearly every day because I was stuck at home in quarantine and not doing much else. The argument of “why not?” became easily validated.

Although I didn’t feel that I had a problem, I am well aware of my family history and didn’t want to jeopardize myself simply because I was bored on a regular basis. And so, I spent three weeks without consuming any alcohol in July. This became easier after the first week, but that first week was spent thinking a lot about it. Any time I saw ads on TV I felt myself wanting a drink, which was a scary observation. Once I hit week 2 it became easier, and by week 3 I had no issue avoiding it.

The final week of the month was a successful attempt of following a vegetarian eating plan. Due to these dramatic changes in my dietary patterns, I only counted calories one week out of the whole month. This gave me other means of binging instead of turning to the easy meat or drink options. As for exercise, I did yoga, running, and other forms of cardio every day. I also had two strength-building workouts planned for the middle of the month.

By the end of the month, I ended up gaining 1.4 lbs instead of losing 2 as I had planned. Although I got off track with my weight, I still felt I made important choices about my health. Although I could not presently see or feel those changes, I think these adjustments will pay off in the long run.

August: Resisting the Urge

This was the month that I went back to work, so I didn’t go as intense with the workouts or the dietary choices as I did in July. I counted calories 3 weeks out of the month, spent 2 weeks of the month booze-free—one of those weeks was while eating vegetarian. I was worried that starting back on the “prohibition period” would be just as difficult as it was the previous month, but it surprisingly came easier for me. I even played Dungeons and Dragons through a video chat with friends who were all drinking, and I wasn’t even tempted.

My workouts in August included yoga and any single cardio workout every week. Between workouts and counting calories, I ended up losing 2.8 lbs, which made me only 0.8 lbs behind on my goal for my weigh-in at the first of the next month. A lot of progress was made, and although I wasn't exactly where I wanted to be, I felt content with my progress.

September: Back to School Scare

September was tough…

This is when the school year was really on a roll and life was getting busy. The entire month I felt that I was falling behind. I spent one week of September without alcohol and the following week eating vegetarian. I spent the first week of the month not counting calories but did so for the remainder of September.

The goals I set for exercise were a little more than I could actually handle. Early in the month, I felt myself getting a little bit sick, specifically in my left lung. It was very similar to whatever ailment I had back in February (one that lasted all the way through mid-April)—mildly terrifying while teaching in-person during the Coronavirus pandemic.

For the majority of the month, I had 3 workouts planned for each week. I found myself able to squeeze in 2, but continually found myself getting behind on the third one to the point where by September 25, I was 3 workouts behind. I was fortunate enough to knock out 4 workouts that weekend and got myself nearly completely caught up. As of the writing of this post, I am currently 50% done with a back/biceps/shoulder workout which is the only one left on my list.

October 1st came and I had lost 2.6 pounds, and am now only 0.2 lbs behind my overall goal. I am definitely back on track and have found a pattern that works for me. The first week of the month I don’t count calories, but do so for the remainder of the month, breaking on weekends. This method, along with regular exercise seems to be a successful system for me, and will definitely be implemented in the fourth installment of my health goals for the year.