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.

What adjustments have you made throughout this year to your original health goals?
Stay tuned to see if I successfully lose my 20 in 2020.

© Whatismyhealth

Special thanks to our resources:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Special thanks to our resources:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019