My Weight Loss Journey Continues Update for January

 

What I learned from the first month of my weight loss journey,

I have come to the end of my first month on my weight loss journey. While I didn’t lose as much weight this first month as I had hoped for I still did lose some weight. My biggest accomplishment was really paying attention to how I felt and why I wanted to eat. There were so many times I found myself in the kitchen opening cupboard doors on autopilot. It was just something I always did so I was doing it again, but only this time I was aware and was able to really ask myself if I was hungry or just bored or in need of something else.

It is amazing to me how many times I would just go and look in the cupboards each day. Searching for something but not really knowing what I was looking for. I think over the last few years how many times I have done little act without even realizing I was doing it. I wonder how many times out of habit I have eaten something. How many unnecessary calories I have consumed. Now I wonder what other things do I do just out of habit?

As I observed myself quite a few times I decided I wasn’t really hungry and walked away even though I felt this pull to return and look again. To search again for something in that cupboard even though I wasn’t hungry at least not for food at that time. It is funny how you can have such a strong habit like that.

After all the observing and thinking and reacting when needed I realized that if I could only break the bad habit of just eating when I am not hungry I could really make some progress with my weight loss. Weight loss that could be permanent. But I also know just stopping a bad habit is not what I need to do, but to replace it with another habit. So when I am longing for food but I am not hungry I will have some other activity to resort to. Replacing the undesirable habit with a new desirable one.

My new fitness items for this month,

The action I decided on was one of first assessing if I am really hungry. If the answer is yes then I will pursue something to eat. If the answer is no then I will stop and ask myself, Why do I really want to eat when I am not hungry? Do I really want to add extra calories to my body when I don’t need to? What am I really in need of at this moment? I am hoping by asking myself these simple little questions and making a new habit of it I can break the cycle of mindless eating.

This small change in thinking will be my first fitness item to add for the month of February. My second change will be to add in more exercise each day. I will be increasing my jumping jacks and push ups from 5 a day to 10 a day. While this might seem really small to some of you who exercise on a regular basis it is something I know I can stick with everyday for the next month. I am making small changes in hopes of making them a permanent habit over the long haul.

Why I am starting small with my exercising,

I know myself all too well. I could get really excited about a grand new exercise routine, schedule it in for 5 days a week at 30-40 minutes a day. Then when my first really busy day hits and the exercise falls by the wayside I will be undone. That will only give me an excuse not to do it at all because I missed a day or a few days of exercising. By keeping my exercise small at the beginning and building it up I know I can find enough time to do 10 jumping jack and 10 push ups, even on a busy day. I can add in more exercise  any day that I have the time and I feel like it. I know it is just a mind game, sort of thing I am playing with myself but I have to tell you it has worked so far.

 

Now that I have rambled on for so long here is what progress I made this month,

• Goal: 40 pounds of weight loss
• Loss for the month of January 2 pounds
• Pounds left to lose to reach my goal 38 pounds

 

Even a small amount of progress is better than staying the same or going backwards. I am two pounds closer to my goal and on my way to making some lasting changes.

How is your weight loss journey coming along? Did you have some success this past month? What changes do you have planned for this month? I would love to have you share with me in the comments and if you have a blog post please leave the link too. Let’s support one another in our efforts to become healthier.

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