Although I keep falling off the wagon, my weight loss is doing better than I expected. Since starting this blog, I’m down 24 pounds. It’s a slow weight loss, but still, it’s loss, and that’s the right direction.

I’m getting back on track with the low carb diet. That’s much easier than getting back in the exercise habit. For this week, my goal is to exercise 15 minutes a day, at least five days a week.

And if I don’t, I’ll spend next Saturday cleaning instead of having fun. Yuck!

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Here’s how I’m doing….

I’m still doing pretty well with skipping seconds. I probably eat a second helping no more than once a week, if that. I’m really pleased about that.

I don’t head for junk food in the afternoons at work. I used to be in the habit of getting something from the vending machine, and I’ve stopped doing that. However, I’m still likely to munch on junk food in the evenings, even though I don’t do that as often as I used to.

I need to work on eating more fruits and vegetables, and on drinking more water, but I’m concentrating on the positive changes I have made! I believe focusing on what you have accomplished is important to staying motivated, so tell me what positive changes you’ve made in the comments.

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How did it go last week? I packed three days of five, so that’s not too bad, considering I usually pack 0 days! One thing I noticed was that on the days I packed, I really missed getting out of the office, so I need to work on that. I think if I can find some way to get out of the office for a while AND pack, then I’ll be in good shape.

For this week, let’s try drinking our water. A while back, we substituted water for a sugary drink, but this time, let’s try to drink several glasses of water a day. Different sites suggest different amounts, but I believe in moderation! There’s no need to drink lots and lots of water, just sip on it instead of whatever you usually drink during the day.

Substituting water for the soda, juice, coffee or tea you usually drink will help you cut calories this week. Also, water is good for your skin and hair, so drink up!

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You’ve probably heard it over and over, but packing your lunch can help you save calories. I know my typical bought lunch is a hamburger, fried chicken bites, or hotdog. I may have some fruit or yogurt, but I may also have some fries. Not great.

Leftovers are a good choice, but not always available or convenient. I try to keep a microwave container of soup in my office for lunch “emergencies.” It’s healthy, and if I grab something like fruit or a small salad, it makes a healthy lunch. Frozen dinners are also a good choice. Okay, they have too much sodium and preservatives, but they beat the heck out of a burger and fries.

If you must eat out, then try to limit yourself to healthier choices when you can. Subs, grilled chicken, roast beef can all be good choices. Just watch out for the cheese and sauces, which can add lots and lots of calories.

So, let’s try packing lunch Monday through Friday, or whatever your work week is.

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Sorry this is late in getting posted. We’ve been fighting off the flu here, so this has not been a good week!

And keeping flu season in mind, let’s do a different kind of habit this week. Do something nice for yourself every day, but be sure it’s not a food reward.

My thinking behind this is that I believe that people who struggle with their weight often aren’t very nice to themselves, in general. How many times have you beaten yourself up over eating something you shouldn’t? Do you postpone buying yourself clothes or other things you need until you lose weight? Do you fail to get your hair done, your nails, etc. because you’re overweight and don’t think you can look good?

Believe me, that’s an attitude you’ll have to lose if you’re going to eventually take off the weight.

You need to like yourself right now, for who you are, right now. That’s what this habit is about. Do something every day that’s nice for you. Get a haircut, but a new sweater, take a few minutes a read a book that you’ve been wanting to finish. It doesn’t matter what it is, just be sure it’s something you’ll enjoy.

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For this week, let’s avoid the morning drive-thrus for breakfast. It’s way too easy to pick up a biscuit and hashbrowns every morning, and way too many calories. Instead, grab a bite at home or take something along to eat once you get to work.
In case you’re wondering how bad it can be, check out some of these calorie counts.

• a sausage mcgriddle sandwich at McDonald’s: 400 calories. (No, that does not include egg and cheese)
• One McDonald’s hash brown: 150 calories
• Burger King enormous omelet sandwich: 740 calories. (Sure glad I didn’t have one of those last week. That’s a whole weeks’ worth of guilt right there!)
• Burger King large hash rounds: 390 calories
• Hardee’s loaded omelet biscuit: 640 calories
• Hardee’s hot ham and cheese: 420 calories

I tend to make one or two fast food stops a week for breakfast, so that’s an obvious place to cut out some calories. Let’s try it for a week, shall we?

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So, we’ve cut out second helpings, reduced our sugared drinks and number of sweet treats. For this week, let’s concentrate on junk food. For me, that usually means salty snacks. Let’s try to cut them out (or at least, eat less of them) for this week.

And how have you done with the habits we’ve tried out so far? Here’s mine…

• Second helpings: I’ve done very well with this one. I rarely now eat second helpings, maybe once a week, if that. This is one habit that I’m particularly proud of developing.
• Sugared drinks: I’ve replaced my sugared tea at lunch with diet tea or milk. This one was a bit tougher, but I’ve managed to do it most work days. On the weekends, I sometimes still indulge in sugared soda.
• I can’t honestly say I reduced the number of sweets I eat by much. This one is particularly difficult for me, but it’s a habit I’ll have to try again.

Post your updates and let everyone know how your new habits are coming along.

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For this week, let’s tackle something that may be a bit harder. Let’s reduce the amount of sweets we eat during the day. I, for one, eat way too many treats, so this is a perfect goal for me.

I’m not suggesting that you have to give up sweets entirely, but do cut down. Let’s say you have a donut or danish for breakfast; let that be all the sweets you eat today. Likewise, if you have cookies after lunch or dessert after dinner, choose only one per day and cut the others out. I know that this one may be difficult for me; I’m pretty attached to my afternoon chocolate!

Let’s do our best and see how we do for this habit. I’m betting that I feel better not eating so much sugar throughout the day.

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Yes, this is a few days late, so I’ll probably continue it on through the next week as well. Sorry about that — I was down with the flu and got pretty much nothing accomplished.

For the rest of this week and the next, let’s replace one sugared drink a day with water, or if you just can’t handle water, something no- or low-calorie. I know I drink at least one bottle of sweet tea a day, and an occasional soda. I estimate I can save almost 200 calories a day by switching one of those to a diet tea instead. Anyone want to try this one with me?

Which brings me to our other habits. I have to admit I didn’t do so well on the healthy snacks attempt. I found myself reaching for sweets way too much over my holiday break. I’m still avoiding second helpings around 90 percent of the time, if not more, so that’s something to be pleased about. How is everyone else doing?

Which brings me to something I’ve been thinking about, with the weekly habits and small changes that I’ve been working on. I think very often it’s perfectionism, and an all-or-nothing attitude, that sabotages my efforts at weight loss. I see myself getting discouraged because I didn’t do everything I wanted to, when I should be celebrating all the things I did manage to do.

So, here’s my challenge to you. Forget about the things that you didn’t do so well with and pat yourself on the back for what you are doing to improve your health and take off the weight. Maybe that should be a weekly habit of its own?

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I’m not saying that these don’t work. It’s probably just the opposite, really. I bet most of them work, if you stick to it. But that’s the kicker, isn’t it? You know if you lift weights, job, bike, or completely change your eating habits you’ll lose weight and get fit. It’ll be your dream come true, right?

Sure, I know that too, but the problem is, it’s easier said than done. I know that I should snack on raw veggies, but chocolate TASTES better. I know that I should be walking on the treadmill, but what I want to do is kick back and relax. I bet you’re the same. Most people are. We want to do what’s fun, and dieting and exercise just aren’t.

Of course, I’d also like to be able to shop without getting depressed. I’d like to go to the doctor without being reminded that I need to lose weight. Most of all, I’d like to feel that I’m getting healthier day by day, not the opposite.

The million dollar question is… how? How can I, or you, resolve the desire to have fun and do what you want with the desire to be healthy and look good?

What I’m going to do is take small steps (baby steps, if you like) to achieving that. I know from experience that I won’t (I won’t say can’t) stick with a complete diet change, but I can make small changes that don’t make me feel deprived. I also know that I won’t stick with an exercise regimen that drastically alters my schedule, or that leaves me exhausted and in pain, but I can make small changes to my schedule that put more activity in my day.

So…that’s my plan.

• Small diet changes in the form of weekly habits.
• Small increases in activity that will gradually get me more active.

Do I plan on losing pounds and pounds in no time flat? No, I don’t. I don’t have any illusions that the weight will come off quickly, but this time next month, or next year, I DO plan on being lighter and healthier than I am now.

If you’re interested in doing the same, post a comment to let everyone know you’re reading.

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