What the Health Is Up With Journaling?

Day 2 of 2019 and you're in it now! Loads of challenges to join, gym memberships for only $1 a month and the latest tips and tricks have replaced the sugar plums dancing in all our heads.

This whole health and fitness thing can get super confusing, making it SUPER easy to just say screw it when you arrive at your first hiccup. Don't do that! You've done that before and I can tell you as a member of the used-to-be-a-big-girl club, it gets better!

Last year at this time, I had survived my first holidays while on an official life change when it came to food. I ate a little more than I had intended and was TERRIFIED at any moment all the hard work I had put in would start disappearing. Come to think of it I spent pretty much the entire time thinking I had slipped a fast one by my metabolism and it was only a matter of time before I gained it all back. FULL STOP.

I stepped on the scale Jan. 1 of 2019 weighing in at 173.2 pounds (I started in October 2018 weighing over 230 pounds) with a goal of 172 ... people I am maintaining! WOOHOO!

So I can now say I think I know some secrets about weight loss that are FREE and I want to share with you.

1) This is a life change, not a diet

2) Sometimes it sucks to say no to treating yourself, but after making a conscious effort to do so, it becomes easier and a bite could totally satisfy you as time goes on instead of eating 10 :)

3) You will make mistakes. It's what you do after the mistake that really counts. It took me a LONG time to stop carrying around all the extra weight of regret and negativity. This is a whole mind change that you HAVE TO acknowledge you are doing to yourself before you can fix it. Time will fix the strange habits we have developed.

4) Support, SUPPORT, SUPPORT! Going at it alone works for awhile, but if you don't have motivation and people to bounce the good AND the bad off of, you are REALLY missing out. I have a FREE support group you can join with a built-in nutritionist. No strings, just support through the good and the bad.

5) Track that ish ... seriously if you don't know what you are consuming in a given day how the heck are you going to adjust it? You can do this by downloading a fitness app (I love Lose It!, My Fitness Pal is great as well) This can get tricky when you are working with ounces ... I don't know if I ate 2 or 3 ounces of chicken, I don't have a food scale. So you guesstimate. Finding you aren't tracking every day? Pick one day or just the weekends. Find out where all these calories are coming from. Is it the coffee or the midnight snacks that are really holding you back?

6) DRINK YO WATER! Oh, my goodness, the benefits of drinking water are stupid good. Better digestion -- when you're hydrated, your entire body works better, even your skin can clear up. So drink a glass right when you wake up, before every meal. Find a cool water bottle or a favorite cup and down that beautiful agua!

7) Journaling -- just like tracking your food, it's a good idea to track your feelings. This life change can be tough. I remember crying in my salad. Or having to talk myself down after eating something I wished I wouldn't have. Let all those feelings out, your hopes and dreams. Specific goals, not just I want to lose weight. I can help with this part, I am currently offering a journal and pen for you to get started.

The first step is admitting you are not happy with how you've been eating. The second step is actually doing something about it. Ready?JOIN ME! :)