The Last Day of the Year

Time for New Year's Resolutions:
I actually started my New Year's resolution July 1, got off track and am re-starting it on January 1. Yes, it is the perennial "lose weight". I have a specific goal of losing 25 lbs. by July 1. To this end, I have my support folks at hand: Weight Watchers at work (I'm retired but like to be in a group where I know people) and my friends Karen and Julie. I had been doing a "check-in" e-mail to Karen and Julie but have decided to give the blog a try.

Being 64 years old and having been overweight since puberty, losing weight is a struggle. I have done it a couple of times which, we are told, is bad for your health, but I want some simple things now:

1. to have less pain (osteoarthritis),
   
2. to be able to fit comfortably in an airline seat (I'm going to Scotland in September),
   
3. to have more energy,
4. get off blood pressure medication,
5. be able to ride my bike more,
6. never, ever to wear stretch knits again!
7. say good-bye to the spare tire,
8. be able to bend over without looking like I am going to die trying,
9. to wear the one-size-fits-all clothes,
10. to face the fears that keep me from succeeding,
11. to dance!

My most immediate challenges are to learn how to pace myself vis-a-vis exercise and to maintain motivation. When I feel good and the sun is shining, I tend to overdo and pay for it in pain for the next week. And motivation fails mostly because I see this as a diet rather than as a change in my eating habits and I long to eat "normally," meaning, how I eat when I am in the weight-gaining mode.

Tonight, Jim and I are going to First Night so that will count as my exercise for the day. I'm going to make meat pies this afternoon and probably give most of them to Ali. I already have a good WW recipe planned for tomorrow's dinner. You, On A Diet suggests keeping one or two meals the same. I have settled on steel-cut oats and dried fruit for my breakfast and have that habit established. I like it and it is good for my cholesterol too! Karen gave me a Subway card, so I am going to do Subway for lunches. We'll see how that goes. Other than that I intend to get up and move every day--what I do will vary.