New Year, New You…yeah right. I wish it were that simple.  We all have a sense of a new beginning on January 1.  Optimistic that we are going to make changes in health, finances  and maybe our homes and in turn those changes lead to a better life.   I saw a cartoon of two animals talking and one animal turns to the other and asks “What are New Years Resolutions” and the other animal replies “a to-do list for January”.  Real changes don’t happen with a laundry list of changes.  It has never made sense to me, but what does make sense is to choose the ONE thing in your life that you desire a different outcome. Take that one thing, make the appropriate changes and do it until it to the point you don’t remember not doing that ONE thing. That is lasting change.

For me, in 2006, I had decided I was tired of lugging around all of this weight.  I was wearing a size 22 sometimes a 24.  I had no energy and was sick and tired of being sick and tired.  I made an appointment with a bariatric doctor because I had decided to have “the surgery”.  Thankfully, my insurance required that I meet with a nutritionist six times before I could have any kind of surgery.   Those sessions were invaluable.  Obviously, when you reduce the size of your stomach, you have to adjust your portion size. I had a revelation—— my ONE thing I could change was portion control.  I didn’t need to do surgery to change the amount of food I put on my plate.  From that day on, I would only make decisions based on things that improved my health, not a health fad or diet of the month.  Portion control was something I could control.  One year my ONE thing was not eating the foods that made me ill.  Taking gluten and corn out of my life made a big difference.  My migraines went away.  Acid-reflux—goodbye.  

In 2008, I found Pilates.  It was a form of movement that I did not hate.  It was my ONE thing that I added to my life that year that had a positive effect physical and mentally.  I started feeling better, my knees didn’t bother me quite as much.  I started to have a greater sense of self.  Who knew that building one’s core strength effects the way you carry yourself thru life.  

Here we are at the beginning of 2019.  I’d love to say that all of the weight melted off and life has been grand as a size 6, but It hasn’t. I’ve stumbled and had to dust myself off and get back on the horse.  I am down to a size 16.  It’s been slow and arduous at times, but I want it to be lasting change.  I keep joking that I’m going to start a blog called “The Chronicles of the Slowest Loser”.  I don’t think the major networks will pick this up.

This year I am addressing heavy metal toxicity and formulating a plan.  I exercise and watch what I eat and it’s slow to come off but toxicity can be a roadblock to losing weight.  That’s my ONE thing for this year.  What’s your ONE thing?