[ImALittleTeapot]

Last night my husband and I were sitting on the couch watching a movie before midnight, and he asked me, "Did you make a New Year's resolution?" I replied, "No, because I never stick to them." I know myself enough not to lie.

But the truth is I want to be healthy and active again for my own happiness and my family's sake. I've yo yo dieted and exercised my whole life. Looking back, the years when I was happiest as an adult were the years I weighed a healthy weight or within 10-15 pounds of a healthy weight. So why do I screw up, slack off and gain it all back over and over again?

On New Year's 2010, 4 years ago I made a resolution, and was doing great all that year, even getting back down into the high 150's after our third child was born. Then, over the next year my motivation to exercise regularly waned and I was back to emotional eating again. The one good thing is that I have been able to have 'mini spurts' of activity that has kept my weight about the same the last year and a half. But I haven't been able to follow through long enough to actually lose anything.

I want to lose 30 pounds and it would be great to lose 40/45, but my metabolism is so low that I know it would realistically take half a year to even lose the first 20. It just doesn't come off as easy as when I was young. This is discouraging, mainly because I'm so hungry when losing weight. I do enjoy walking. My dog appreciates when I take her for regular walks. It's the being hungry and not being able to eat like my husband and kids do that irritates me.

Anyway, I'm hoping to get to know you!

[Mrs Snark]

Welcome! When I read your story I see so many similarities with my own, as I am a 46 year old yo yo dieter. I can definitely relate to the ongoing struggle! I'm glad you are joining us, look forward to getting to know you!

[ImALittleTeapot]

Thank you Mrs. Snark!

I peeked at your blog, love it! It makes the weight loss journey look like fun rather than hellish tedium.
I just got done with 50 minutes of dancing around my living room to my kids' Wii, and when I'm hungry this afternoon I'm going for celery with a wee bit of peanut butter.

Baby steps...

[newleaf123]

Hi, teaPot -- welcome! I wish I had the answer to why our motivation wanes, even when we know we are happier when we are fit and active... I have the same tendency...

I think it was sum38 who recently introduced me to this Zig Ziglar quote, which I find so apt:

“People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.” I take this as a reminder that every day we have to just keep chipping away; there's no magic here...

I hope you had a great day today!

[ImALittleTeapot]

Thank you NewLeaf!

I did fairly okay today.

I did 45 minutes of a dance video (some of it was zumba style, my favorite!)

small bowl of Crispix cereal and cut up banana for breakfast

chicken breast sandwich for lunch (the only problem is that it was on a "regular" bun. I need to buy more whole-wheat sandwich thins when I get to the store next.) And about a tablespoon of mayo (I can't stand the taste of dry chicken sandwiches.) And a little Clementine orange.

I did unfortunately nibble on the potato chips left over from my daughter's birthday sleepover. And five small animal cracker cookies with my cup of tea, for an afternoon snack.

Because of the white bread bun and mayo (I will pre-plan healthier sandwiches this week) I need to go light on dinner. I'm not hungry yet, but when I AM hungry, I am going to try to find something small with protein in it. I don't have any meat thawed out, and I'm out of eggs! My kids want me to make waffles (with syrup) for dinner. (we do that a lot. I know. )

As of this moment, I really don't feel like eating waffles with syrup. But when I'm making them, I hope I don't start craving them or tempted to have tastes.

That's the problem. I have 3 kids including teenagers and a husband who needs the calories because he's a (trim and fit) contractor working out in the cold!

Ive decided to do the 'one step at a time' approach. This week and all of January is my goal of regular exercise again. After I've done that, then I will work on buying more vegetables (fruit is no problem, the whole family likes fruit!) and laying off the white bread and packaged crackers.

[MarleneV]

Right or wrong, I buy what I like and can eat... So lots of veggies, fruit, and animal crackers (the ones I buy are 60 calories for 8, and that is plenty for me), cheese sticks & protein bars. I don't buy chips, cookies or cake. If my husband or teenagers want those, they have to buy those themselves, and know to put it in the one cabinet that I've designated for their junk food. They are free to eat any of the healthy stuff I buy and put out, and they know they better not get into the one cabinet that I've designated as "my" food, which is where I keep my MRC drinks, bars, and my AmberLyn sugar-free dark chocolate (I eat maybe 2 pieces a week, but I'll kill anyone else who touches it. The problem is that they eat it and don't bother to tell me that it is gone...).

I will make them something other than what I will eat, and I eat what I like (on my plan). That is happening less now though, because my husband decided to lose some weight too, and he's been eating what I eat for dinner.

Anyway, my points are that it gets easier, and if you buy what you are "allowed", they will get used to it, and be eating healthier too.

[Leeh]

We also have a snack cupboard and I have only been buying snacks that do nothing for me.- nacho chips, pretzels mainly. My kids and husband like them but I won't touch them. I am a potato chip person so I can't have them in the house at the moment.

[mezmerelda]

Welcome! I'm a yo yo dieter too, and I gave up resolutions for Lent years and years ago. :-)

I'm not sure how those of you with kids do it. I have enough problems with just me and the DH...

[Mrs Snark]

My husband has a personal snack cabinet and I do NOT look in there. That helps me alot. I can't stand seeing bags of snacks and chips on a constant basis, so this works for us.

[ImALittleTeapot]

It's going along well. No I didn't have the waffles. I had a can of veggie soup and celery w/peanut butter, small glass of 1 percent milk. I'm sure that I stayed under 1600 cals.

Today my ENERGY is so much better! I started cleaning my kitchen and getting rid of papers and junk mail that had piled up, made scans of my son's paintings and school artwork on the computer before secretly throwing them away.

And I'm going to go grocery shopping today and be mindful of HEALTHY foods my family likes. I will buy just a few of their snacky things like those nasty Cheez-it crackers that I don't like, my General Mills International Coffee (it helps curb my afternoon hunger and is a chocolate fix) and tell my husband to please put his "mountain trail mix" in his work van and out of my sight!