Like many people I know I have struggled with motivation for months. Mainly I think because a return to pre-pandemic life seems almost as far away as ever. Yes, the vaccines are being rolled out. But we have to be realistic that a large proportion of the population of any country need to be vaccinated before we can declare victory of any kind. I’ve lacked motivation for pretty much everything that goes into this blog. A varied, healthy diet, exercise and fitness as well as writing about them.
Over the holiday period I wondered about closing down the blog and giving in. But the reality is that the reasons I started the blog still stand. I do want to eat good and healthy food, to exercise and feel good and I really want to lose weight. The chance of me getting the surgery I need may have receded. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t want to fit into my smaller clothes or not be out of breath when climbing the hill from shopping.
So, I’m relaunching. The blog, the meme and my commitment to meeting my goals. In some ways I feel I might be made doing this, because I am about to embark on a new work project which I have to leave home for. But on the other hand I feel more motivated than I have for several months and I am keen to harness this. So these are my goals for the next few months.
Blog
To maintain the For the Health of it meme, with monthly prompts. I plan to revamp the prompt page and set out prompts in advance. I will also be trying to encourage fellow bloggers to join in. Much more than I have to date.
I also plan to journal at least weekly – my weigh in is Friday – and more if I can. Plus write much more about some of the principles of my own fitness – The food I eat and when, the exercise I take and other aspects of my life that need adjustment. Next there is my breast cancer diary that still needs to be moved across. Then to find resources to share – books, videos, articles and websites.
My own weight loss journey
I hate to admit it but today I am back at square one. Every pound I lost last year was back in place after Christmas. I managed to lose a couple of pounds up to today, but this isn’t what I want. My clothes aren’t comfortable and I feel fat and bloated.
Last night I used my intermittent fasting app for the first time since April last year. It isn’t that I don’t fast, it’s just I rarely make it to 16 hours. It worked before and I am sure it can work again. Getting to 16 hours today made me feel good emotionally.
I am following Slimming World again but wan’t to do this without processed food and sweetners. I also want to keep carbohydrates to a minimum. In slimming world terms that means SP, or speed and protein.
Exercise
The pools are closed so I can’t swim. Goodness knows when they will be open again. So, I’ll need to find other ways to exercise. More walks and also some indoor stuff. I need to explore this a bit more and will update when I do. I have my Fitbit so maybe more steps a day / week will be a start.
Food
I’m always trying new recipes, and hate having the same dishes week in week out. Time to share more here!
So these are my immediate goals. I just need to stick to them.
