Did you know that some have labeled Friday as Quitting Day?
You probably didn’t get an alert on your phone and it isn’t exactly a holiday, so it didn't make the desk calendar or the planner you carry around but it does happen on the second Friday of the New Year.
It is recognized as the day you quit whatever New Year’s resolution you made.
Ouch!
But, big but, let’s be different this year. Let’s not quit our resolutions and follow through on them but maybe take a hard look at what was wanted and maybe take another path on whatever journey you have chosen for this year.
For most people, myself included, the resolution was to lose some weight in 2025 along with being a little more financially conscious and doing more travel.
Losing weight is the big one. And one that many people choose.
How you lose it matters and, more importantly, maintaining that weight loss is the greatest goal of all.
As that’s a journey I am, follow along if interested or not. It’s fine.
Still here?
OK, here’s some things you’ll need:
A scale
Some way to measure steps/activity ie Fitbit, Apple Watch, etc.
An app that allows you to record what you eat daily or just write it down in a notebook. There’s plenty of apps, some free, some paid, that will do meal tracking. If you have a Fitbit, it is already in the app.
A plan.
The plan part is the hardest and even the best plans need some help. One of the things that happens in weight loss is you get stuck. Nothing you do seems to work. You aren’t losing and it is as if your body is fighting back. It is!
Evolution means your body doesn’t want to lose that weight because our hunter-gatherer forebearers would store that fat as energy for when the hunting and gathering wasn’t successful.
So, your body interprets dieting as a time of scarcity, so it slows everything down to keep you going. This is where some modern science has come in and not a doctor so this is not medical advice but if you can afford it, and you’ve been stuck or worried about it, talk to your healthcare provider about the Ozempic, GLP-1, etc. class of drugs.
They seem to work for some – many – but there’s a pretty big sticker price and it isn’t likely to get your health insurance to cover it, if you don’t already have some pre-existing condition. Remember, though, the worst thing you’ll be told is no, and that’s not the end of the world.
The other thing that’s very helpful is to be realistic about your goals and here’s where some revision is in order.
There’s a bodyweight planner available here that’s easy to use and sets some realistic goals based on where you are now and where you want to be.
First, step on that scale, and note the number. Then do some math and instead of looking at a new number, resolve to lose 5 to 7 percent of that in 12 weeks. If starting in January, 12 weeks would be in the middle of March.
To keep the math simple, if the scale number was 200, then that would be 10 to 14 pounds of weight loss or a pound or less a week. Don’t be concerned so much about the end number but how you feel, how your clothes fit and when people notice your shape changing.
There’s also something incredibly satisfying about getting out your “skinny jeans” and discovering they’re now loose.
To get there, up your daily activity, exercise with weight three or so times a week and don’t eat as much. The body weight planner linked above will lay out daily calories in a manageable fashion, and if you’ve tried before and it didn’t work, make that appointment and see what the doc says. There’s also some online options in sites like Noom that are reputable and worth a look.
The other thing is figure out a way to make yourself accountable for what you’re doing. Get a workout buddy who gets you to the gym when you don’t really want to. Stock your shelves with healthier choices and do some meal planning and prep that works for your goals but also for your spouse and family. But don’t beat yourself up if you find some Trader Joe’s Jingle Jangle in the pantry and Hoover it up.
Tracking workouts along with steps and meals is another way to keep yourself accountable.
Share this post
Quitting Day nearly here
Share this post
Did you know that some have labeled Friday as Quitting Day?
You probably didn’t get an alert on your phone and it isn’t exactly a holiday, so it didn't make the desk calendar or the planner you carry around but it does happen on the second Friday of the New Year.
It is recognized as the day you quit whatever New Year’s resolution you made.
Ouch!
But, big but, let’s be different this year. Let’s not quit our resolutions and follow through on them but maybe take a hard look at what was wanted and maybe take another path on whatever journey you have chosen for this year.
For most people, myself included, the resolution was to lose some weight in 2025 along with being a little more financially conscious and doing more travel.
Losing weight is the big one. And one that many people choose.
How you lose it matters and, more importantly, maintaining that weight loss is the greatest goal of all.
As that’s a journey I am, follow along if interested or not. It’s fine.
Still here?
OK, here’s some things you’ll need:
A scale
Some way to measure steps/activity ie Fitbit, Apple Watch, etc.
An app that allows you to record what you eat daily or just write it down in a notebook. There’s plenty of apps, some free, some paid, that will do meal tracking. If you have a Fitbit, it is already in the app.
A plan.
The plan part is the hardest and even the best plans need some help. One of the things that happens in weight loss is you get stuck. Nothing you do seems to work. You aren’t losing and it is as if your body is fighting back. It is!
Evolution means your body doesn’t want to lose that weight because our hunter-gatherer forebearers would store that fat as energy for when the hunting and gathering wasn’t successful.
So, your body interprets dieting as a time of scarcity, so it slows everything down to keep you going. This is where some modern science has come in and not a doctor so this is not medical advice but if you can afford it, and you’ve been stuck or worried about it, talk to your healthcare provider about the Ozempic, GLP-1, etc. class of drugs.
They seem to work for some – many – but there’s a pretty big sticker price and it isn’t likely to get your health insurance to cover it, if you don’t already have some pre-existing condition. Remember, though, the worst thing you’ll be told is no, and that’s not the end of the world.
The other thing that’s very helpful is to be realistic about your goals and here’s where some revision is in order.
There’s a bodyweight planner available here that’s easy to use and sets some realistic goals based on where you are now and where you want to be.
First, step on that scale, and note the number. Then do some math and instead of looking at a new number, resolve to lose 5 to 7 percent of that in 12 weeks. If starting in January, 12 weeks would be in the middle of March.
To keep the math simple, if the scale number was 200, then that would be 10 to 14 pounds of weight loss or a pound or less a week. Don’t be concerned so much about the end number but how you feel, how your clothes fit and when people notice your shape changing.
There’s also something incredibly satisfying about getting out your “skinny jeans” and discovering they’re now loose.
To get there, up your daily activity, exercise with weight three or so times a week and don’t eat as much. The body weight planner linked above will lay out daily calories in a manageable fashion, and if you’ve tried before and it didn’t work, make that appointment and see what the doc says. There’s also some online options in sites like Noom that are reputable and worth a look.
The other thing is figure out a way to make yourself accountable for what you’re doing. Get a workout buddy who gets you to the gym when you don’t really want to. Stock your shelves with healthier choices and do some meal planning and prep that works for your goals but also for your spouse and family. But don’t beat yourself up if you find some Trader Joe’s Jingle Jangle in the pantry and Hoover it up.
Tracking workouts along with steps and meals is another way to keep yourself accountable.
You can also write about it.
Part 1 of a 12-part series.