“If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan but never the goal.”

What? It’s called balance, lol…

I’ve recently started a new health journey for the like the thousandth time, but I’m going at it a little differently than in the past. Fitness has never been an issue; in fact, I crave sweat inducing exercise daily. The problem is my lack of willpower with sticking to a healthy diet. I’d always start off great, then a single event would completely derail my efforts. I would be pissed with myself and just give up completely.

Now that I’m deep into my 40’s, it’s getting difficult to maintain a healthy weight with just exercise alone.  I’m learning that although exercise is necessary for good heart health, too much can negatively impact your weight. For us ladies that are entering perimenopause, the stress from high impact exercises can increase insulin production which directly affects our midsection. My belly has been the bane of my existence for way too long and now exercise won’t help me- ugh!

Which leads me to this health journey. My diet wasn’t horrible, but I was consuming food that didn’t agree with my body.  Despite exercising, I was feeling bloated and sluggish all the time. So, I started a simple food journal, just jotting down what I ate and how I felt at the end of the day. Then foods were eliminated/ added until I found the culprits, and unfortunately it was everything I love- coffee, cheese, heavy creams, peanut butter, lemonade and flour tortillas (lol). Literally all the most delicious foods! Ok putting this out there- coffee will forever be a staple in my diet, but with modifications. 

Journaling also taught me that I need to continue tracking what I eat in order to stay successful. Accountability is a must because in no way am I strong enough to make good choices on my own. I started counting macros which is probably the smartest way to inventory consumption, but it was too complex for me. I did learn though that my protein intake was way low for my activity level and that I need to curb my fats.  

Next stop, Weight Watchers. I’ve been using their app for about a month now and successfully lost 7lbs so far. Gotta admit, I’m a little disappointed by the pounds lost, but my clothes fit nice and I feel amazing 😊. The program has helped me eliminate most trouble foods, except coffee, and honestly I don’t even crave them- well at least for now. I’m not sure how long I’ll last on WW, because in true Gemini form, I will get bored and look for something new. But we’ll see.

BTW, I’m a pretty private person and normally would not share my quests of self-development. I don’t like the attention either positive or negative feedback quite honestly. But as I’m getting older, I realize everyone has their own insecurities and my hope is by being open with mine it would help motivate others to make positive changes as well. 

Disclaimer: The intent of this post is not to promote any weight loss programs. Not sure if I need to mention this or not.