So it has been a while and no surprise, I gained it all back (and then some). The last few years have been tough physically and mentally and as an emotional eater, I often turn to food for comfort. But 2024 is a year to get back on track. I actually started in December but knew that I wouldn’t be able to sustain the plan through the holidays so I just tried to eat better and lost 10lbs. But now that the holidays are over, fresh start!
I know that to stay on track diet wise, I need to work on other areas of my health too. So my five pillars will be nutrition, sleep, movement, self care and productivity.
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Nutrition (my diet plan)
Going back to what worked for me in 2019. Just calories in calories out. My goal is 1700 calories daily which is 1.5lbs loss weekly. I aim for 1500ish on weekdays and 1800 on the weekend/hunger days.
My immediate goals are just less snacking or mindless eating. My actual meals were not the problem although I can certainly cut down the portion sizes, but I was mindlessly snacking on chocolate, chips or whatever and the entire package would be gone.
I also need to plan for better nutrition. I have been eating better for about a month but it shows I consistently miss goals for calcium and certain vitamins. Maybe a supplement to help but I want to find foods that meet my nutritional requirements. Plus getting a decent amount of water for hydration which I have been hitting pretty consistently with a decent water bottle* with measurements to remind me to drink.
I am a fussy eater. Partly due to my diet growing up (my family visited in the summer and I had forgotten just how limited our diets were as kids due to my parent’s food preferences) and some food texture issues. But I want to try a new food or recipe weekly.
Tracking is important too. I got a new kitchen scale* as my other one did not seem accurate and am using MyFitnessPal (free version, Canada can still scan bar codes etc thankfully)
Sleep
Part of a lot of the changes in my life came due to a change in both of our schedules at the start of covid. I was at home, he now works evenings and gets home late. So if we want to see each other during the week, it means cutting into sleep. I end up staying up late until he gets home, he watches TV etc to unwind but I can hear it in the bedroom which has further impacted my sleep. Then he comes to bed in the middle of the night and I am a light sleeper so it often wakes me.
I need to start getting at least 7 hours sleep and preferably 7.5-8 hours so I have energy to do other things. He has put in for the next day shift even if it means changing departments and losing some seniority and bought a new tv so he can use headphones at least some of the time (the bluetooth was broken on our old one but he also can’t wear headphones for long periods of time).
Movement
Back in 2019, I was consistently hitting 10k steps a day and found it really helped with both weight loss and general health but my current lifestyle is very sedentary. Most days I barely hit 1500 steps. I have been slowly increasing this but feel exhausted at 4000 so working my way up slowly.
Since Canadian winters are not exactly walking friendly all the time, I bought a second hand foldable treadmill* to walk on days when it is icy/snowy. We don’t really have the space for a full one but this one slides into a closet when not in use.
I want to try some different exercises and activities to find something I like doing rather than finding exercise a chore. Maybe a longer term plan for spring once I have lost some weight and it is nicer outside to go places. But I have been interested in trying a rebounder and watched some chair exercises that could be good.
Self Care
Depression has really messed with me. I used to go out a lot more, always made time for my skincare routine. I wouldn’t leave the house without makeup. That is no longer the case and I know that to make positive changes in my weight loss, I need to make changes in my lifestyle too.
I want to make sure I spend some time on me each day. Do my skin care routine, treat myself with a face mask or something. Spend some time reading or something else relaxing I enjoy. I think because I used to do a lot of these before bed, it is not just depression but also just our current schedule. But I want to plan to do these so I find the time.
I aim to hit 50 books in 2024, anyone interested in book reviews?
Productivity
It is embarrassing typing this but I have depression house. To the point I may just pay someone to come organise and clean it because it is bad. Not filthy but cluttered and I want to start making bite size attempts at it rather than setting aside a few days to clean but getting overwhelmed.
Again, part of this is schedule. I tend to be productive in the morning but he is still sleeping so I don’t want to bang around and make noise, then the weekend hits and we are catching up on everything else and just the basics like dishes etc get done.
I want to do a major declutter. While I wouldn’t say I am anywhere near hoarding but there is a lot of stuff we don’t need or use and it is just taking up space.
I am also on a no buy so not adding to the clutter. A few exceptions to this are a handful of books from my fave authors, repurchasing skincare as it runs out and earning $5 for every 10k steps to spend on fitness products or new clothing as I drop sizes as I know that baggy clothes can be a bit of a diet deterrent for me as I feel like my old weight in them.
So that is my plan for 2024
