Progressing

This year I decided to take on two personal projects that I've successfully kept secret since January. One is nearing the finish line, so I'm ready to share that one: lose 30 pounds by summer. So far I've lost 22 pounds, primarily by making better food choices, not snacking, and exercising more often. 8 more pounds to go and I'll nail that one. I'm going to keep up with my diet and exercise changes for the rest of the year and see how much more I can trim down; I need to lose 50 pounds altogether to be at my healthiest weight (but losing 30 will be just fine with me.)

It's harder for me to lose weight now that I'm older. I've become more sedentary, I tire more easily and I've been making too many food bargains with myself. Since I can't have sugar, and I've trained myself to abstain entirely now, my body always craves fatty things. For example, I love cheese and crackers, and would tell myself I was being healthy by eating them instead of a piece of cake or some cookies. Which as any nutritionist can tell you is just not true. Giving up fat-laden snacks and switching to raw veggies or fruit was really hard, but I did it. Part of my goal was also to stop snacking between meals, and get those extra calories out of my daily diet, and I've managed that for the most part. Now when I want something to snack on I usually drink a big glass of water, tea or juice . . . but I still give the cracker box a wistful look. So while I'm confident I'll lose the last 8 pounds, I still need to work on my food attitudes.

There are some downsides with every success. I'm currently a size right in between the big girl clothes and skinny girl clothes in my wardrobe, so I have only a couple of outfits that actually fit me right now. Like all dieters in progress I don't want to buy any new clothes until my weight is where I want it. My guy liked to take me out to eat once a week, which was a nice break for me, but restaurant food is not on my plan. Diets are really boring, too; sometimes I think if I see another skinless chicken breast or spinach salad I think I'll take a sledge hammer to them. But all this goes with the territory, and when I weigh myself on Fridays and see that I've shed another pound or two, it still seems worth it.

The other thing I decided to do is something I'll keep under wraps until the end of the year (unless someone else blows the whistle on me), and that's been a lot of fun. With this project I've been able to step out of my comfort zone and try some new things. I've also acquired a new space in my creative life where I can retreat to and just be myself without any fanfare or expectations. I didn't realize how much I needed that until I gave this a whirl.

What progress have you made on any goals or projects you planned for 2016? Let us know in comments.