NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION DIETS

 

Happy New Year! Brace yourself for the onslaught of diet companies advertising how to lose weight and New Year’s Resolutions promising to do so.

 

Nutrisystems, Weight Watchers (WW), Slimfast, Atkins, Jenny Craig, Noom, Medifast and others will air commercials with personal testimonies.  Marie Osmond will show her before and after pictures. (She is gorgeous at all sizes!)

 

There will be sales and coupons for protein drinks and packaged weight loss products. Ever reminding us that we are overweight and need to shed pounds.  In 2024, the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reported that over 40% of US adults are now obese. Men and women are the same percentage.  So those food management companies have lots of potential customers! I am one of them.

Many New Year’s Resolutions include weight loss and getting healthy. In my teens through my early 30’s, I too vowed to stick to a diet starting January 1^st.  With my enthusiasm renewed, I followed the rules and the scale went down.

 

More often, I lost weight only to eventually gain it back and more! For me, it was a losing battle. I do feel like I have battled fat most of my life. Battled losing and maintaining. Yo-Yo. Finding clothes for what ever size I was that season was a chore.

 

On a lighter note, my husband claims the only food plan he can follow is the “Hoho and Mountain Dew” diet. He says he can stick with it but, unfortunately doesn’t lose weight. Lol

 

I don’t follow commercial or structured diets like counting calories anymore. I gave up in my 30’s realizing that they didn’t help me.  That being said, I know my health is at risk. My body and daily life are affected by my extra pounds: Knee and foot pain. (Had my hip replaced). Exhaustion. Pre-diabetes. Sleep apnea. High Cholesterol (which has come down to normal range since eating less fatty food).

I want to be healthier without Jenny Craig as my diet buddy! Lol

I support Body Positivity. Instead of judging by body or accepting others’ dislike for my rolls, folds, cellulite and curves, I stopped wishing them away.

I decided to celebrate myself instead of rigid dieting. I try to dress beautifully. I only wear or buy clothing that flatter my figure and makes me feel attractive. I am very low maintenance. My short hair cut is easy to tousle after a shower with a bit of styling gel. Mascara and lip gloss. A matching outfit and I am ready for life.

 

I haven’t totally figured out the diet thing but, I do watch what I eat. I stopped eating beef. Limiting carbohydrates helps me plus smaller portions. Writing my food down really helps when I remember to do it! I exercise as I am able. Walking hurts too much but, swimming & water aerobic classes are a blessing. I hired a fitness instructor to guide my work out with weights 3-4x’s a week.  I love being strong!  Strong is sexy to me.

I am down 10 lbs in 1 ½ years and that includes gaining muscle! Slow but, the right direction and I feel good about myself. I am obese and I feel attractive.

I need to lose weight to be healthy but ...

No More New Year’s Resolution Diets For Me!  Sorry Jenny.

My resolution is to buy a new slimming swim dress (bathing suit). :)

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? What diets have you tried?  Are you having health problems? Do you Yo-yo? I’d like to know.   

 

Cathy