“New Year” Resolutions

The 1st September always seems to represent a second New Year for me. I suppose it is a throwback from school and college days. Anyway, although I’ve written before about the futility of attaching too much importance to start dates, nevertheless, I would be lying if I didn’t say I had a little frisson of…something this morning. The feeling of a page being turned.

So, I’m going to take this opportunity to set out an actual weight loss goal. I started this blog because I love writing and I love food and I love writing about food and I wanted an outlet for that. But it’s becoming more and more apparent that this could also be a wonderful weight loss tool if used properly – an added level of accountability.

In sixteen weeks, Christmas will be nearly upon us – and also my 30th birthday (a milestone I’m doing my best to forget). In sixteen weeks I would like to have lost 30 pounds. Yep, I’m starting a 30 for 30 campaign. I don’t propose to give myself any particular reward for reaching this goal, nor will there be a punishment for not reaching it, but it is a target to work towards.

I have all the tools I need to do this. I know the Weight Watchers plan inside out and back to front. I enjoy cooking (I need to remind myself of this sometimes; I genuinely enjoy it but I do find it easy to get sucked into a routine of takeaways and convenience food if I’m tired and low) and I have access to potentially thousands of recipes through the internet, magazines and cookery books. I am a member of a good gym with a pool and plenty of exercise classes. Yes, I have social commitments to look forward to, but there is no reason that a night out or a weekend away should mean total derailment. I have a blog where I can come to record success or to vent as needs be, and where I can keep a record of the kind of delicious food that I am able to eat and still see the scales drop. What reason is there to fail?

So happy “New Year” to all, and I hope all of us achieve some of our targets in the months ahead.

Edited to add: in a fit on enthusiasm I've created a 30 for 30 challenge ticker which is down at the bottom of the blog page.  Now all I have to do is make that pretty butterfly move!