Hey Everyone!
So here it is January 2012, the beginning of a year when many people vow to make new changes to their lives, "new year, new start" they say and then by February most of those people are allowing gym memberships to collect dust or back to smoking 20 cigarettes a day. Excuse me for being cynical but from my own experience I have seen how people start out with good intentions but then give up, most notably on 1st January 2005 my friends and I went to Bluewater and at the food court the queue outside the jacket potato stand was massive, so we went to the KFC stand which had no customers, we were hungover and not really concerned with healthy choices!
This year however, I have decided to make a change but please don't get me wrong it has very little to do with the date on the calendar. My sister is getting married and I have been asked to be Maid of Honour, I am so chuffed and excited but I have one issue: I don't want to look through my sister's wedding photos and think, "Oh dear, I look really big!" I've never been one to be so self conscious about my weight and size but it's hit me lately that actually I really do need to slim down and not just for vanity reasons! I have to do this for my health as well. It just so happens that this realisation has come round this time of year!
Here's a before photo, hopefully will post an after picture of me in a bridesmaid dress!
So, what's my plan? Here's a few things I'm going to change and hopefully stick to.
1. I'm an online member of Slimming World, the way my lifestyle is doesn't allow me to commit to meetings as I work different hours when on placement, when I'm at university my lectures can be whenever and I have to travel an hour there and an hour back, that and when I have free time I go to Reading quite often to see the boyfriend.
2. Being a member of slimming world I'll be sticking to a diet of lean proteins, complex carbs and lots of fruit and vegetables and aiming for 90 minutes of exercise per week to begin with then building up to 150 minutes per week.
3. If it's in a wrapper I won't eat it and no booze for a while! Anyone who knows me knows that I like a drink or two, or many so on nights out this may be a challenge (my birthday is coming up this month too!)
4. I'll carry on with my karate lessons, it's great exercise and helps build on my balance and flexibility. It's also a lot of fun!
5. I discovered a running programme called Couch to 5k that is aimed at getting people who never run into running 5k without stopping by building them slowly into it. I got a pair of running trainers for Xmas so I will make good use of them. Check out this website for more details
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k-plan.aspx
Anyway I hope you've had a great new year! Just remember: you don't have to wait until New Year before making a change in your life, if there's something you want to change go ahead and change it!
Lindsay x
