I lost twenty pounds pretty quickly in 2008 and I began this year with the resolution to lose thirty more pounds. When I began my blog this August, I had reached twenty of that thirty and I decided to increase my goal and lose another twenty instead of just ten more.
I love to eat, cook and bake and I'm happy to report that my goal and love has gotten along very well. Heh, I would venture to say they are best friends because how could one live happily and have the will to pursue goals without satisfying one's passion?
Just counting back from August, I've enjoyed Iberico Pork, Bacon Apple Pie, BBQ Ribs, Oxtail Stew, Dodger Dogs, Roast Pig, Turducken, countless Korean BBQ nights & ramen/pho runs, guilt-free eating in Hong Kong & Tokyo and of course, lobster! I don't feel like I'm on a diet at all. I exercise four to five times a week at Core Performance to build strength, muscle and metabolism and I love going there. Heck, I look forward to going there and I'm the girl who used to look for 1000 excuses to get out of gym class. I eat pretty sensibly and frequently and in small portions without even having to think about it anymore. I guess that's what all those nutritionists / diet experts mean when they say it has to become your lifestyle.
It hasn't been easy, but as of today, I've reached my original goal of losing thirty pounds this year and I've also learned that losing fat isn't the only thing that's important. Gaining muscle and losing actual inches are just as important, if not more, in gauging your progress. Since joining Core Performance, I've gained muscle, lost inches on my waist, thigh, and back and toned my body overall. I just took five dresses to be taken in yesterday and these dresses were all bought only six to eight months ago!
I guess what I'm trying to say is if you love food and cooking as much as I do and you're trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, my two cents is that it can be done without sacrificing your taste buds. A healthy attitude, realistic goals, determination and portioning your food into frequent meals are keys to success. Don't stress out too much and just take it one day at a time. The first ten to twenty will be the easiest and the last stretch will be the hardest but don't give up. And it's really important to find an exercise routine or sport that makes you look forward to doing it. If you're dreading it and always thinking of excuses to not do it then you need to look for a different physical activity. Of course, I'm not a doctor or nutritionist but I'm just speaking from experience.
So, resolutions for 2010? In no particular order...
1) Continue toning and gaining some muscle and losing ten more pounds.
2) Eat good food! Cook good food! Share good food!
3) Learn new things. Perhaps a culinary course is in my near future but I'm also being pulled by my interest in learning French. I want to go to Paris this year and I'd like to be able to at least order a proper meal in French.
4) Be happy. Have fun. Laugh. Bring others laughter.
5) More kayaking, hiking, dancing and hopefully, dragon-boating.
5) Get a reservation at El Bulli. Yes, not easy but I'll try anyway. I won't give up trying. I think my odds in getting a reservation is waaaaay better than winning the lottery.
6) Oh, and blog more often :)
Happy New Year everyone!!
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