Well a plan I hear you cry…or is that me crying I hear…

For some reason I have never liked following plans, I guess it is a man thing, it never fails to amaze me how easy IKEA furniture is to build if you use the plan, well ok that is a bad example, but you know what I mean

But last year I proved a) that plans work and that b) I can follow them. So I have decided that this year I need a new plan, there is nothing wrong with my old plan, its just that I’m a bit bored with it. The basics are the same (see my top ten tips), but I am going to do a bit of a digestive cleanse to start the year off, (we’ll nearly the start of the year) and I’ve finally decided I need to rejoin the gym. The continuing changing weather has forced a rethink on my current walking regime. It seems to rain 4 days out of 7 at the moment and it’s the middle of summer!!! I can’t wait for winter….not!!! This has meant I haven’t been able to get into my stride – literally. I must admit not really looking forward to the gym that much – it’s been a long time and gym culture doesn’t really inspire me.

Although going to the gym is a big change and challenge. The digestive cleanse is a really big thing, anyone who as subjected themselves to this style of self flagellation knows what I mean. The reason I am doing this is not necessarily to lose weight or even to help lose weight. I’m doing it to help clear up a few digestive issues I have myself and to also help me to get back into the discipline of changing bad habits and keeping them changed. After the cleanse I am going to start tweaking my diet to make sure I am getting the proper nutrition I need.

Of course being as my plan is as structured and well set out as an IKEA plan it should work just fine…..

But before even that, I would like say a big thank you to everyone out there who has followed this blog, put up with my tardiness in posting and left feedback over the last 12 months I have found them incredibly motivating and encouraging.

A special big thank you to spike!, sideliner, nellc and lovehandles for their prolific posts, gentle nudges and kicks up the bum – all of which I duly needed. Thanks guys I hope you keep it up this year!

I should be able to blog a bit more regularly now that the Christmas and New Year rush is over at work, although these days I always seem to be busy!

Last year my goal was to lose between 25-30 kilos, unfortunately I fell a bit short, although I had lost 23 kilos a couple of weeks before Christmas my Christmas excess meant I lost a total of 21 kilos for the year. Although I was initially disappointed with this I haven’t gained any more weight and have in fact lost a kilo since Christmas - maybe the 2 kilos was all alcohol

This is the first time in my life that I have lost this much weight and kept it off over such an extended time, several years ago while doing a protein style diet I lost a similar amount of weight in about half the time but put it all back on by the end of the year and then added to it the next. I think the main reason I am being so successful this time is my more realistic approach to weight loss.

I finally made the realisation that there is no magic bullet. It takes time, patience and a daily determination to change the bad habits that got me into this situation in the first place. So off into the New Year I go….now I just need a plan…..stayed tuned!