How’s the healthier lifestyle going?  I hesitate to call it a “diet” or “weight loss journey” because it’s so much more than that for my family.

We’re still using the free app I told you about in January’s post, and progress has been made!  Remember, slow and steady is how you need to approach this if your desire is to lose unwanted pounds.  You didn’t put it all on in record time, so you won’t lose it with lightning speed either.  And if you do, chances are you will not keep it off in the long run.

My daughter is down 15 pounds, my husband is down 12 pounds, and I am down 11 pounds.  That is something to be proud of!  We committed, and we’re still plugging along.  We’ve had non scale victories as well.  For me, I like the fact that my once tight pants are now loose in the waist and other areas.  I like seeing my leaner self in the mirror and envisioning myself in that two piece bikini I’ll be wearing on the boat this Spring and Summer!

It takes about two months for something to become a habit.  I just read that recently – 66 days to be exact.   I have been diligent about tracking my food intake.  Is tracking everything that goes into your mouth fun?  No, but it holds you accountable with yourself.  Your body won’t lie either.  If you think you can skip tracking your food or tell a “white lie” that you had less than you did, the results will still show up on the scale.  That app is very handy in tracking!  I used the free version of iTrackBites, then I upgraded to the Pro version.  It was cheap, and it offers the restaurant guide and recipe builder, which I found worth it.

Exercise is key, also.  I have found that I love indoor cycling in Winter!   I have gotten to where 45-60 minutes is normal for me.  I vary the resistance during that time as well so the workout will be more challenging. It was hard at first to dedicate time to this.  Now, though I make a commitment to myself.  If I scheduled an appointment with someone, I would definitely do everything in my power to keep that appointment.   Therefore, I look at my exercise time as an appointment with myself, and I KEEP that appointment!  Cycling and weight training make me feel good!  I either put on some upbeat, heart pumping workout music or a thrilling movie … and away I go on that bike.

Have you stayed committed to your healthier lifestyle?  It’s a choice we have to make individually and often times daily!