Living Your Best Life One Calorie at a Time

The dreaded New Year's resolution has been something to which I have stopped committing. So many of us vie for weight loss, greater patience, finding the loves of our lives, etcetera, etcetera. Despite the fact that most of us by this point have completely forgotten what our original resolutions were, the New Year is a great time to reassess our life situation and make changes where needed.

One of the biggest changes many of us make in the New Year is to lose weight. This is a very personal issue for me, as I am currently over 100 pounds overweight. The past nine years have been a series of constant change in my life, and has brought about those extra pounds, so now I must reverse 9 years of damage to my body. It was so frustrating deciding where to begin this journey.

Like most of us, I barely tried other diet methods in hope for a quick fix, without realizing that a life change was in order. Thankfully, a year ago I discovered http://www.sparkpeople.com. This site has become my saving grace and has provided me with friendship, discipline and a society of friends who walk with me every calorie of the way.

I had no clue where to start in this life-changing journey, so I took a leap and tracked my food intake on their nutrition calculator. I was amazed. I realized my little cheats were adding up into major cheats that were destroying my body. I had no clue that I could be doubling the intake of food I needed in order to lose weight. I struggled for a year on trying to commit myself to the nutrition counter, and in this New Year, I decided a life change was in order.

Another issue I struggled with was working out consistently. Being married to a gym junkie, I was "forced" to get off my bum and to the gym, but I talked my way out of going as often as possible. However, with my new commitment to my life change, I realize that when I lose weight, I'll also lose muscle mass. In order for me to keep up with my husband I know I need to tone and get in shape while losing this weight. So now I'm heading to the gym 3 times a week for 1-2 hour shots each.

There are so many other things involved with making a healthy life change. Motivation is one of the biggest factors. I have joined several online support groups through Sparkpeople that have connected me with other people who enjoy the same hobbies as myself and know the daily struggles that are dealt. They have become my new friends in life, even if they're not down the street. I have also committed myself to reading articles on health and motivation to find out the latest technology and inspiration.

A New Year means a new regimen for many of us. Included in my weight loss life commitment, I have learned so many things about my body that I had never heard of before. Committing yourself to a healthy life change is something that will alter your life direction forever. It's not a once and done task, but something that will need to become a part of your life.

Up until this point in my life, I discredited healthy findings by staying in denial and blaming the weight on all of my life stresses that no one else dealt with. My support groups have helped me realize that everyone has trials and tribulations, and although those things contribute to what we've become, ultimately, we are still the ones in control of our lives.

Now I have learned to embrace vitamins, whole grains, exercise, the dreaded scale, and vegetables and fruits. It is amazing how much more energy, focus, drive and determination I have just by sticking to a plan and working it. So far I am down 6 pounds. Imagine what those other 94 will feel like when they are gone.

I encourage making your own health life change and sticking to your plans and goals. It is not a matter of weight, but a matter of being healthy so that we can live our best lives.