New Year, Old Resolutions

Can you believe another new year is upon us? Just take a whiff of that new year smell... *sniff*... smells like dreams mixed with fear, peppered with possibilities. Or maybe that's Obsession for Men? I don't know what it is exactly but something's brewing!

New Year, Old Resolutions...

I'm in this weird place where last years resolutions didn't fizzle out 1, 2 or 5 months down the line. I made a very important decision to put my health first last year and ya know what? I did it. I prioritized every thing from work to family around my fitness and healthy lifestyle. So there is this sense of accomplishment after having lost 60 ish pounds last year but now there's also this sense of "you mean I got to keep going?" I don't get to enjoy that first-few-months-on-a-new-weight-loss-program high that every other newbie gets in January. At this point, it's old habit. The honeymoon is over. But I still have 20 lbs to lose. And that little thing called maintenance to deal with. Which I will have to do FOREVER. Yipee! (sense the sarcasm? 'Cause it's there.)

One of my pals from Weight Watchers made a good point. Mel suggested that we feed off the "newbies" blood, ugh... I mean enthusiasm, to help give us that turbo boost some of us "old timers" desperately need. But in helping people new to the program, we are in turn helping ourselves. I've noticed people asking me the same old questions I thought I had finished explaining months ago but then I realized, "oh right. These new people have no clue what a bibigo wonton is. Or what a boom chicka pop is. And what the heck is a 'nat special'?" Mwah, ha, ha... Come to the dark side with its creamy laughing cow cheese, jam, back bacon and egg goodness....

While part of me is hitting my head against the wall with the thought of having to answer the same old questions, I'm choosing to look at it as an opportunity to get other people excited about taking their life back. I can do this not only through sharing my story but sharing the tips and tricks that have helped me become so successful. There are no losers when it comes to providing service to others. Help a fellow human and you'll actually feel like a million bucks. Plus your karma blows up! I had an entire other post all about service a few months ago. Check it out here!

I Still Gots Goals!

So remember the time I lost like 60 lbs and then I plateaued for like 3 months... Oh yeah right. That shit is still happening. Boo! But honestly, I'm totally okay with that. I know the scale will move when my body stops having its tantrum. (And if it doesn't shape up soon I'm sending it to boarding school. But that's just between you and me.)

I likely have another 20 ish pounds to lose before I hit goal and have the opportunity to be a Weight Watchers lifetime member. Yay! So close! That 80lbs felt like a mountain when I started last year but I'm almost there. Now just because I'm close to the end, doesn't mean I don't need goals. They are just going to be a bit difference than last year - more spiritually based rather than food/exercise based. I'm in a different place now and for me, the spiritual and mental side needs some TLC.

Here is what I will focus on this year:

HUMILITY

I tend to get a little "Miss-know-it-all" sometimes and a bit, just a tad, defensive. Sometimes. A lot. I know my biggest learning moments will come from those people who push my buttons because they always seem to be the ones that say the things I don't want to hear but need to hear. I will learn to listen, take criticism (better) and learn from others.

PATIENCE

I've learned that you can do all the things and sometimes it's not enough to make your body do what you want it to do. I will hit my goal in 2017 but there is no deadline and that is totally okay. Patience, Natalie. Patience.

GIVING

I try to be a person who helps out whenever the opportunity arises but I'd love to help others find the happiness I have found through a good 2 or 3 years of self-discovery. I think that sharing on my blog, giving solicited advice on Connect and Instagram, perhaps even starting a Youtube Channel with recipes, tips, and a smiling understanding face might be the way I can give back. I've always wanted to be a life coach. Maybe this is how I can do that while helping others become the best versions of themselves?! And it will enrich my last paces towards hitting my goal.

While I thought 2016 would be the year I finally got to my goal weight (which would be the first time in my adult life, by the way), it wasn't the year for that milestone but 2016 brought me so many more amazing gifts. It will be by far one of my most successful years of my life and I will always look back at it with pride and appreciation.

The year I didn't find the NEW me but uncovered the REAL me.