Has the glow of the New Year, New You, New Resolutions faded to “this new year sure feels a lot like the old year”? Good. Let those unrealistic dreams die and let’s get down to reality.

Me in 2012

Step One in any weight loss journey is a decision, not just to lose weight but to do it now. I was overweight for a decade and had a lot of false starts when I decided to lose weight but never did. But I remember looking at my weight, my health, my age, and thinking “I don’t want to be this big when I turn 35. When I turn 40.” I realized it was going to get harder, not easier, the longer I waited to take action. Why not start now?

You can set a goal or not. If you do, I recommend choosing a goal that’s not a number on the scale. Choose a jean size. Choose a number of miles walked or pushups you can do in a minute. Choose to measure your success by number of vegetable servings consumed each day, but not by the number on the scale. That number is useful, but it is notoriously uncooperative. If you do set a weight goal, give yourself some other goals to shoot for along the way so you can see progress.

Me in 2018. I blinked, sorry.

The New Year IS a good time to take stock, make a plan, and change your life. But it’s helpful to focus on one change at a time. That’s why I love the way the Sex, Soup, and Two Fisted Eating book is set up: it focuses on one healthy habit at a time. Pick one habit and start today. Go to bed on time, go for a walk, eat something green (like a plant, not an Icee), drink a glass of water, or eat your chips from a little bowl not the big bag.

Start today. Not because it’s a new year but because in six months you’ll be so happy you did.

“Seek good, not evil, that you may live.” Amos 5:14a