Operation Noah - The Forty Day Fix

Interesting title don't you think! Well here's the story - was lying awake in the wee small hours this morning and berating myself for not getting myself back into weight loss mode rather than maintenance mode. When I thought about what I do historically I realised that I am actually quite good at maintaining while life plods along normally and I'm in my normal environment. But when I go on holidays then I allow myself to slacken off a bit and so gain a couple of kilos. So then I come back from holidays and go back into maintenance mode again. So what's the problem? Well this means that over time my weight just creeps up. If I think about last year - in January I went into weight loss mode and stayed there till we went to Hong Kong - wonderful things achieved. Came back from there with the traveller's diarrhea so that got rid of the couple of kilos gained but then I slipped into maintenance mode and remained there until we went on our big US trip, gained a kilo or two there, came back into maintenance mode again until it was time to head to UK - gained a couple of kilos there and here I am back again once again slipping nicely into maintenance mode. But the problem is that I haven't dealt with those couple of kilos slipped on here and there and so I'm actually just over 5 kilos heavier than my lightest weight last year. So I decided to devise a master plan to get me into weight loss mode again - and it's name is Operation Noah. I worked out that I have 40 days until Easter - the number of days of Noah's floods - so I've built myself a pretty chart - I'm just like so many of us bloggers - love a good chart, graph or recording system.

I've focussed on six key areas which I know work for me - count points, then track them, weigh my food so I don't get too sloppy over estimating - you know the kind of thing - this bunch of grapes looks about 100g = 1 point but is actually about 140g which is closer to 1.5 points. Then toss out the alcohol for a while - it makes a huge difference to my losses - look at what Ails is achieving! Next - drink 2 litres of water every day and finally get some exercise every day. I'm feeling really positive about all of them - the only one I think I'm going to have to really push myself on just for the moment is the exercise. It's stinking hot and steamy here and the thought of getting out there and walking is not an exciting one but I'm going to try and just do it one day at a time.

So as I said I've done a chart - I'll commit to posting each seven days on here and intend to have a little picture in every box. I'm also going to do something else radical. I'm going to promise not to stand on the scales till day 40!!!! This really is very scary for me as I'm a control freak and I'm going to feel I've lost control if I can't stand on the scales every day but I'm thinking that this will mean that I must stick to the above plan as it's the only way I'll know that I'm still in control of my weight. Sounds whacky - well I am!!! My progressive measure will have to be how my clothes are fitting.

But the other good thing I have to report is that this morning as I start Operation Noah I'm another 500g lighter. I'm not going to specify an actual figure I want to lose as since I'm not weighing till the end it's a bit pointless. The aim will be to see how much it's possible for me to lose in 40 days if I stick to the plan and follow those six basic rules. However I will say that I'm not proposing only doing this for 40 days but this gives me a manageable goal with a little break at Easter and then I plan to crank up again till I get closer to that magical goal I set myself. I feel that I've got my determination back so here goes. Bring it on babes!!!

Take care my friends
Love Z xx