7 min read

Well here we are 2025, new year, new me?

Well here we are 2025, new year, new me?
Photo by Kelly Sikkema / Unsplash

Well here we are 2025, new year, new me? I feel like I've said that many times, gone through the same emotions to ring in a new year with a new me. But seems like same as many peoples' resolutions, they don't last or even get started.

I'll say it now, this year will be different. I want it to be different, I need it to be different. Nearly four years ago now, coming out of the hospital, though it was a difficult time, I was at a semi-ideal weight. Once I gained back my strength, I felt great, I was at an ideal weight and healthy. Now fast forward that four years, living a mostly sedentary lifestyle, doing two years French training full time at home and since returning to work sitting at a desk most of the days. I feel fat, out of shape, unhealthy, and generally not where I want to be.

So in the words of Bruce Buffer "It's time!" to take a few steps to hopefully make a somewhat change. Initially I'm not aiming to get back to where I was but to make small intermediate steps and goals to get on a path to a healthier lifestyle in general. Instead of aiming for that old weight, I will be aiming for a 5% weight loss, once that is achieved I will reassess for my next goal. To obtain this goal I will take the following steps to make myself successful:

Step 1 - Dry January and Feburaryish:

camels on desert under blue sky
Photo by Sergey Pesterev / Unsplash

I decided on New Years Eve night that I would take a go at dry January, no booze or even fake booze for the month of January, though I made a promise to extend that to later in February when we go on vacation. Now seems that it will be broken since my sister will be making a visit in mid-February so I've made the decision to go till then. So far a week in and no issues, but why would there be, I don't drink that much to begin with. Some of the key benifits of reduced or no alcohol:

  • Improved Sleep Quality: Abstaining from alcohol can lead to better sleep quality, which is crucial for weight management. Poor sleep can disrupt hormones that regulate hunger and appetite.
  • Reduced Caloric Intake: Alcoholic beverages are often high in calories. By cutting out alcohol, you can significantly reduce your overall caloric intake, which can help with weight loss.
  • Decreased Belly Fat (Muffin Top): Alcohol consumption, especially in excess, is linked to an increase in belly fat. Reducing or eliminating alcohol can help decrease this type of fat.
  • Enhanced Liver Function: The liver plays a crucial role in metabolizing fats. By not drinking alcohol, you allow your liver to function more efficiently, which can aid in weight loss.
  • Improved Digestion: Alcohol can irritate the digestive system and lead to issues like bloating and indigestion. Avoiding alcohol can improve your digestive health, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight.

Step 2 - Food Tracking:

black pencil on top of ruled paper
Photo by Hope House Press - Leather Diary Studio / Unsplash

Keeping yourself food accountable is one of the main driving goals to success by knowing what you are intaking into your body.

Tracking your food intake can be incredibly beneficial for several reasons. It helps you understand your eating habits and patterns, which can be crucial for making healthier choices. By keeping a record of what you eat, you can identify the foods you consume regularly, both good and not-so-good, and make adjustments accordingly. Research has shown that people who keep daily food records tend to lose more weight compared to those who don't

Additionally, tracking your food intake can create awareness about your diet. Many are often unaware of what they eat throughout the day, and keeping a food diary can help you become more mindful of your food choices

I use an app called MyFitnessPal, it is quite extensive and has a large food database. It links to many other fitness apps such as Fitbit or Jefit to automatically input data and adjust goals and daily food intake based on exercise performance to ensure a healthy loss. It is available as an app on Android and iPhone as well as web based if you don't have your phone near.

Step 3 - Weight Training:

blue and black nike athletic shoes
Photo by Alexandra Tran / Unsplash

When I say weight training, I don't mean I need or I am going to get a gym membership and go to the gym. Been there, tried that and I can say, I f&c%ing hate it. Weight training is easy enough to do at home, using just your body weight or some dumbbells. I am luckily enough to have a small dumbbell set ranging from 5bls up to 25lbs as well as a bar and some plates.

Weight training offers numerous benefits for weight loss, here are three that I believe are beneficial for me:

  1. Boosts Metabolism: Weight training increases muscle mass, which in turn boosts metabolism. This means more calories burnt even at rest.
  2. Reduces Visceral Fat: Weight training helps in reducing visceral fat, which is the fat stored around the internal organs. This type of fat is particularly harmful and linked to various health issues. It is also directly associated with my muffin top.
  3. Improves Sleep Quality: Regular weight training should enhance my sleep quality, which is crucial for overall health and weight management.

I've been incorporating weight training into my routine using an app called Jefit along the way. Jefit has hundreds if not thousands of exercises you can do with or without weights. You can track your progress and even start one of theirs, community plans or create one of your own. No matter the case, the app has tons of features, videos, plans (beginner, intermediate to advanced) and incorporates with other fitness and health apps with web based access as well.

Step 4 - Cardio:

A gym with treadmills and exercise machines
Photo by NEXA BLACK / Unsplash

I enjoy cardio exercises, I should say running, I can hop on the treadmill, load up an episode of some show that I like and run away, sometimes just a mind clearing play list and go or even a nice long walk when the weather cooperates. There are a ton of benefits to cardio exercise some I've highlighted below. We have a stationary bike, treadmill and a rowing? machine (that's not setup yet so not 100% sure what the hell it is) in our basement with the weights, so I have many options to keep this up.

Now saying that, since I have started this "journey", cardio has sucked. The treadmill got broken over Christmas (waiting on the repair), its cold enough the freeze the balls off of a brass monkey outside and I despise the stationary bike. So I am suffering using the stationary bike patiently waiting for the treadmill to be fixed.

But here I am, pushing myself to use the bike in the interim to assist my journey for the following benefits:

  • Cardio workouts can help you lose weight by burning calories and creating a calorie deficit. This means you burn more calories than you consume, which is essential for weight loss.
  • Regular cardio exercise can improve your cardiovascular health, making your heart and lungs more efficient. This can lead to better overall fitness and endurance.
  • Cardio exercises can also help reduce stress and improve mental health, which can be beneficial for maintaining a healthy weight.

Update: January 14, 2025: Treadmill fixed, cardio is fun again.

Step 5 - Accountability

gray steel cooking pot beside the flame
Photo by Siim Lukka / Unsplash

While this is step 5 in my plan, I feel it can be the number one driving force. It's one thing to hold your own feet to the fire but once you announce to others, like here on this site, the fire grows. It's never easy to look at ones self to come to that realization that you need to make changes but ever more difficult to put it out there. So here I am, while making the changes outlined above, I'll also document, biweekly or weekly, on the progress made in all it's glory or shame.

For my first goal is a weight loss of 5% or 12lbs based on the initial measurement, so here we go.

Goal 1: 12.2 lbs

Once I achieve this initial goal of 5%, I will reassess to set a new goal based on the success or failure of this plan.

Date Weight +/- since start -/+ since last measure To go
January 2, 2025 243.4 lbs - - 12.2 lbs
January 6, 2025 239.6 lbs -3.8 lbs -3.8 lbs 8.4 lbs
January 10, 2025 236.2 lbs -7.2 lbs -3.4 lbs 5 lbs
January 13, 2025 233 lbs -10.4 lbs -3.2 lbs 1.8 lbs
January 17, 2025 231.8 lbs -11.6 lbs -1.2 lbs 0.6 lbs
January 20, 2025 231.4 lbs -12 lbs -0.4 lbs 0.2 lbs
January 23, 2025 230.5 lbs -12.9 lbs -0.9 lbs -0.7 lbs

Update: January 23, 2025: Goal 1 met. Down 12.9 lbs.

Since I have now met my initial goal of losing 5%, 12.2 lbs, time to set a new goal.

Goal 2: Continue to make progress to:

  • Complete a full month (February 6) of meal tracking/daily exercise;
  • Lose another 5% weight loss (-11.5 lbs) to reach 219 lbs.
Date Weight +/- since 01/23/25 +/- since last To go +/- since 01/02/25
January 23, 2025 230.5 lbs - - 11.5 lbs 12.9 lbs
January 24, 2025 228.3 lbs -2.2 -2.2 9.3 lbs 15.1 lbs
February 3, 2025 225.9 lbs -4.6 -2.4 6.9 lbs 17.5 lbs

Conclusion

selective focus photo of brown and blue hourglass on stones
Photo by Aron Visuals / Unsplash

Like sand through an hourglass, these are the days of my life, during this new year, new me, plan for 2025. Follow along, keep me inline and accountable with my progress. I'll keep it updated weekly and share any major successes or failures along the way and maybe you may learn a bit or join in on your own 2025 plan.

Happy 2025 to you, your family and friends. I wish you nothing but the best of health and happiness!