New Year - New You Initial Steps

I know it's the new year and everyone has all these plans, but you've gotta try, right?

Here are the initial 3 steps I'm taking to kick start a healthier me in 2012.

1. Clear the table - Over the holidays I have had a table in the living room with cakes, biscuits, sweets and drinks on it.  It made things easier as I didn't have to constantly be running around serving family and guests, something was always there if visitors called by.  The downside, of course, was the temptation to graze, particularly in front of the TV in the evenings.  The holidays are over and now it's time to put any food that's left way in the cupboards out of sight and out of easy reach.
2. Count the calories - I know this works for me. If I eat less calories, cut down a bit, I lose weight.  It doesn't work if you guess how much you've had.  It needs to written down and, until you have educated your eye on portion sizes, that means weighing food too.  This particularly applies to sneaky food like pasta and cheese where it is easy to eat far too much.
3. Control the snacks - I know I am going to snack, that's not going to change, at least not over night.  But I can control what I snack on, put healthy options in my path  Chop up some carrot sticks or a fruit salad so that it's ready and waiting for me when my hand automatically reaches for the fridge.

That's it my initial plan and here is the quick record sheet I've made to keep me on track.

6x4 so it will fit in a pocket or bag and isn't left behind and forgotten.  I've personalised it for me with some extra sections:

• Fruit and Veg - I know that when I count calories I will happily substitute a meal for crisps and chocolate.  This isn't good enough, so by noting my fruit and veg portions each day I can keep an eye on my bad habits.
• Water - I don't drink enough and often get headaches from being dehydrated.  This is particularly important later in my plan as I look to up my exercise, so a daily count will keep me on track.
• Activity 10's - Little boxes to tick off with smug satisfaction for each 10 minutes of activity taken each day.  Right now these will just be walking to school and back, but that's just the start off point.

 There, I've started, let's see where those initial 3 steps will take me.

** Kate **