The 2009 New Year, New Resolve Challenge: Week 3

By committing to this four-week New Year, New Resolve Challenge, you are pledging to look forward, not backward.

Last week, you bumped up your Filling Foods and your activity, and took the important step of reaching out for a little extra help. This week is all about fun, food and friends.

Week 3

Try a new recipe

If the habits you picked up in Week 1 of the challenge have taken hold, then you’re still planning your meals up to a week at a time. Good for you! The challenge in keeping this great habit going, though, is balancing routine (going for the same few meals that you know how to cook and that require staple ingredients), with variety (lemon chicken again?).

So, when you plan your next few meals, make room for something brand new in the line-up. Look at recipes; pick up a food magazine next time you’re out, or browse the internet. Or, if you’re feeling really brave, grab a cookbook, fan through it with your eyes closed, and vow to make whatever you land on. If it’s a high-calorie nightmare, think of ways to lighten it up.

Dance!

I'm not kidding – as long as you can push through the initial self-consciousness, dancing around your living room to the music you rocked out to as a teen will plaster a grin to your face like little else. You might pick a time when you know you’ll be alone in the house, or you might decide to get the whole house involved. (Those of you with teenage kids might get an extra kick out of watching them struggle between being embarrassed, and wanting to join you.)

Of course, if you want to kick it up to the next step, you could plan a night out at a club, or even a dance class. You might even want to ask a friend if they can recommend somewhere in your area. As well as the happiness factor, you’ll be burning calories while you grin and grind.

Find that you’re fine at the beginning of your tracking week, but your resolve peters out midweek and/or over the weekend? Give yourself a jolt of motivation and accountability by going to an extra Weight Watchers meeting or if your part of a weight loss group ask for help there. Meetings aren’t just about stepping on the scale and seeing how you’ve done; they help you connect to other people, the Plan, and yourself. By going to a different meeting, you’ll meet different people and maybe learn a new tip, or even just find knowledge in listening to a new person’s struggles and triumphs. If you belong to a weight loss group online then you can gather strength & motivation from them. We've all been at a cross roads before ... none of us are alone in this journey. They key is being brave enough to admit we need help to reach our goals.