So...What's the Plan?

I wish I knew. Ok, that might be exaggerating a little bit. But this isn't my first rodeo boys and girls. I have been on more than a few diets. Some of them have worked. Some of them haven't. And none of them have stuck. So it's important to me to change my life, not follow a specific plan.

That doesn't mean that I don't have a plan. The most successful I have ever been on a diet was not really a diet at all. It was an exercise plan. I worked out with a personal trainer twice a week, did cardio on my own five days a week, and religiously recorded everything I ate. My trainer, a fabulous though ridiculously skinny woman, gave me calorie guidelines but really told me to make healthy choices. She encouraged me to eat lots of veggies, a few servings of fruit, and lots more protein then I was eating before. One of the things I really appreciated about her was that she understood that wiggle room was necessary. I went out to lunch with a friend who was moving out of the country; she didn't tell me to order a salad, but just "please don't order anything fried." This is my approach this time around as well.

So my plan, while not really a plan, is to make good choices. To write down everything I eat. To try to keep my calories each day around 1700-1800 (for now - once I lose a little bit of weight I will drop that number). To actually eat five servings of fruits and veggies each day. And to drink more water than coffee. Nothing fancy; just smart choices.

It's not a perfect plan. I know there will be days when it doesn't work. But it's a start.