goals: new year, new plan

My gluttony is certainly at war with my vanity and I don’t think my vanity has a fighting chance.

I started the year committed to be my best self and in every other facet of my life I have succeeded but as 30 approached I was, for the first time, very aware that I didn’t have the same body I once enjoyed.  I could no longer eat and drink anything (and everything) I wanted. Well, I suppose I could.  I missed my 20s body before I even turned 30.

I wanted my body back and I was very calculated. I meal planned: went grocery shopping, examined the nutrition facts, and cooked everything I ate (after measuring each ingredient and carefully following the recipes and weighing the portions) so that I would later be able to calculate the number of Weight Watchers points I had used.

I signed up for a condition and tone class at the gym with Gabrielle (everyone needs a gym partner) and was convinced by Allison (our instructor) to start spinning.

I left Boston 10 pounds lighter.

After 7 long hours I arrived in London and abandoned my routine (that I was very strict about). Damn.  After all that work. I moved into a flat in South Kensington and shared the kitchen so I rarely wanted to cook dinner at home.  While London is notorious for having bad food, I managed gain all the weight I had just lost.

Each morning started with a latte and a croissant. I loved sitting at a cafe reading while indulging on 2 things that were not a part my diet in the not so distant past.

I went to afternoon tea nearly every week with my roommate Whitney.  This ritual had 3 courses:  salmon sandwiches with cream cheese and rocket, scones with clotted cream and finally, cupcakes.  And if that is not enough calorie intake, there is plenty of cream and sugar to be added to the tea.  Not to mention champagne.

For dinner Whitney and I often dined on wine and cheese.  Other nights we shared dinner for 2 from Marks & Spencer or went out to eat — we frequented the neighborhood Moroccan restaurant and enjoyed curry on Brick Lane.

The best of times (and the worst of times) were when we traveled.  I ate and drank my way around Europe.

When I finally packed my bags and headed to Heathrow my luggage was not the only thing that was overweight.  It was so easy to get out of my routine.  How easy would it be to get back into it?

I started out strong.  I went to spin class several times a week.  I thought I would be back to my old self in no time.  Nope.

I did not factor in that I wanted to date.  I went on dates 4 nights a week some weeks.  How is it possible that I didn’t even consider the impact of dating on my weight loss plan?  It was almost impossible to calculate what I ate when I was scanning menus.  So I threw in the towel.  I couldn’t forgo the dates.

So here I am in 2012 thinking it is a new year and I need a new plan.

January goals:

• Do a cleanse — a perfect way to kickstart the movement but its hard to motivate myself to juice for hours and carry 6 bottles of thick juice around for 3 days.
• Join Weight Watchers — I know it works but it is much harder now that I am not living in isolation and can eat (and drink) with family, friends and dates.
• Get back in the routine of going to the gym — damn, I was doing so well.  I should get a trainer.

Let the games begin.  When I said I wanted to be bigger, faster, stronger, better at 30 I didn’t literally mean bigger!