My jarring shift to a diet blog

Hello, friends. I've had this blog now for about seven years, and after all this time, it's still mainly for me. I don't post consistently and even when I do, the primary readership has always been my mom, mother-in-law, and future me. This extremely limited audience gives my blog a flexible format where I can pretty much post anything I want without concern of losing my audience or going off brand. 

That said, for the next few months I'm going to turn My Sugar House Life into my personal weight loss and wellness blog, since I suspect journaling might help along the way. And if I'm successful, wouldn't it be great to have a record of that achievement? I've gained 20 pounds in covid. Or more pithily, I've gained the "COVID-19." None of my clothes fit. I have less energy, less motivation, and less confidence. While covid might still be with us (hello, Omicron!), it's time to alter this one frustrating side effect of the pandemic that is actually within my control. 

Why did I gain 20 pounds in covid? I'm not sure, but it's definitely a combination of factors. In 2019, I was in the best shape of my adult life. I had many good habits including drinking tons of water, walking over 10,000 steps a day, going to the gym, cooking and eating healthy, and minimal alcohol consumption. I loved my body in 2019, and I don't necessarily mean what I saw in the mirror. I felt strong and healthy. I felt capable of doing things with my kids like acroyoga, handstands, and hiking miles and miles with a toddler in a backpack. I felt like I had agency over my choices, and that those choices were reflecting my values and desire for a clean, healthy, intentional lifestyle. I was excited to be on the precipice of turning 40 with three kids and still feeling like I was as healthy or healthier than I was at 20. Yay, me. 

Gym selfie in March 2019. At this time, I had a 1 year old and 3 year old at home and was proud of this strong body that had just wrapped up pregnancy and nursing. I never would have posted this picture publicly at the time, but the feeling when I took this is exactly what I'm hoping to recapture in 2022.

Me and my brother in August 2019 at 39 and 49 respectively. 

My awesome sister-in-law on the same trip. 

Dressing up in December 2019. 

We all know what happened next. March 2020 the pandemic hit and everything shifted, especially for moms. All three of my kids' schools shut down. Gyms shut down. Doom scrolling became everyone's favorite hobby. Alcohol and ice cream consumption rose in lockstep with stress.  Yes, some people bought Pelatons and benefitted from solely eating at home, but I was one of the 90% whose health deteriorated significantly over the past 21 months. 

Yesterday was Christmas 2021, which of course means that New Years is right around the corner. For all the obvious reasons, January has always felt like a great time to initiate change, and never in my life has a change been more in order. I need a plan to find my best self again; the one who feels healthy, strong, and intentional. While I appreciate and trust my vaccinations and booster, I'm also realizing that another important bulwark against illness is a physically fit body and optimal immune system. Maybe it's time to take that seriously as well. 

So what's the plan, you ask, chin in hands waiting expectantly. I'm sure everyone has their own approach to weight loss, but here's mine. 

1. Daily weigh-ins. Some people prefer weekly, but when I'm serious about weight loss, it's daily for me. Daily feedback gives me more data and doesn't put so much pressure on each individual weigh-in. It allows me to see the variance that comes with daily life and in some ways inures me to small swings that accompany water weight, hormonal shifts, big meals, etc. 

2. Food tracking. This is another controversial one. I know some people hate "calorie counting." It's a ton of work and may trigger some people's obsessive compulsivity. For me, it feels more like information and mindfulness. It makes me aware of what I'm actually eating and my habits around food. It gives me accountability and also curbs my grazing since the handful of chips (or whatever) isn't often worth the pain of food logging. 

3. 10,000 steps a day. Exercise still feels tricky to me right now. My life and schedule with three kids, a full-time job, and all the attendant activities is, quite frankly, bananas. But what I know I can do with full confidence is 10,000 steps a day. And I am hoping that once I have better eating habits in place, I can layer in yoga, elliptical, etc. 

4. Water. I'm always pretty good with drinking water. I don't really drink much else besides morning coffee and occasional red wine. With an eye towards weight loss, I aim for 100 oz. a day. 

5. Clean Simple Eats. This is the new part of my plan! In 2020, I discovered Clean Simple Eats on Instagram and love their app and products. It feels like a cool community, it's based in Salt Lake City (like me!), and has a ton of healthy recipes to facilitate my weight loss journey. Their shakes are amazing and will probably be the cornerstone of my morning routine. They also run a seven week challenge that starts January 3 that I plan on participating in. 

6. Journaling? This would be a new thing for me as well in regards to weight loss. I think reading about someone else's journey might be boring, but it's a useful process for me. And as stated above, I'm the main person who reads this besides my kids' grandmas. Hi, grandmas! 

So that's it! That's my plan. I start January 3, and you, journal and readers, can help hold me accountable. I will weigh in and take pictures on January 1 and hope by the time I'm laying on a beach in Mexico in June, I'm back to feeling great in my own skin. Wish me luck.