How I Lost 18 Pounds In A Month Before Christmas

If I could answer that in one word, it would be accountability.

A large majority of the population are only accountable for our own actions. If I say to myself, “oh, just one cheeseburger isn’t going to hurt,” then I can excuse it away and give myself the freedom to eat that burger, all the while telling myself that I’ll “get back on track tomorrow” – or Monday, or next month or whatever seems to be convenient at the time (in the case of this blog, it was 6 months!) And, to be honest, there’s nothing wrong with that. I have always given myself permission to do what I want and eat what I want when I want it.

Which is how I found myself weighing 15 pounds heavier by November.

I’m not proud of that, and by all means, I am no supporter of “yo-yo” dieting. In fact, I’d rather stay a consistent heavier weight rather than go through the lose-gain-lose-gain-lose revolving door. It’s just healthier that way.

So, I decided that the weight that I wanted to maintain was my original goal weight. And I needed to lose 31 pounds to get there. But there was a problem. Christmas was coming. Along with cookies, cakes, puddings, pies, turkey and gravy and a whole grocery list of other things that I just knew I was going to come up against.

I needed a force stronger than myself to help me through the hurdle. So, I enlisted the help of a consultant.

Every week, three times a week, I had to look her in the eye and tell her what I had eaten. And how much. And when. And then I stood on the scale.

And, man-oh-man does it change things when you need to be accountable to someone else! … If it was just me standing there looking at the jumble of numbers until the scale finally settled on its destination, I could live with an increase of 2-3 lbs in a week.

But to hear the disappointment (that is, disappointment for me, and not in me) in her voice? … I couldn’t bear it. In fact, the first time my weight actually jumped 1 pound in two days, I felt like I had accidentally dropped her favourite toy into the river. Bad analogy, I know, but needless to say, it was heartbreaking for both me and her. It was the only time I allowed my weight to go in the wrong direction for an entire month.

To add validity to the power of accountability, I saw her for the last time on December 23rd, and came home with a false sense of bravado and confidence. I had decided that I would go it alone over the holidays, and simply coast through. I did promise to come back and see her in the New Year, depending on how I made out.

How did I make out? … In my opinion, not so bad considering what I have eaten over the past two weeks. But, I’ll probably bring her a new toy when I go to visit her next week and explain the 6 pounds of new-found weight.

I did not make a resolution this year to lose weight. In fact, I did not make any resolutions. That doesn’t mean that I am not going to lose weight, exercise more, and eat healthier. I just prefer not to call them resolutions. An estimated 40-45% of the population uses New Year’s resolutions to set goals and change their ways, but another estimated 97% of those resolutions are never fulfilled.

So, in the interest of not becoming a statistic, I will begin the new year with a goal in mind, determination in my heart, and accountability in my back pocket.

To a skinnier you!

Disclaimer … I am not a dietician, nor a doctor, and I am not purporting or even pretending to give any advice on how to lose weight. If you are looking to change your own eating habits in any way, shape or form, seek professional medical advice first. This is my personal story about my struggles with weight loss and how I overcame them. I cannot be held liable for any actions of those who may read this article.

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