I am going to do these changes for 2 weeks

[vivariumvivariumsvivaria]

I am very fat. High BP. Emotional eater, and lots of external stress which is hard to fix. I started counselling in September which has helped - but I am still fat. I lost a stone and a half with C25k, stopped and put the weight back on in a month. FFS.

For the next two weeks I am only going to drink alcohol in company. I am going to walk 10k steps a day. I am going to reduce my carbs.

For two weeks. I can do that for two weeks, it's when I think about doing it for two years or twenty years that I panic and binge.

In a year I want to be off my BP medication.

Fancy keeping me company? What short term, SMART changes can you make to your lifestyle?

Good luck! I have made some similar changes this year. I started with 10k steps a day and prepping healthy breakfast and lunch for the weekdays on a Sunday.
I have slowly lost 15lb since the end of January.

Posted too soon.

I have found that these things have become a habit now which are just part of my life. I think you are right to concentrate on the day/week ahead rather than forever!

Well,done, Smarsh. That is amazing.

I think that's how I need to do it. I am really, really good for three weeks and then I lose my ability to focus. So, small steps.

Habits are hard to build and easy to break!

Good luck i need to lose 4 stone to be a healthy weight again gained it all my last pregnancy little girls a year old now I need to sort it out decided to give myself a 8 week challenge no alcohol or junk food im good all week then blow it with wine and snacks also benn doing plenty walking with the pram before work not weighing until the 8 weeks are done

I love this idea. I can't get my head around sticking to anything for too long, although I'm planning for the next 3 weeks (my brain always works in 3 week blocks - I'm a bit weird like that, can't work in months etc). I need to lose around 30Kg to be a healthy weight. I weight more now than I did the day I gave birth to DS now 14m... and worse still I was back to pre pregnancy weight by 6 weeks pp (I ate SO healthily during pregnancy... and a lot of chocolate biscuits during lockdown!). I'm starting small as I always throw myself into losing weight and then give up after a short time and pile it back on again.

For the next 3 weeks I will:

• Not have any sugar in my tea or coffee
• Take a walk each evening while DH puts DS down for bed.
• Meal plan/prep healthy lunches for myself and DS

I'll be back to let you know if I stick to it!

I'm so pleased to have company!

Small changes are how people build habits, right? I just get overwhelmed and defeated before I even start.

I have successfully managed my commitment for two days. I AM A SUPERHERO. Not drinking on a Saturday is weird, but, drinking on my own in front of the tv is a bit daft.

Taking a teenager away up a hill for a yomp today.

Absolutely! Small SUSTAINABLE changes it is.

Honestly, well done @vivariumvivariumsvivaria - I stopped drinking a bit over 2 years ago as it was really heightening my anxiety (and then I got pregnant haha) and the weekend evenings were the hardest. Not because I needed a drink... it just felt weird not to be! I still haven't found anything non alcoholic that feels as special (wrong word perhaps) as a nice glass of wine.

Okay, so I forgot to tell DH about the no sugar thing this morning and he made my coffee with it in and I drank it (sleepily) before realising, so I've broken that already... but now he knows so hopefully I can stick to it now!

Here we go...I'm back to doom and gloom.

Had a big row with DH, which is a seperate challenge. So I landed up drinking wine and I ate THREE ice creams.

What I do now is think "well, I may as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb" and go on a massive binge. Not this time!

I need to learn how to manage my tricky marriage situation without resorting to bingeing. I did go overboard yesterday and I failed in my resolve - but, I also did some massive walks, had a good time with DS and drank considerably less than I normally would at the weekend.

So, that's all in the right direction.