After fighting and losing the battle of the bulge many times through my life, I’ve found myself ready to go to war once again with a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, get fit and stay healthy in 2021.

I know what works and what doesn’t work. There’s no such thing as a miracle weight-loss plan. I will not lose the 80 extra pounds I carry in one month. A reasonable goal is 12 months and I know what I have to do.

I love to cook and I love to eat. I also enjoy wine, cocktails and craft beer. My challenge is reducing the calories I consume on a daily basis. I’ve learned that it’s not enough to measure while I’m cooking – I have to keep those measuring cups handy for when I prepare my own plate to eat. It’s never been a matter of eliminating any particular thing from my diet but rather always a problem of how much I eat.

I am returning to my own “No More Diet Diet” that I let fall by the wayside over the last few years. It’s such a simple diet because there are no special foods to buy, no special place to go to weigh in and no special exercise equipment to buy. When I have lost weight in the past it was all a matter of reducing my daily intake and getting off of my butt and moving. And to reward myself, I play casino games via oncapan.com from time to time. However, I always make it a point that I spend money responsibly. 

In 2021, I will reduce my daily calorie intake by reducing the amount of alcoholic beverages I consume and increasing the amount of water I drink. I’ve never had a problem drinking water – I prefer it over soda. For me, plenty of water means I feel better.

I will succeed at my diet goals in 2021 because I will obsessively measure everything that goes into my body. As a cook, I’m great at eye-balling how much of something to put into a pot on the stove. As an eater, I can’t judge a portion size to save my life. And really – I am trying to save my life by losing weight.

I am trying something different in 2021 to reach my diet goals. I have joined an online support group. This isn’t a group of strangers but rather a group of people I consider co-workers who share a common goal – to lose weight and be healthy. In just a few short days I’ve been overwhelmed at the support that is shown to each other by this group of women. We will succeed because we can succeed.

I will reach my diet goals in 2021 because I want to live a long healthy life.