How many fresh starts does it take?

The short answer is...

My husband suggested to take photos in the same spot each month this year. I love this idea! So this is my first ‘before’ photo in front of my favorite tree.

… as many as it takes.

Today is January 1, 2023. I’ve been waiting for this day with great anticipation because I am ready for a fresh start. I could have started sooner but I needed this time to prepare mentally. These days there are many voices that tell us not to bother with New Year’s resolutions because 80% of us will break them within three months. Well, let’s do our best to be the 20% that perseveres!

What did I do to mentally prepare?

• I did a lot of journaling.

• I decided on the habits I want to develop this year.

• I made a list of tools to help me build those habits.

• I ordered my weight loss journal and prepared it.

• I set 1/1/23 as my start date.

What will be different this time?

That is a very good question. Apart from officially having regained every single pound I lost in 2020 (I stepped on the scales this morning) and being tired of being obese and unfit, I am noticing a subtle yet powerful shift in the way I feel about this journey. Instead of beating myself up over the weight gain and feeling discouraged because instead of losing another 40 lbs I am looking at 100 lbs again, I have a strong sense that this is the fresh start that will stick. I can’t really explain it, it’s just something that feels different inside and I am going to run with it. But something else happened, too, that is deepening this shift.

Setting up my weight loss planner.

This is really, really hard for me to write but last weekend my weight loss coach, Sean Anderson, passed away suddenly. He was 51. I’ve been a member of his weight loss group on and off for the last few years. I did skip the last session so I haven’t spoken to him since the summer. But for about a year before that Sean and a couple of other group members were my Thursday night Zoom date. Sean was a wonderful guy and great mentor, it does not feel real that he is gone and he will be missed so much.

Sean had lost 250 lbs and kept his weight off for 10+ years by honoring what he called his foundational pillars. That included counting calories for every meal, not eating refined sugar, reaching out to support and prayer/spriritual time. He is the only person I know who has not eaten sugar in more than a decade! He also never pushed his own plan onto others, on the contrary, he felt strongly that we should develop our own unique plans in alignment with our personalities, values, and life circumstances.

I had already decided to quit sugar for 2023 because I’m just not able to moderate it. Sugar is my gateway and emotional crutch, once I start I can’t stop. I quit sugar for five months in 2020 and it felt great! But then Christmas tripped me up and I allowed sugar back in and that was that. This time I am making it a 12-month experiment, and in addition to my personal motivation I also want to do this in honor of Sean’s memory. He was a great example of someone living with intention and discernment every day.

Today was day one of my fresh start and I am feeling positive and hopeful. I will write more about what I am doing, what habits I want to build and the tools I am using. Psst… I am not counting calories this time round. More on that soon!

Wherever you are, I hope you had a good start to your new year. If you are also making a fresh start today I am cheering you on!

Wishing you a calm, healthy and happy 2023 ❤️

Kerstin xo