Lifestyle Change

Beginning tomorrow, April first, I am going to "change my lifestyle." I don't call it a diet because diets do not work. I have made up some guidelines that I would like to follow consistently for three months, (and hopefully by then it'll all be habit!) They are:

• Eat mostly fruits and vegetables. They are good for you and it's nearly impossible to have too much!
• Eat whole grains and stay away from processed foods as much as possible.
• Drastically limit my soda intake, (to 0-1 every few weeks.)
• Eat a good breakfast every single day.
• Drink at least 100oz. of water a day.
• Count my calories and stick to a certain amount a day, (I'm thinking 1,200-1,400.)
• Exercise 3-5 times per week.
• Develop a good sleeping schedule, (aiming for 6 hours of sleep a night.)
• Do not eat after 8:00pm

I'm hoping if I follow these I will not only lose 10-20 pounds, but feel better and look better. I notice that when I'm living a healthier life I tend to feel better about, well, pretty much everything. When I eat out a lot or scarf down sweets, I always feel bloated and nasty. I want to gain some self confidence and be proud of who I am. The weight loss thing isn't my biggest concern, I mostly just want to feel better being myself.

I will weigh myself tomorrow morning, just so I can keep track, and let you all know how I'm doing over the next three months! (I'm also hoping that if I track my progress on a blog, it will motivate me to NOT cheat at all. This is going to be difficult, but what in life isn't?)

Wish me luck!!

P.s. Also, to help me decide which foods will be best for me and help me get the greatest results, I will be following the Glycemic Index Diet. I have done this once before and wish I would have never stopped. It made me feel better than anything else I've tried, and sometimes you need those lists of what you can and cannot eat right in front of your face to get you started.