New Year New Body 2013

Right now I’m staring at two half-eaten packets of chocolates, a box of Belgian truffles, and thinking about waddling into the kitchen for some more Brie. Although I managed to lose a stone and keep it off this year for various reasons I fell off the diet wagon and with some very exciting things coming up I definitely need to get back on it in 2013. But  I don’t intend to start eating sensibly until January 2nd, when once again I’ll be joining in with New Year New Body.

Basically this is a facebook support group where a group of us  – mums and bloggers –  help each other with our shared goal of getting healthier and feeling better about our bodies, because research has shown you’re much more likely to lose weight successfully if you do it with support. There’s no judging, and everyone’s in the same boat. You can follow any diet/exercise regime you choose, as long as you stick to the basic principles of New Year New Body:

1. You commit to weigh yourself (or measure yourself, if you prefer) once a week. On a Tuesday we all post our weight loss – however miniscule – in the facebook group. You don’t have to tell anyone your weight – but sharing your weight loss helps keep you motivated and will give the rest of the group a chance to share in your success. NB: New Year New Body starts on January 2nd 2013 and that’s the date you should weigh yourself and set your first goal (see below) – but you can join in at any time.

2. You share your goal with the New Year New Body facebook group, in three week or six week increments, and you agree not to lose more than a stone – 14lb – in 6 weeks (or half a stone – 7lb in 3 weeks). New Year New Body is about sensible, sustainable weight loss, and a commitment to changing your lifestyle. It’s not about quick fixes or dangerous dieting. If you’re only interested in crash dieting, this is not the group for you. (And you need to try REALLY hard not to weigh yourself more than once a week, because it’s counter-productive. Trust me.)

3. The only person who can get your body in shape is you. We can encourage you and support you and try to keep you motivated but you have to do the hard work yourself. A good tip to help keep yourself motivated is to get an unflattering picture of yourself and stick it on the fridge or cupboard, or hang a favourite outfit that doesn’t fit at the moment on the outside of your wardrobe and keep trying it on as you lose weight.

Oh and do join in on twitter – the hashtag is #NewYearNewBody.

Meanwhile, here are some pictures of lovely desserts. The Christmas pudding I enjoyed at The Dorchester a few weeks ago, and the Lemon Tart I ate at my cousin’s wedding celebration. A moment on the lips, etc, etc.

(If you have any health concerns or worries, please seek the advice of your GP before starting New Year New Body.)

And if you’d like a New Year New Body 2013 badge for your blog, just drop me an email via the contact form 🙂