My New Year’s Resolution — How Things Are Going So Far (One Month In)
January has come and gone (can you even believe it?!), so I thought I’d check in and share with you how the first month of my resolution for 2024 went. My New Year’s resolution for 2024 was to go a whole year without eating sugar, with the exception of six free days, which would be my birthday in June, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, plus three additional days of my choosing.
The more I thought about it (and after reading some your comments), I realized that those six free days may not be a good idea. I still haven’t ruled them out completely. I’m definitely the type of person who does much better if I completely abstain rather than trying the whole “everything in moderation” thing, but I’m also the type of person who struggles if I don’t give myself a tiny bit of wiggle room. That doesn’t mean I’ll take advantage of that wiggle room
Anyway, the good news is that I made it the whole month of January with no sugar, and I didn’t even struggle a single bit! And y’all, every Wednesday night when we host our church group, people bring brownies, cookies, etc. And I wasn’t even tempted in the least.
I chalk that up to the fact that I’ve really been concentrating on eating a high protein diet. I have a dear friend in the Houston area who is very into fitness and nutrition. She’s been teaching fitness classes for about two decades (maybe longer), and currently teaches classes like the Les Mills Bodypump and Bodycombat classes. She’s been stressing to me how important it is to get enough protein in my diet, and when I figured how much I had been eating, I was WAY under what I needed. As in, I wasn’t even getting half of what I needed. No wonder I was always craving junk!
She’s also been encouraging me to focus more on weight lifting instead of cardio. Not that cardio isn’t important, but she has encouraged me to make the weight lifting a priority. If I have an hour to exercise, I’ll start with weights and then do cardio. But if I only have 20 minutes, I prioritize weights. So that has been fun! I’ve gotten so much use out of our home gym in this past month! I love having this dedicated space. It’s so convenient. (If you haven’t seen our home gym, you can click here to see more pictures.)
But back to diet. As soon as I made protein a priority, all of those cravings for sweets went away completely. In addition to the high protein and no sugar, I’ve basically been trying to maintain a generally low carb diet. I’m not doing keto, specifically, in that I’m not counting macros (except for protein), but after doing keto for so long, I generally know what I can and can’t eat, or rather, what I should and shouldn’t eat.
When I shared my New Year’s resolution, I had some people ask if I was talking about only sugary desserts, or if I was talking about anything that turns to sugar in the body (like pasta and other processed carbs), or any food that may have “hidden sugar” in it. My New Year’s resolution was specifically about eliminating sugary treats since those have always been my downfall. But again, as one who has done keto off and on for years, I’m pretty good staying away from the other things as well.
My routine has been to eat strict low carb/high protein on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday — the days I generally stay home and don’t have regularly scheduled plans. Matt eats a strict carnivore diet, and his food is delivered by Butcherbox every month, so I don’t even have to shop for him. And when I shop for myself, I stick to the outer walls of the grocery store — fresh produce, meat, and a few dairy products, like cheese, heavy whipping cream (for my coffee), and butter. That’s pretty much all I buy for myself. I almost never eat boxed or canned food, so I’m not constantly reading labels to see if there are any of those hidden sugars.
My two more lenient days of the week are Sunday, when I go out out to eat with my family at a steak house that has yummy bread. I try to make sure my meal is low carb, but I do allow myself to eat some of the bread. And then on Wednesday, I have lunch with my mom and brother at various restaurants. I try to choose my meal wisely, but I’m not religiously counting macros. And if we go to Rosa’s Cafe, I’m always going to get fajitas, and I’ll eat one or two of the tortillas, but I’ll swap out the rice and beans for extra lettuce and tomatoes. And then we have a meal with our Wednesday evening group, and I’ll eat that meal (whatever it is) minus the desserts.
Desserts have always been my downfall. If I could live on a diet of cookies, cake, ice cream, and candy bars, I would be as happy as a dog in a mud puddle. So those were the things that needed to go. So what results have I seen in the first month?
I’ve lost 11.7 pounds since January 1st. I’ve dropped a size in pants (which I attribute not only to diet, but also to all of those kettlebell swings I’ve been doing every day!), and I feel more resolve than I have in a very long time. Eating all of that protein and focusing on weight lifting is also resulting in an increase in strength, which has become very obvious to me when I do my kettlebell swings. When I first started, I struggled to do just a few swings with 20 pounds. But I kept on, and my strength and endurance increased. About the middle of the month, I increased my swings to 25 pounds, and that is feeling too easy for me now. I think I’m about ready to increase to 30 pounds soon. If you don’t know what a kettlebell swing is, you can learn about it here.
So it’s been a fun journey so far! And I’ve been so encouraged that I’m not continually struggling with cravings for sugary treats. It’s amazing to me that I went from constantly thinking about sugar and desserts, to now, not giving it any thought except on Wednesday nights. And even then, my only thought is amazement at how easy it is to say no. That’s the magic of protein! I’m convinced of it!
I’m excited to see how I do in another month. I’ll check in at the end of February and let y’all know how it’s going.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Great success! Stick with it. I know you can do anything you set your mind to.
LOVE THIS! In the past year or so I really gotten into weightlifting, minimal cardio. It is so fun and challenging! I also prioritize protein and I do track but just my calories and protein – the carbs and fats are the rest. I like the number crunching lol. It is a slow process but I will just keep chugging along. Congrats and keep up the great work!
Kristi, fantastic news all around. Congratulations.
I love the fact that you are more focused on weights vs cardio. So healthy for a plethora of reasons. I would recommend you speak to your friend and/or do some research on weight training in regards to upping the weight It is generally recommended to increase weight every 6 weeks, not as it becomes easier and increasing too quickly is a recipe for injuries.
Ask me how I know 🙄
Thank you for sharing! I’m encouraged to try this too!
Great job on creating a new lifestyle! I believe the protein and weightlifting are the key. Finally a healthy way to live without starving ourselves! 👍
Dear Kristi,
Good for you! After an extended illness I’ve recently begun to actively track (and up) my protein to try to gain back strength. The recommendations are all over the place for how much protein a women needs. How many grams of protein are you aiming for per day, per pound of weight?
Thanks!
YHWH Bless You : )
I’m aiming for one gram of protein per pound of my goal weight.
Congratulations on such a wonderful beginning to your new life of fitness. I stopped eating sugar over 30 years ago and I don’t miss it. It’s a matter of listening to your brain, giving it positive thoughts and moving forward with confidence. Good for you!
Good for you! Just think where you’ll be at the end of ’24! Great job!
Kristi — You are an inspiration to me and many others! Thank you. Pass the protein.
so what is it that you eat on a high protein diet? I have to lose a lot and it is hard to get started with a husband who won’t eat chicken.
At home, I mainly eat beef, chicken, veggies, cheese, and butter. You can make a meal of a ribeye steak and a veggie or side salad. Or if ribeye isn’t in the budget, one of my favorite meals is a large ground beef patty with cheddar cheese melted over the top, and then stir fried onions and bell pepper and picante sauce on top. I personally don’t need (or have time for) elaborate meals. I stick with easy, high protein, and very satisfying meals. As long as you’re eating lots of protein with some fat, you should be very satiated.
Good job Kristi. I know you can keep it up.
Loved hearing your progress with no sugar! Working with weights was encouragement for me. Thanks! I’d love to hear a report every month!
Wow! Thanks for this update. It is encouraging for all of us. I need to go back to low-carb. And I have been reading that women need adequate protein. Thanks for the details on what you are doing. It will help me plan as I aim to increase protein and decrease carbs.
This is so exciting! Keep living your best life.
What a fun and positive post. Thanks for sharing your struggles and successes— both personal and decorater.
Kristi,
I loved reading about your New Years resolution progress. You’ve got it going in a good way. Glad you have your home gym to do the workout fitness part of your new plan. 11.7 pounds lost in one month is fantastic progress. Congrats!
Kristi!! Congratulations –> 11.7 pounds since January 1st!! Nice job. What a testament to paying attention to form and fitness, and your diet. Thanks for the link regarding the Kettlebell Swing. Keep going! Whoo-hoo!
Well done! Love your blog so much.
I’m also an ‘all or nothing’ person so completely understand and am the same – can’t do all things in moderation … uh what even is that?! ;).
Accountability is the single greatest motivator for me – so i’m sure your desire to report back helps.
Have a great Feb and you’ve inspired me to go and pick up my kettlebells again.
Will you post or reply as to how many grams of protein you’re eating now? Ias encouraged by your plan so I’ve done my version of it, in that I’m not eating treats especially after dinner. I’m starting with small things and eating my regular diet which includes cereal, sandwiches, meat and fish. For now I’m just trying to break the refined sugar habit. So far so good. I just wish I hadn’t bought all those tiny Your Peppermint Patties.
Hope Matt feels better.
My daily goal is one gram of protein per pound of my goal weight, which is 137. And I make sure I’m eating plenty of good fats (ie, animal fats, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc, but absolutely no seed oils!!). The protein and fat working together, plus eating enough salt (contrary to popular opinion, most of us need more salt, not less), keep me satiated so I don’t even crave sweets.
In my previous comment, I mentioned an MD who owns a weight loss clinic. She said that the body can only use 30 grams of protein at a time and any excess over that just makes expensive urine. Lol So if you’re eating only 3 times a day (which is about all I can handle on my diet which is similar to yours), then you don’t need anymore than 90 grams. Make sure you’re consuming at least 30g after your weight exercises. For your body to use 137g, you’d have to eat 5 times a day at least 2 hours apart. That’s really not necessary and would be impossible for me personally. You’re doing fantastic!! There’s strength in Christ Jesus!!
Thanks for the tip and reminder of protein!
I am so proud of you for sticking to your sugar free diet and for doing your exercises. If I had a home gym, I still would not go in it to exercise. Over 11 pounds in a month. You go girl. That is great. I lost 20 lbs in 2023 and did absolutely nothing to get the weight off. I guess getting older just makes the body trim down..I don’t know, but my doctor is happy. I know Matt is proud of you too. I know you had more than “no sugar” on your goals. Sew how are the curtains coming along? The Studio paint? On these beautiful days, I’m guessing you are getting work done in the Studio. And now you will be stronger to lift all those paint cans!!
Thanks for the update! Good work on your resolutions.
It is wonderful that your workout plan is working for you! You are fortunate to have a friend who is a fitness instructor. She is absolutely right about focusing more on resistance training (weights) than cardio and you are finding that out with your results. I used to be very into bodybuilding and would be asked by friends what they could do to get fit and lose weight. I always told them to lift weights, but only ONE lady ever listened to me. She got amazing results and was thrilled! I’m so happy for you and I’m so glad you took your friend’s advice.
Keep up the great work!!
Love that you are experiencing success with your resolution! Protein and weight lifting change the body like no other forms of eating and exercise, and not just visual change but metabolic change. Dr. Gabrielle Lyons is a great resource of motivation in this area; she recently published “Forever Strong,” and I have listened to a few podcasts (including her own) explaining her research and findings. Keep up the great work!
For a snack or meal to curb hunger or the desire to want to eat, it must have at least 12 grams of protein. I got this tip from a MD who owns a weight loss clinic. Plant protein isn’t absorbed by the body as well as whey/animal protein, so you would need more grams with a plant-only protein. So a cheese stick with only 6 g in it won’t last long, but if I eat 2, it could actually take the place of a meal… my stomach won’t growl for hours. Since I stopped eating things out of bags and boxes about a year ago, my stomach seldom ever growls. Sometimes I have to force myself to eat. I also cut out all seed oils – I make my own mayo using organic avocado oil and I only eat high quality grass fed butter. It’s a miserable existence when food controls you but it’s reversible! I also pray daily about it… my human willpower is pathetic. lol
You’re really doing a great job….I’m encouraged by your success. I guess fruit is off your plan since it typically has alot of sugars in it. Of course berries might be okay…but I love my fruit. UGH.
I don’t avoid it 100%, but I’m not a person who just craves fruit. But every once in a while, I do eat strawberries or melon. I try to avoid the high carb stuff like pineapple.