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A New Leaf

Happy Monday! I'm starting my week with excuses. You haven't seen a new book from me for over a year now. What's my excuse?

A. The dog ate my manuscript.
B. My writing is terrible and no one wants a book from me.
C. I'm going through a major personal transformation.

If you chose A... wrong. Though I wouldn't be surprised. I have two corgis and one of them, Bandit, (the tricolor) is a major force of destruction. You can follow Bandit and Pepper on Instagram! (Yes, they have their own page).



If you chose B... fortunately wrong, but you've hit on the secret fear of writers everywhere. The fabulous Deb Werksman, my editor at Sourcebooks, still wants more from me, but we haven't agreed on a new proposal. And I've stopped sending them for now because...

C! C is correct. It all started with a haircut.

For years, I had long hair. Or at least just-past-my-shoulders hair. And I was fine with that. But I had a hair appointment. "Let's go really short!" And we did. And I realized I should have done it sooner. Love it!

With my short hair, I felt younger and sassier, and I started writing something I'd had in mind for years, a Young Adult coming-of-age story about a friendship breaking up while a new love begins. And I'm loving the YA world.

Which led to... the doctor's appointment that changed the rest of me. I had a regular check-up. Everything looked good. "But what about my weight?" I asked my doctor. "I keep trying to lose weight, but it's hard."

She said, well, my weight could be better. But despite the pounds I was carrying, my health was good. She left it up to me. What do you want to do?

And I realized... I wanted to lose the weight. I love food, all kinds of food, and wine. I wasn't a major over-eater, but I didn't deny myself much either. We discussed how I could cut back or make better choices, and how I could maybe walk more, if anything. "Just do a little something," she said, "Make small changes or different choices every day and see what happens."

And I did. I didn't go on a drastic diet. I didn't stop eating food I loved or change to all fruits and vegetables or go gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, or even low carb. I started drinking more water (64 oz a day, every day). I started realizing when I was really full and stopping, instead of waiting to feel full before ending a meal. Smaller portions. Maybe not so many treats. Definitely less wine. A few (though honestly still not enough) more walks.

I started in June. Today, I'm down 51 pounds. Small changes add up!

Now I'm getting ready for the holidays. I'm a little worried about all the food-based activities, but I think I can manage to stay on track. I want to lose 30 more pounds. I've got my goals in mind. And maybe, just maybe, you'll see a new book from me out in 2018. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to find out more.

Have you tried something new lately? What inspires you to step outside your comfort zone? Do you have any tips to avoid holiday weight gain? 






Comments

  1. It is the small changes that one can continue that make for the best success. Good for you! I have problems with winter weight gain because of the holiday foods and festivities, too. I find that eating a large healthy snack before going out to such a festivity is helpful. Am also always looking for helpful hints in this.

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    Replies
    1. Eating a good healthy snack at home before heading to holiday parties, great tip. Thanks!

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  2. You look great! You're inspiring me too.

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