Happy New Year Everyone!
I've only lost a few pounds this year but I'm very happy with my progress because I've lost a lot of fat and gained a lot of (heavier but slim) muscle. Since January of 2008 I've managed to go for regular long walks a few times a week almost every week. I've kept a log of my mileage and have been averaging about 15 miles per week (with the exception of a few lazy weeks throughout the year).
My legs are a lot slimmer than a year ago, my butt has totally firmed up :-) and my middle-age belly is looking a lot better. I think the walking has even helped tone up my upper arms, as I haven't done any other kind of exercises but my arms feel much more toned.
I'm not overweight on the BMI scale but it would still be nice to weigh 10 pounds less. I've got an ambitious goal to walk an average of 30 miles per week for 2009. Doubling my mileage over last year may be a bit unrealistic and I likely won't be able to complete my New Year's Resolution but it feels worth shooting for.
I've really gotten to enjoy my walks and feel pretty keen about trying to meet the new goal. One thing I have to confess is I've been using a little prop that I don't think I could do without.
Walking would seem a little too boring without it. My personal secret motivator for getting out on that walk is the tiny little iPod I bought for under $80. (The price has since gone down to $49 as in the image above). My routine before every walk is to load up my iPod with about one hour of podcasts that I can listen to while walking.
I pass by a lot of other people walking or jogging with some sort of iPod or other type of MP3 device. I'm sure most of them are listening to music as they exercise. But in my case, I never download music as I find the podcasts are way more interesting. All the stuff I listen to is free and my favorite are the daily podcasts put out by NPR radio, the New York Times, Bloomberg News and some free Buddhist podcasts.
The iPod is so tiny that it's hard to find when you misplace it. There's been a few times when I couldn't find it and that was enough (not fully justified) reason to cancel my walk on those days.
I haven't paid any attention to limiting my food intake in 2008 and I don't plan on it in 2009. I think the increased exercise could easily do the trick of losing the weight. I have however been trying to limit my food intake to just healthy foods. Recently I stopped eating as much bread and cheese as this used to be my staple easy snack or lunch. I'm now eating wheat alternative breads but also choosing other types of snacks much more often.
I haven't posted here for a couple of months but hope to post regularily in 2009. A new year is here and there will be lots of success stories to write about.
Wishing you all a lot of resolve and motivation in your New Year's Resolutions!
Check out this page where Weight Watchers features their five finalists for inspiring weight loss stories for 2008.
Pamela has lost 13 inches from her waist. She's down to 118 pounds, from a high of 215 in July of 2007. She lost the weight by changing her diet and doing pool exercises. 
In the 'before photo' here Debra Flinn weighs 216 pounds at her height of 5'5". 
Michael lost 56 pounds recently over about five months. He says eating less of the same foods does not work.
This is a vegetarian diet focused on lots of beans, oatmeal and vegetables. He also walked between 20 and 30 miles per week. His weight loss averaged between 2.5 and 3.5 pounds a week.
Carl, age 29, decided to get fit again. He's lost 50 pounds and gone from a size XXL to a size medium. His preferred way back to optimum health was to join a gym and start up kick-boxing. 
Holly shows us how to make delicious veggie burgers at home. It's an easy recipe and the two key ingredients are lentils and walnuts - two of the most nutritious foods that most people don't eat enough of. 