One year ago, I figured out that one of the major things missing from my life was discipline. So, I decided to make some changes in 2010. I decided to change everything from the way I eat to how I spend my money. I set out to exercise discipline in every aspect of my life.

And, one year later, I think it has been a success. It wasn’t easy and I didn’t always exercise discpline, but I managed to improve every aspect I set out to improve, with results I’d call wildy successful.

I. Health and Wellbeing

The first, and probably most important, area I tackled was improving my physical health. I set out to eat healthier, and to eat less, not so much to lose weight, but to improve how I felt physically. I also wanted to stick to a strict workout schedule.

I started off strong, committing to a workout regime that I stuck to for a few months. Then I hurt my back and stopped working out. But, I refocused and got back into an exercise plan that I managed to stick to through the end of the year.

That combined with my strict eating plan, which involved making healthier choices and paying more attention to the amounts of food I consumed, led to 48 lbs lost in 2010. These weren’t drastic and dramatic changes. I simply ate more-structured meals, cut out my snacking, and paid attention to calories.

And, making such simple and small changes ensures me that I’ll stick to this plan and continue losing weight until I get to my goal weight. I’d like to lose about 20 more lbs, and with what I started in 2010, there’s no doubt that I will make and possibly exceed that goal.

I also had a physical towards the end of the year and was told I was in very good health, with very good blood pressure and excellent cholesterol. So, there’s that!

II. Financial

I set out in 2010 to take care of some of the financial issues resulting from my divorce. My financials were not in horrible shape, but they certainly weren’t where I wanted them. So, I set out to improve them.

In 2010, I was able to pay off my highest-interest credit card, which was a huge deal. It felt good to see it go down every month until it was eventually gone. I was very happy to be able to do that, and it makes me feel good to know I’m going into my new marriage with less debt.

I’d call that a success.

With that said, I need to continue paying down this debt. If I stick to the financial discpline that I exercise in 2010, by the end of 2011 I will be very close to being completely out of revolving debt. I have no reason to think I won’t be able to reach that goal because I laid a solid foundation by paying off that credit card in 2010.

III. Social

I’ve never really been a social person by nature, so making more of an effort to get out and meet people and experience new things was difficult. It’s not that I avoid it as much as I just don’t really think much about it.

Looking back, I have made some strides in socializing. I met some new people, and developed stronger relationships with some of my friends. I can’t say I’ve reached my goal, but I am certainly on my way.

I don’t know that I’d call it a huge success, but I am making progress, which is a small victory.

IV. Focus 

Lastly, I set out to improve my overall focus, both personally and professionally. I wanted to grow in both areas, and I think that in 2010, I have.

Thanks in part to a marriage course Nadia and I took through our church, we strengthened our relationship. Our communication and the way we interact improved dramaticall. It’s not that it was bad in the first place, but we learned healthier ways of communication and resolving disagreements. This has helped strengthen our bond and ensures we have a solid foundation on which to build our marriage.

The course also helped me relate better to my daughter, and be a better father to her. It helped me take a more active role with Nyah and develop a stronger relationship with her. I’ve been very pleased with how our relationship has improved.

The course and literature I read for the course also helped me deal with my ex-wife better. I never had animosity towards her, but we certainly didn’t talk much and when we did it was awkward. I worked on making sure to be clear and talking our issues out. And while it’s still a work in progress, it has definitely improved, and helped us get on the same page for Nyah’s sake.

Professionally, I’ve seen some growth and have learned new technologies for work, as well as getting back into my original business, journalism. I’ve made more strides in journalism than I have in the technical writing arena, but I’m pleased with the progress I’ve made in both areas. In 2011, I need to keep growing into this job otherwise I’ll get stuck.

All in all, 2010 was a good year. 48 lbs lost. 1 high-interest credit card paid off. Stronger relationships with Nadia and Nyah. And, the ability to communicate with my ex for my daughter’s sake. I’d call that pretty successful.

Following Thanksgiving, I gained a couple of pounds because I didn’t count calories.. I decided to stop counting calories over the break to allow myself to eat how I wanted to so I could have a break. But, I also made sure not to let my eating get out of control.

It took me about a week and a half to lose the weight I gained, and now, two weeks later, I’ve managed to take a little more. That puts me down a total 46 lbs. Can you believe it?

Still, I haven’t been walking in the mornings, like I used to. I need to get back into that.

I still have more weight to lose and hope to get down 50 by the end of the year. That would not only be awesome, but it would fulfill one of the biggest goals I had when I started this Y of D thing.

I’m also pleased to say that in three days, I will have paid off my credit card with the highest interest rate. I’m glad because that card was carrying some of my divorce debt. And, while it’s not eliminating all of the divorce debt, getting rid of a large portion of it is nice.

I’m also managing to save some money for the upcoming wedding and am ahead of schedule in regards to my plan. So, I’m psyched about that.

All in all, as we close out the year, I will say that this has been a successful year.

Before the holiday, I vowed that I wouldn’t try to count calories and, in exchange, I also wouldn’t over indulge and put on some of the weight I lost.

I will say that I did eat alot on Thanksgiving, and the days surrounding it because family was in town. But, I don’t feel like I ate as much as I would over previous Thanksgivings. I didn’t eat until I was completely stuffed this year, which is a good thing.

I had a lot of desserts that were high in fat and calories, I’m sure. But even with those, I think I cut my consumption down by at least a third, maybe even half, compared to previous years. I think that’s pretty good. It’s not great, though, because I still ate a lot.

I allowed myself to eat more than usual up until Monday because I felt like if I tried to restrict myself any more than that, I would’ve binged a day or two after T-Day. I’m not sure whether or not it worked. I weight myself once a week, usually on the same day at the same time. So, it might take a few weeks to see the effects of the meal on my weight.

I went back to walking on the Monday after Thanksgiving. I did two miles in the morning, and four miles in the evening. Tuesday and today, it was raining so I didn’t walk. That’s not the reason I didn’t walk, but it’s a convenient excuse. If it rains tomorrow, I’m still going to get up and walk. I can’t afford to miss three days after having such large meals over the holiday weekend.

Other than that, things have been going well. Had a physical before the holiday and my cholesterol was “excellent,” the doc said. My vitamin D was low, so he’s got me taking a supplement.

Anyway, I feel good. I feel pretty good about how I ate over the holiday, but I won’t truly know the effects for a few weeks, so we’ll see.

Anyway, back at it!

So, another week has gone by and things are going pretty well. I’ve continued walking daily and I have been consistent with my eating. I’m down a whopping total of 42 lbs down, which means I’m still on track. I try not to lose more than three pounds a week because I read somewhere that isn’t good for your body.

Anyway, I’ve been walking roughly four miles per day, two in the morning and two in the evening. The time in the morning allows me to get ready for the day. It’s a peaceful way to start the day. Personally, I liked it better when it was dark, but with the time change, it’s lighter and more people are milling about. Still, it’s nice to have that time to myself.

In the evenings, I walk with Nadia, which allows us to catch up on what went on during the day and really connect. We recently took a marriage course through church, and the instructor mentioned how he and his wife meet on their porch every night to talk/connect. When I first heard it, I thought it was kind of silly. But, now that Nadia and I are doing it when we walk, I can see the benefits.

I’m still on track to pay off one of my credit cards by the end of the year. That’s always good news. A large part of this YoD thing was to get out of debt. There’s no reason, at my salary, that I should be sruggling, so I need to become more financially responsible. Paying off this credit card is a good indication that I have done that, so I’m excited about that.

So, all is good in the hood…

A little over a month ago, I fell out of my rhythm in the Year Of Discipline, and began eating more junk. I also stopped working out. Up to that point, I lost 32 lbs and was feeling good. Then, I injured my back and developed shingles. After that, I didn’t really get back into working out.

Slowly, I gained weight. Then, I’d lose it. Then I’d gain more. Then I’d lose it. While my weight was fluctuating, I wasn’t being very disciplined. I did manage to avoid my old eating habits, but I wasn’t as disciplined as I had been.

So, at the beginning of October, I got back into the YoD. I began limiting myself to a 1800 – 2000 calorie diet and began walking regularly every morning and afternoon. As a result, I’ve lost 40 lbs. That’s a toddler.

I still have more to lose, but it’s nice to have dropped so much weight. It’s also nice to see progress. It helps me remain committed.

When you see the weight coming off, it serves as a reminder to stick with it, when you’re feeling like you can’t. It helps motivate me when I don’t feel like walking.

Just now, I received an email that there was cake in the kitchen. I love cake just as much as the next person. So, before the YoD, I would have been all over it. But now, I am not even tempted to eat it because I see how the discipline is working. I see the progress and I can fall back on that when I need it to stay motivated.

Anyway… I’m just glad to be down 40 lbs, and I feel great!

Sunday was a tough day because it was Halloween. It’s difficult to avoid candy when it’s in the house. And, because we buy in bulk to save money, we got a lot of Halloween candy this year.

Unfortunately, we had to look at a wedding venue Sunday late afternoon, and I think that’s when a lot of the kids came around. We only got two sets of trick-or-treaters, so we ended up with a lot of extra candy. Too much extra candy!

So, resisting the temptation was hard, especially Sunday. I had more candy than I should have, but I managed to stop myself before it got really out of hand. I didn’t go over my calorie count for the day, but I was at the highest point without going over — 2,200 calories. I try to stay around 2,000 calories.

Since then, it has been much easier to control. but, I still find myself wanting the candy. I pick it up and start to open it before realizing that I don’t need it, I’m just being greedy. I ultimately end up putting it back, but it’s still hard to resist. I think I’ve done a decent job of it, though.

I overslept yesterday, and had a late-morning commitment, so I didn’t walk. But, when Nadia came home, we went for a 6-mile walk. It was chilly and I was exhausted afterwards, but i’m glad we went. I also walked 2 miles this morning.

So, I’m still on track, plugging away.

I’ve been very good lately, both in food consumption and exercise. In the last week, I’ve walked at least two miles per day. On some days, I’ve actually walked four miles, two in the morning and two in the evening with my financee.

I’ve made sure to stay around 2,000 calories per day. I try really hard not to go over 2,200 calories in a given day, but considering that at my starting weight, I needed to eat 3,200 calories per day to sustain my weight, I think cutting to 2,200 has helped.

On Thursday, I had to attend one of my daughter’s school functions. As a result, I didn’t get to walk in the morning. I noticed a drastic change in my energy level. I felt more tired, and a little more grumpy. I don’t know if it was the lack of exercise, which led me to being more tired, or if it was the lack of solitary time and the calming that brings. Either way, not walking seemed to affect my energy level more than I thought.

In terms of finances, I’m on track to pay off a credit card by the end of the year. This is a good thing, and wouldn’t be happening if not for discipline. I can’t say this has been incredibly hard, but there a lot of things I’d rather be buying, and the fact that I’m not is showing that I have the discipline to pay down my credit card debt in the next two years.

I’ve also said that I can pay off my debt in two years. As a matter of fact, the last couple of years, I think I’ve always said that in two years, I’ll be in much better shape financially. But, while I was making improvement, I was never where I wanted to be — or where I thought I’d be at least.

Now that I have a specific, two-year plan, I can clearly track my progress and I can see the CC balances going down, while my savings balances go up.

So, as we rapidly approach the end of the year, I think that I’m getting where I want to be. And, that’s obviously a good thing…

Finally, I got back on track, and it’s been really good. I’ve been walking every morning, at least two miles. It’s hard to get up, but I feel so much better and more peaceful when I do it.

This week, I walked six miles on Monday, then a little over two miles daily for the rest of the week. I also monitor my calories and ensure that I eat between 1800 and 2200. 

I lost 32 lbs when I first started this year of discipline thing. I wasn’t really watching my calories. After my medical issue, I gained seven of those 32 back. I struggled with my eating and exercising for a while.

When I got back into it, I started with eating. I kept putting off exercise — consistent exercise, that is — until this week. And, now that I’m back on track, I feel loads better.

I am also happy to report I’m now down 36 lbs. I lost all of the weight I gained back, and then some. It feels much better to be back…

It’s been five days since my last posting, and I’m pleased to say that I’ve stayed on track with my eating. It feels good to say that. I feel like my eating habits are getting back to where they were before I let them lapse.

I’ve kept my eating in check for the last five days, and I feel good about it. I’ve been staying within my calorie count over the last five days, and I feel healthier.

Like I said before, I still need to get back to working out, but I have been trying to increase the amount I walk and Nadia and I take walks frequently during the week. Sure, I don’t burn as much as I did when I was working out consistently, but it certainly is something.

It’s only been a few days since I decided to get back on track with the Year of Discipline, but things are going okay. They’re not yet where they need to be, but they’re getting there — I can see some progress.

I’ve improved my eating habits a bit. I’m not as disciplined as I was before, but I am getting back to that level. I’m curbing the amount of food I eat, and eliminating some of the snacks that crept back into my life — mainly ice cream sandwiches. I didn’t buy them when I went to the store yesterday, which is a small accomplishment.

Last week, I would have. And, I would’ve had at least two. So, avoiding those is one of the many steps I have to take to get back on track.

I’ve also cut down on my TV watching. I still watch a good amount of TV, don’t get me wrong. Just not the amount I was watching before, which has allowed me to take care of some things around the house that I have been putting off.

I still need to get back into working out. I have a feeling that’s going to be my biggest struggle. I’ve upped my level of physical activity, but I’m still not working out. The goal, for now, is to ease my was back into it next week.

I’ve been known to procrastinate, though, so I have to be careful to make sure that I actually start next week, instead of saying I am going to and then not doing it.

Anyway, things are going okay. Again, not where they need to be. But I can see some progress is being made.