Drum roll please.... here's the Monday morning weigh in:
Monday Weight In
Start of Week: 143.0
End of Week: 141.0
Pounds Lost: 2.0
Total Lost: 29 (so close to 30!)
If every week was like this week, I would reach my target weight of 130 pounds by May 10th, ahead of my target date (May 12th) - yay! And I really didn't do so great with exercising this week, so it was encouraging to still see the weight come off!
Several people have asked me what motivated me to start losing weight this year, and to be honest, it's a little bit hard to explain! In some ways, I felt like it was time to just do it, but in other ways, I can see that the last few years have prepared me to be ready to 'go all out' like I have been this year.
I can't say enough about how important it was for me to not have everything change at once. I don't think that going from where I was a few years ago to the system I have in place this year is possible overnight.
For example, until a couple of years ago, I basically never exercised. More importantly, I didn't consider myself to be a person who exercised. I just wasn't "that type" of person. But then in 2009 I started biking a little bit here and there with friends, and in 2010 I had the crazy idea to sign up for a triathlon with some friends from work. Training for the triathlon taught me that I could exercise (even though I didn't always enjoy it). After 5 months of training, I still couldn't run more than 4 miles straight, but I finished the triathlon and it definitely felt good to accomplish my goal!
I'd like to say that I kept up with an exercise routine after the triathlon, but I didn't. I really didn't do anything consistently until a year later, when I started running again last October to prepare for the half marathon I ran this year. But the most important thing that the triathlon taught me was that I could exercise, I could train for something and that there is not just one type of person who can exercise - anyone can! Some people are just most naturally athletic or enjoy it more, but we can all do it!
The other changes that had to take place in my life were to be more aware of what I was eating, and also to cook more at home. Last summer I went on a half hearted attempt to lose weight that didn't really work, but it did prepare me for this year's weight loss - I started cooking more, and I signed up for (an occasionally used) the MyFitnessPal account that I use now every day. I was never very consistent with counting calories, but when I did, it made me much more aware of what I was eating. I did start to enjoy cooking, and once Sam and I started dating and we were cooking together (for two people, not one - makes a big difference!), I started cooking a lot more. This definitely built my confidence in the kitchen, because before I also didn't really see myself as '"that type" of person (see a trend here? its pretty silly now that I think about it, but it was true).
Anyway, I share all of this to say that weight loss is a lot of work, and depending on your starting point, it may be a long journey to get there. If you are just getting started, and you are like I was, I would spend a few months just adjusting to cooking for yourself and learning how to exercise before worrying about counting all of your calories and planning all of your meals to meet a calorie goal, etc. Start by making manageable changes to be healthier, and as they become a normal part of your life, add a new challenge. You will get there eventually!
Which brings me back to why I decided to lose weight at all. Obviously, I wanted to look better and have clothes shopping be easier and overall improve my confidence about my appearance. But it is also about having a healthy lifestyle. One wake up call for me was when I thought about where I would be in 25 years. My mom & I have often commiserated about our weight and how clothes never fit, and how (even though we both know exercise & fewer calories = weight loss) it is so hard to lose any weight! But the reality was, even though we were around the same size (although I was a bit heavier), I am only 25! When my Mom was 25, she was about 110 pounds! And that's when I realized that if I didn't do something about my habits, I would be well over 200 pounds in 25 years. So I think that's what really put things in perspective and kicked me into gear - thinking about my future. (And no offense to my Mom - if I look like her in 25-30 years, I'll be quite happy with that!)
I don't know what your motivation will be, but thinking about my long-term well-being and building heathy habits that will last a lifetime definitely helped me start taking my health seriously. So I would encourage you to start small & slow and set yourself up for success. Try to build a sustainable system that can last for years, rather than a fad diet to lose weight quick. Being patient with yourself is more productive than burning out or regaining all of your lost weight because you didn't build good habits along the way!
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