I guess I'd better get some picture updates on here soon, but I'm happy to say that I'm starting to feel the effects of my progress. I'm so excited to be only "overweight" now. I've made it into the 180's and out of the BMI "obese" section, so it feels pretty awesome to join the many who are just carrying an extra 30 lbs or so. I'm half way to goal and am still on target to get there by early October.
I must say, though, that I'm a little nervous as I enter this stretch; since summer is always a more challenging time for me. Looking at my journal from my last major weight loss in 2008, I got to just this point at just this time, and lost steam. I stopped losing and gained back 15 lbs between June and September. Yikes!! I just can't let that happen this time. I'm hoping that my new habits (as opposed to a diet) still feel good, right and comfortable and will stick even through party season. I guess awareness and my new attitude can be my fuel to keep me on this path that I've been enjoying; despite any obsticles along the way.
Conversely, I'll feel that much more of a sense of accomplishment to make it through this last half and stay there. THAT alone should provide the motivation I'll need to stay the course! Sounds good anyway.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Dare I believe this could really be IT?!
Monday, April 26, 2010
In looking over my fitness/weight journal from the last 5 years or so, an unmistakable pattern became very clear. Although I would start each new year with renewed hope and commitment to a healthy way of life, it would seem that as soon as the social season (anything but winter) crept upon me, I would see a dramatic dip in my progress.
Each attempt that I made seemed to result in a slow decline in losses after about April and more specifically after a very indulgent annual week end get-away in Mont Tremblent with the girls from work. It would almost always be a certain catalyst for an upward trend in my weight.
Heading up this past week end, I was feeling a strange combination of excitement and trepidation as I've never really been able to survive without eating all the wonderful cornucopia of foods, snacks and bevvies. All in all, though, I think I did very well this year and I have this strange sense of peace that feels very foreign to me. It feels like this could actually be the time that I'm able to keep my commitment to myself even through the difficult seasons.
When I returned from the week end get away feeling confident in my strength, I was immediately thrust into another possibly compromising situation: The Buffet Dinner. A friend was turning 50 and I was pretty nervous about the all you can eat factor. But, you know what? Again, I followed my hunger rather than cravings and enjoyed the healthy greens and fish with no guilt and felt I was missing nothing.
I know I probably should have waited until my WI on Friday, but I was curious and the scale was more cooperative than I'd expected. I was only up half a pound, so I'm pretty confident that I can turn that around this week.
So, all in all, it turns out that this vulnerable time has worked out well for me and I think that it will just help to contribute to more feelings of victory and control over the very food that once controlled me
In looking over my fitness/weight journal from the last 5 years or so, an unmistakable pattern became very clear. Although I would start each new year with renewed hope and commitment to a healthy way of life, it would seem that as soon as the social season (anything but winter) crept upon me, I would see a dramatic dip in my progress.
Each attempt that I made seemed to result in a slow decline in losses after about April and more specifically after a very indulgent annual week end get-away in Mont Tremblent with the girls from work. It would almost always be a certain catalyst for an upward trend in my weight.
Heading up this past week end, I was feeling a strange combination of excitement and trepidation as I've never really been able to survive without eating all the wonderful cornucopia of foods, snacks and bevvies. All in all, though, I think I did very well this year and I have this strange sense of peace that feels very foreign to me. It feels like this could actually be the time that I'm able to keep my commitment to myself even through the difficult seasons.
When I returned from the week end get away feeling confident in my strength, I was immediately thrust into another possibly compromising situation: The Buffet Dinner. A friend was turning 50 and I was pretty nervous about the all you can eat factor. But, you know what? Again, I followed my hunger rather than cravings and enjoyed the healthy greens and fish with no guilt and felt I was missing nothing.
I know I probably should have waited until my WI on Friday, but I was curious and the scale was more cooperative than I'd expected. I was only up half a pound, so I'm pretty confident that I can turn that around this week.
So, all in all, it turns out that this vulnerable time has worked out well for me and I think that it will just help to contribute to more feelings of victory and control over the very food that once controlled me
Fitness Goals? Me? Really?
Ok, yes, I had decided to get off the couch and get my body moving. Yes, I started walking and doing a few strength training exercises with the dumbbells every few days or so. Yes, I even managed to get through a couple Wii Active workouts, but I'd be the first to emphatically tell you that I don't really have any fitness goals, per say. Fitness actually scares me. The words, the actions, the culture. Even fit people intimidate me a bit.
I know that I vowed that 2010 would be the first year of the rest of my healthy living life, but the thought of getting regular exercise for anything other than a calorie burn or muscle building to speed up my metabolism was completely foreign to me. I've never been any good at, or enjoyed, any form of exercise other than dancing in the clubs in college, swimming and maybe some biking when I was in high school before I could get around by car.
Now, I'll be 42 years old this summer and I actually just inadvertently set some fitness goals for myself. Just for the fun of it!!!
I realized this tonight when I found myself going for a bike ride. Not because I had calories to burn since I had already done an intense half hour interval workout today, but because I WANTED to. I just had some extra energy, it was nice out and I realized I wanted to "condition" myself to do longer bike rides with DH this summer. (Never thought I would use the word "condition". Isn't that a fitness term??)
So, I started thinking about all the things DH and I have been excitedly talking about doing together this summer and fall and I realized that I really need to purposefully work at increasing my strength and endurance to enjoy all these activities together. DH is 49 years old and puts me to shame. He's quite fit and strong and I'm done with slowing him down. He's so wonderful and encouraging, patient and tolerant of my uncoordinated and lummox-like floundering but I want to become a fun fitness partner for him.
I've been joining him and the kids playing street hockey games lately and find myself getting into it. Having fun! Playing!
I love the outdoors. I love to swim, I love boating, I love dancing, biking and hiking and walking. I want to do all these things and do them well without feeling like my red, sweaty head is going to pop off from the pressure, my heart pounding out of my chest or my lungs about to explode. I want to keep up. I want to go canoeing on the river from our town's new revitalized river front. I want to go biking along the St. Lawrence River trails. I want to go hiking in the mountains at the cottage. I want to swim across the lake and back any time I want at any speed I want. I want to bike into town and play tennis and bike home again. I want to play street hockey and soccer with my kids without feeling like I'm being "humoured". I want to dance with my BFF's without looking like I should be in the back of an ambulance.
So, I guess that's my epiphany for today. I'm pretty pumped to have come to this realization. I feel like I'm getting closer to becoming truly healthy; not just a few pounds lighter. So I guess I'd better get serious about my "training" if I'm going to meet these new goals!
I know that I vowed that 2010 would be the first year of the rest of my healthy living life, but the thought of getting regular exercise for anything other than a calorie burn or muscle building to speed up my metabolism was completely foreign to me. I've never been any good at, or enjoyed, any form of exercise other than dancing in the clubs in college, swimming and maybe some biking when I was in high school before I could get around by car.
Now, I'll be 42 years old this summer and I actually just inadvertently set some fitness goals for myself. Just for the fun of it!!!
I realized this tonight when I found myself going for a bike ride. Not because I had calories to burn since I had already done an intense half hour interval workout today, but because I WANTED to. I just had some extra energy, it was nice out and I realized I wanted to "condition" myself to do longer bike rides with DH this summer. (Never thought I would use the word "condition". Isn't that a fitness term??)
So, I started thinking about all the things DH and I have been excitedly talking about doing together this summer and fall and I realized that I really need to purposefully work at increasing my strength and endurance to enjoy all these activities together. DH is 49 years old and puts me to shame. He's quite fit and strong and I'm done with slowing him down. He's so wonderful and encouraging, patient and tolerant of my uncoordinated and lummox-like floundering but I want to become a fun fitness partner for him.
I've been joining him and the kids playing street hockey games lately and find myself getting into it. Having fun! Playing!
I love the outdoors. I love to swim, I love boating, I love dancing, biking and hiking and walking. I want to do all these things and do them well without feeling like my red, sweaty head is going to pop off from the pressure, my heart pounding out of my chest or my lungs about to explode. I want to keep up. I want to go canoeing on the river from our town's new revitalized river front. I want to go biking along the St. Lawrence River trails. I want to go hiking in the mountains at the cottage. I want to swim across the lake and back any time I want at any speed I want. I want to bike into town and play tennis and bike home again. I want to play street hockey and soccer with my kids without feeling like I'm being "humoured". I want to dance with my BFF's without looking like I should be in the back of an ambulance.
So, I guess that's my epiphany for today. I'm pretty pumped to have come to this realization. I feel like I'm getting closer to becoming truly healthy; not just a few pounds lighter. So I guess I'd better get serious about my "training" if I'm going to meet these new goals!
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