Getting Motivated

The Deal:

Okay, here's the deal. I have made up my mind to lose 50 pounds in 2009. This is not a typical New Year's Resolution; this is a long overdue commitment to becoming a healthier person overall. So why now, you ask? Several factors have come into play with this decision. First, I feel unhealthy. My back aches and goes out, which started happening precisely the same time I started gaining this weight. I feel tired frequently, I start breathing heavily from going up one flight of stairs to my apartment, and I frequently have upset stomach after eating. Second, I feel unattractive. This has nothing to do with the way others treat me or look at me; I simply know that on the outside I am not an accurate reflection of who I am on the inside. Take these pictures for instance... This is certainly not how I see myself! Finally, I want to be healthier and more confident for the other people in my life. For example, my husband deserves a healthy wife who takes care of herself. When I am confident in myself, it shows in the way I present myself and the way I treat him. And he deserves the absolute best! He treats me like a queen, so I want to behave like one.

A Goal:

Once I made up my mind, I decided I needed to set a goal, so I decided to look up the healthy weight range for my height. Being a 5'7" tall female, my weight should fall somewhere between 128-160 pounds. Knowing my build is on the larger side of that, my goal is to reach 150 pounds by the end of this year. I went to the doctor on December 11, 2008 and clocked in at 200.2 pounds. 200-150= 50 pounds to lose! I don't know about you, but to me, this number is overwhelming! One thought about needing to lose that much weight makes me want a brownie pronto! Being the goal-oriented person I am, I decided to break this down into something more attainable. There are 52 weeks in a year, and this one just started, so my realistic goal is to lose 1 pound per week for the entire year. Now ONE is a number I can handle :)

The Plan:

Okay, now that I had a goal, I needed a plan. First things first, start with what I know. I dabbled in weight loss in 2008. I stuck to a meal plan for several weeks and lost a few pounds. I joined Weight Watchers at work and lost a few pounds. But none of my efforts were out of absolute commitment. It was just something I should do, or something I might give a try. I did, however, learn some important weight management strategies from my experiences:

1) Portion Control (aka~ everything in moderation)- you really can eat whatever you want as long as it is in moderation and you are still receiving the proper nutrients. Deprivation is no way to live life!

2) Drink plenty of water- Often times our bodies try to tell us they're thirsty, but we confuse those messages with hunger.

3) Eat more often- Yes, you read this correctly! The best way to keep your metabolism up and running is to eat smaller meals more frequently. It also helps because you never get that awful "I'm-so-hungry-I-could-eat-a-whole-deep-fried-chicken" feeling, so you avoid making bad food choices.

4) Plan ahead- Now this one I kind of learned from my own experience. For instance, I am more likely to opt for fast food if I do not pack enough food for an entire day. This takes discipline of time and thought, all the way from the grocery store to the time spent cutting up those veggies I love to snack on.

5) Accountability makes a difference- Getting weighed in every week at a WW meeting, or checking in with a friend about each other's progress, or keeping a public journal for everyone to see can help you stay focused and motivate you to reach your goal.

6) MOVE!- It's nearly impossible to reach my goals without some activity. I HATE exercising! Even the word tastes bad coming out of my mouth. However, I know the first step is always the hardest, so I just have to get started.

So there you have it. This is the beginning of my journey. Thanks for joining me! I think it's going to be a wild ride, but I am looking forward to the adventures and accomplishments ahead!