Should Weight Loss Be My Goal?

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

This was the question that came to me this morning as I finished a "killer" cardio session.

Sometimes, we do everything right. We eat in our calorie range, we exercise, we drink water and the scale does not budge. It can be very frustrating and has the potential to derail us. No one likes to fail and if a number on the scale is my goal, I could very well "fail" week after week if I hit a plateau.

I am very competitive with myself. I love a challange. It dawned on me that my goals have shifted to things like being able to complete a "killer" cardio session like today. Better endurance, more muscle tone, eating food that will not only meet my calorie goals but also my fiber, sodium and carb ranges.

These are goals that are entirely within my power. "Power" is another concept that came to the forefront of my thoughts today. By exercising and eating right, I feel like I have taken back some power and control that I had given up to bad habits.

When it comes to exercise, I had to really work at it to get my head wrapped around the concept of doing it every day. What kept me going every day? What worked for me is writing down the exercise(s) I am going to do on a calendar. I do this sometimes several weeks at a time. I like to mix up cardio and strength training. Then, I do it. Not because I like it, but because it is on my calendar "to do". Although I do have a confession...I have been doing this consistently since I discovered SparkPeople and now I DO LIKE exercise. I even (gasp!) look forward to it.

So, why am I writing this? Well, I hope it can help someone who is struggling right now. Maybe it's time for you to take a deep breath and focus on different goals. I am also writing this for me. So when I hit a difficult spot in my health journey, I can look back at this and see that I may need to re-focus.

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Out of Town Challenge

Monday, October 25, 2010

Have a challenge coming up. Hubby and I are going to an out-of-town wedding. It will be about a 6-hr. drive and we are staying overnight. I know I will be eating more junk food than usual and I am processing how I feel about that.

My weight loss has gone much better than what I thought, considering I am not a spring chick anymore and am in peri-menopause. On the one hand, I am concerned about "undoing" all the good I have done. In the past, I have had a bad habit of an "all-or-nothing" attitude. That type of attitude is not good for my health in the reality of day to day life.

I really think I am ok with knowing I will go "off-diet" for a couple of days. I really don't look forward to the way junk food makes me feel (sluggish and out-of-sorts). I plan on doing some yoga stretches before we leave to help with being in the car for so long and the hotel does have a small workout room. I am also trying to plan some healthy snacks to take along on our road trip.

Spark People has helped me realize that these type challenges do not give me license to eat like crazy because my normal routine is upset. I know I will be eating more fast food than I care to, but I can still make balanced choices. I think that I am finding myself more confident and feel like I have taken back a measure of control over my life.

Keep Sparkin'!

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So Happy To Be Overweight!!!

Thursday, October 07, 2010

Yes - I am no longer obese. I reached my first MAJOR milestone of moving out of the obese catagory according the the BMI chart.

I am just plain old overweight now and I feel great! No time to 'rest on my laurels'. Time to focus on the next milestone - a healthy BMI.

I got started on the wrong foot this morning when I woke up late and did not have time to exercise. UGH - I will have to find time to work it in this afternoon or evening. Decided to get on the scale anyway, and I am glad I did.

I know there will be (and there has been) setbacks along the way to my goal, but right now - I am enjoying the moment.

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New Exercise Experience

Friday, October 01, 2010

I experienced something new while exercising (step cardio) today. It was easy (well, easier). I was not totally winded. I actually felt like I could continue for longer. I never have stuck with a cardio program before so long that it became easy. Guess it's time to take it up a notch!

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Out of the Ws

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Feeling optimistic and kind of sassy after my workout this morning so I decided to drag out some old jeans and pants I had stashed away at the bottom of my closet. Most of them fit!

Unlike the pants I have been wearing, these are all "regular" size - with no W after the number.

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