In the past attempts to lose weight/get healthier, six months has been a crucial landmark in that it's when I tend to stop what I have been doing for whatever reason. Or sometimes even no reason at all. So this time around, the time, I'm going to especially take care that the same thing doesn't happen. After all, I am in this for life, right?
ABSOLUTELY. I don't know how much more emphatic I need to be. Maybe that is just it—I need to keep it turned up to volume 11 at all times for myself in order to keep the momentum. There is little more that is important as this because it is my body and it is my health. Period.
I want to write down some goals here today, to help keep that momentum, that excitement (because everything should be done with energy!), that belief that I am worthy of living a comfortable, active, colorful life. (Just in case you're keeping score, note that I don't think I can't do those things as a fat person, only that my body as it was when I started back in May was making those things more difficult, OK? OK.)
MyFitnessPal tracking
Though I am not a huge fan counting anything that I eat, this tool has been helping me see patterns in how I eat, what the macronutrient ratios are, and just have an overall sense of how much food is a reasonable amount (something I have had trouble with for most of my life). I can see myself doing this for a very long time—it is easy to do and acts as a reminder every day of the positive things I am doing for myself.
Goal 7: 730 days/two years! (mid-May 2016)
6/13/16: As of a couple months ago, I stopped logging at MFP regularly. I have been aiming to log my food and exercise most days again in the past couple weeks, but I am no longer as obsessed with keeping my streak as I once was. I still find it to be a very useful tool!
6/5/17: I have been back to using MFP every day since the beginning of the year, and... guess what? It helps. Last year after I wrote the previous update I ended up gaining gaining gaining. Logging food every day is kind of a drag, but... not really. I'm pretty much used to it and it really helps keep me on track.
Weight loss
My focus is definitely less on losing weight, but there is no doubt that it is a big piece of the puzzle and one the expected results of my efforts. In the past I have pushed myself to lose fast but now I see how problematic that can be. I'm chugging along, and here are some milestones I can shoot for, but I am NOT attaching due dates to them.
Goal 6a: 260 pounds
Goal 7: 245 pounds/10% of Goal 6
Goal 8: 220 pounds/152 pounds lost/10% of Goal 7
Goal 9: 198 pounds/10% of Goal 8
Goal 10: 179 pounds/10% of Goal 9
Goal 11: 172 pounds/200 pounds lost
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Goal 12: 155 pounds/10% of Goal 11/217 pounds lost
Goal 13: 150 pounds/whatever feels good
(I will see how I look and feel in the 170's. I may or may not continue to Goals 12 and 13. Or maybe continue further. I have no idea!)
Clothing
I have a lot of clothes that I can't wear, but should be able to once I hit the next couple weight loss goals. I generally wear 26/28 or 3X/4X sizes now. I will certainly report on newly fitting clothes as I go along.
10/30/14: I've been fitting into more and more of the size 24 pants I've had in reserve. I still have one pair to conquer (wacky sizing!). Once that happens, I'm going to donate all the 26 pants to charity.
1/1/2015: I am solidly into size 24 pants, though a pair of jeans I just rediscovered are 26 and fit like all the 24s I've been wearing. (I love them, though!) At the same time, the size 22 pants I have in reserve seem to be about 20 pounds away from wearability – I can get them on, but there is no way I could zip them up, not even close. I have some 2X shirts now that I can wear, and even have a size XL hoodie that is comfy. An XXL shirt from the Gap is wearable. A 1X sweater from J. Jill fits but is too snug for me to wear in public. A pair of men's size 44 cords from the Gap are also about 20 pounds away, I'd guess (and they are beautiful). I'm getting there!
2/1/2015: I have been wearing some old leggings that I tried on kind of by accident, never thinking I'd get into them. One is size 20/22, and the other 1X. I am also wearing a pair of boots that I haven't been able to fit into for a long time – they are my favorites bought in 1993 that I have never been able to part with, even though they're quite worn in. Now I wear them again quite frequently in the snow – perfection. My size 11 underwear is beginning to feel a little roomy, though I had a pack of Fruit of the Loom brand size 11 that never fit – until recently.
3/9/15: I tried on two pairs of size 22 dress pants that I've had for over 10 years in reserve that I was able to get on and fasten! They fit, though a tiny bit snugly. Wearable! (These are the same pants I was referring to in the 1/1 entry above, so I guess I'm making good progress after all.)
3/23/15: I finally fit into a pair of jeans that are size 24 but are smaller than all the others I've been wearing. The last time I could wear these was back in fall of 2008 – and I actually weighed about 10 pounds more then than I do now, go figure. Anyway, it was a thrill to be able to wear these comfortably to work today. There is another pair in the drawer that I didn't have time to try on this morning, but pretty sure they will fit again, too. Awesome! ETA: Yes, the other pair fit, too – in fact, they are a little loose and I don't see myself wearing them for much beyond the summer, if that.
6/11/15: Steadily wearing 2X exercise gear. Fit into bras that I haven't been able to wear in probably a good 10 years (size 44C, if you're curious). Wearing a size 18/20 cardigan – another one from years ago – just fine. Have worn the size 22 dress pants out in the world quite comfortably.
7/6/15: I tried on and successfully fit into a pair of size 20 jeans I've had in reserve for years now, never worn.
7/28/15: FINALLY fit into the last of three pretty bras I had kept in hopes of wearing them again one day. Even though it was the same size as all the others, this one was smaller and I just couldn't quite get into it – until I grabbed it by accident this morning and I'm wearing it quite comfortably today! I've also realized that when I wear a bra that really fits me, the straps don't always fall down. Wow!
Also, last night, I grabbed a pair of stretch capris out of the pile of comfy clothes I have in the laundry area – these 1X now fit perfectly, much to my surprise!
Running
(Note: I don't have official stats here, but I completed C25K W5D3 on this day, which involved running for 20 minutes straight. I think it is safe to say that I covered at least a mile then. :)
(6a: Ran a 5 mile race on 3/12/16)
Goal 9: Run 10 miles (scheduled for August 2016)
Goal 10: Run a half marathon (scheduled for October 2016)
Goal 11: Run a marathon (2018?)
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