"So what are you doing?"
That is the number one question I get from people when they find out about my weight loss. What I am doing is getting off my ass and working out six days a week. I am also watching what I eat. I am eating healthier, drinking plenty of water and cutting out fast food, sodas and teas. It's as simple as this: eat healthy and exercise. WHO KNEW THAT THE ANSWER WAS SO SIMPLE?! It IS that simple.
The hard part is determination. You have to make the decision that you are going to change and stick to it. You are not going to lose any weight until you are mentally prepared for the hard work. This week will mark the start of week 18. That is the longest that I have stuck to any type of diet and exercise regiment. One thing that keeps me going is to set little, attainable goals that I can reach on my to accomplishing my big goal. My big goal is to get under 300 lbs. When I started I was around 435 lbs.* My first goal was to lose more than 30 lbs. in under two months. I ended up losing 32 lbs. in eight weeks. My second goal was to get under 400 lbs. I accomplished that the following week. (check out my previous post to find out what really happened that week.) For a few weeks I just kept working out with no clear goal in mind. So I challenged myself up during week 14: to be under 350 lbs. in four weeks. My weight was 362 lbs.* so that meant only three pounds a week. I accomplished that goal in four weeks with a weigh-in of 348.5 lbs.
So what is my next goal? To be under 340 lbs. in four weeks. Lately I have been stuck around the 350 area. Some weeks I have to use the counterweight, others I do not. The scale maxes out at 350 so I want to be under that as much as possible. To accomplish this I not only have to increase my workouts but serious get a grasp of my calorie intake. I have been watching what I have been eating, but I really need to start counting those damn calories. According to The Biggest Loser books, I need to stay under 2100 calories a day. I have been guessing that I have been staying under that, but I do not know for sure. I seriously need to get this straight if I am going to lose anymore weight.
If I can keep losing at least ten pounds a month, by August I should have lost at least 100 lbs. That should put me under the 300 lbs. mark and THAT is my main goal. The closest I have ever been was plateauing around 310 lbs.about six years ago. When I started to plateau I started to give up. I was exercising but I was not eating right. I was still eating the junk I usually ate and just expected to miraculously lose that extra weight. That did not happen. I gained back the 60 lbs. I lost and gained a whole lot more. Not any more!
This is a whole lifestyle change for me. I am making these changes in small steps but I am sticking to them. I have been exercising 4-6 days a week FOR THE PAST SEVENTEEN WEEKS! When I skip a day, I feel sluggish and tired. That happened recently and I could not believe how bad I felt. My diet has changed up dramatically. I rarely eat out anymore. I used to have breakfast or dinner with my folks at a restaurant at least twice a week. Now it seems more like 2-3 times a month. I stopped snacking on candies and sweets. Except for maybe once a month, I have cut out sodas and sweet tea completely. I drink nothing but water and fruit punch to change it up from time to time. A typical breakfast for me used to be (1-2) potatoes and (3) eggs, a whole can of beans, 3-4 slices of maple bacon and about 6-7 flour tortillas. That was about twice a week and that would fill me up for the whole day until dinner rolled around. Now, I have a can of beans in my cupboard that has been there for I don't know how long. I cannot remember the last time I bought canned beans and that was a staple of every meal for me. I now make practically all my meals. I prepare them in advance so I have something healthy for my lunches at work. I make sure to pack a snack, usually an apple, to help out during my shift. I also pack some granola and yogurt for dessert.
I don't feel I have had my big "Biggest Loser" mental breakthrough / breakdown just yet. That is when you can honestly answer the really tough questions: How did you come to be so overweight? Who or what is holding you back? Why do you feel this way? Why are you trying to lose weight? When I can honestly answer those questions with confidence and pride, I will have broken through that mental wall that has been holding me back. I am chipping away at it right now. I do feel my confidence and self image is improving. I was telling a friend just the other day, "I know I am a big guy, but I don't feel like a big FAT guy anymore." And that is the truth. I saw my before and after pics today and I couldn't help but chuckle. I could not believe the difference. This past week I was wearing shirts that have not seen the light of day in years. I put on a shirt today that 18 weeks ago fit me very snug. It is now loose and comfortable that I would not feel embarrassed to wear it out in public. I put on the "new" old shirts and I laugh. I laugh because I know it has been so long since I could wear that shirt and not feel like it was choking me.
Changes are coming my way and I cannot wait to see the results.
