Yes, it has been a long time. Yes, I've been busy but honestly, not that busy! I have not posted frequently here because . . . quite honestly . . . it's hard to keep up a weight loss blog when there is almost never any weight loss to report. There, I said it!
I have my list of "reasons" too -- some real, most excuses -- but that isn't the point, is it? The point is, I have a commitment to myself to reduce my weight, and by golly, I am going to.
The good news is, I haven't given up. I have managed not only to maintain, but to lose another 12 pounds since school started. I have lessened my effort at times since Thanksgiving but am still on a losing trend.
I have made a big commitment for this year: To lose 50 pounds. For me, that's a lot, as a typical loss ratio for me is about 1/2 pound every two weeks. What I have learned since September, however, is that increased muscle tone and activity can give me the metabolism boost I need to sustain a higher rate of loss.
Frankly, it's going to take a higher rate of loss for me to ever get there since -- and I know some of you can relate to this -- every time I get sick or for some reason lose my focus, I immediately gain 2 pounds. That's four weeks of work at my normal rate of loss! I can't afford to lose at such a low rate when gaining is as easy as breathing for me! Okay, that's a little dramatic, but you get the picture.
Anyone who has tried to lose weight knows -- no one ever lost a pound by "planning" to lose. It takes real and concrete action. Here is my action plan to get those 50 pounds off:
- Re-vamp my daily schedule with planned exercise periods (done);
- Get back to tracking my food to give me the opportunity for course correction;
- Stay within my Weight Watcher's Points Plus allowance;
- Have perfect attendance at Weight Watcher's this year;
- Notice the life-shocks that precipitate poor eating choices and deal with them;
- Get 60K steps a week, plus a minimum of one hour of strength training and work up to at total of 30 min/day (6 days a week) of structured exercise;
- Get a strong support partner on board and keep working with my WW partner.
I think this will be the recipe for success for me. The trick -- as always -- is sticking with it and believing in myself. My last list-item will help with this.
The elephant in the room in all this is this: My last post on this blog was in June; over 6 months ago. At that time I was in a self-made PRT Challenge. Needless to say, I did not complete the challenge or reach my goals. I allowed myself to get distracted, especially when it got hard.
All I can do from here is forgive myself, learn from my mistakes and move on. That's what it's all about right? I know I have re-started a thousand times, but what is the alternative? If I'm not forgiving myself and trying again, then I'm giving up -- and that is not an option. I am quite certain if I hadn't been fighting all these years, I'd weigh 300+ pounds now. I gain weight so easily.
There is some science to help me: Research shows most people give up their weight loss efforts within a few weeks. Other studies show that people who participate in a weight loss or accountability group are twice as likely to succeed at weight loss. Additionally, losses of more than 44 pounds are more likely to be maintained than losses of 24 pounds or less. I am planning to get all of these things working for me this year.
What about you? Where are you in your weight loss efforts? What is your New Year's plan?
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