Saturday, May 26, 2012

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger?

Stronger.  A current hit pop song by Kelly Clarkson.  Taken from the old adage, 'What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger', a proverbial truth as I enter week three of my body transformation. 

Phase one of my journey to a healthier life involved a 'quick' start with a weight loss program sans exercise.  You see, I had to lose some weight first so that I could muster up the energy and confidence to move my fat ass.  Down thirty or so pounds after three or so months, mission accomplished.

Phase two involves incorporating exercise into my new healthy life regimen so that I may accelerate the weight loss process and tighten up the muscles and loose flesh that tends to remain on a (formerly) morbidly obese person.  I joined Curves two weeks ago and began working out at least three days a week for thirty minutes.  After getting reacquainted with the machinery I am feeling 'the burn' after each session and working up a sweat.  So far, it hasn't killed me.  I feel stronger.  When I get into 'the zone' I am intense, breathing, and always pushing for at least one more rep.  It is a good feeling and builds confidence as I conquer my goals and push harder.

Phase three may involve pushing myself to add another day at Curves, incorporate a neighborhood walk on the days I don't go to Curves, and/or exploring a new weight-loss program to 'jump start' or, again, accelerate weight loss.  I would love to play tennis, golf, and do some kind of water aerobics in the future as well.  I can't do it all at once, I realize, but as I become stronger I hope to treat these activities as enjoyable time rather than a way to lose weight.

In the meantime, I take it one day at a time and realize that I own the power to make healthy choices in my life.  Losing weight and adopting new healthy habits is all in the mindset.

DREAM it, DESIRE it, FOCUS on it, ACCOMPLISH it!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

"Merely knowing what to do does no good if we don’t do it. Don’t procrastinate, do it now!" –Joyce Meyer

A quote that spoke to me this morning so much that I shared it on my Facebook.  So appropriate and relevant to my life as I took another step toward my journey to a new, healthy lifestyle.

I wrote about what I know I needed to do as I faced the end of going to a weekly weigh-in at a structured weight-loss program.  Back in March I promised that we would join Curves or Weight Watchers as we continue our quest to become healthier versions of ourselves.  Although it was delayed for almost six weeks, we 'bit the bullet' and signed up with Curves yesterday.  My buddy and I, my mom, endured the process and got introduced to the equipment.  We contemplated our motivation and set goals for the next year.

It has been six weeks since I've had an official weigh-in.  The good news is I did not gain weight.  The great news is I lost weight!  This is a new scale to deal with and I weighed in with my sneakers on my feet.  So, mentally I must resolve the continuation of my progress and how it is evaluated.  I've decided to take into account the 'hiccup' of the last six weeks and use the date of January 25, 2012 when I commenced my new way of life.  As of May 15, 2012 I've lost 27 pounds.  Now that I have committed both financially and mentally to incorporating exercise to my program by going to Curves for the next 12 months I hope to lose an average of ten pounds per month.  By June 21, 2013 I hope to weigh less than 175 pounds.  Now, to most people that sounds heavy for a 5'4" female.  And, it is.  But, I never said my journey would be over by then!  I must continue going (HOW EVER LONG IT TAKES!) to be healthy, confident, and comfortable with myself.

It is peculiar, though, at one time I went to a nutritionist and they did their body fat analysis and caliper test and told me my ideal weight was 175.  In fact, when I did Nutri-System years ago and got down to a size 14 I felt pretty damn good.  But, when I was in high school and went down to 125 (my same weight in 6th grade!) I looked hot.  I'm not sure if I'll be able to go quite that low this time around but my goal is to be healthier and more confident.

I reserve the right to adjust my goals at any time as I see fit because, after all, this is MY journey!