Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Day 1: Stepping up to the challenge

So I've already joined the YMCA gym (been twice so far) and already cut out soda completely from my diet, along with other choices I've decided upon. So what got me in this exercise and weight loss kick?
Well, I think it all started when I looked in the mirror not that long ago, and didn't recognize the person in the mirror. Was that really me?
It was only 3 1/2 years ago that I was close to 60-70 lbs lighter and was in college. When I graduated college I was a cool 140 lbs, and before college I was at a slim 120 lbs. At the time of college, I thought I was a little curvy...but little did I know I would long for the day when I was back at that weight only 3 years in the near future.
First, I blame the job I got out of college. I went from walking everywhere in college and going to the gym on the occasion, to a desk job, where I had to drive 35 minutes to and from work. The most walking I would get at work was to and from the printer and the fridge.
Secondly, I blame my eatting habits. I love my pasta and pizza. When I was done with college, I never left my bad college eatting habits behind. Eatting super late at night and eatting loads of carbs and soda = not a good thing.
Third, I blame my lack of drive to stick to a diet or exercise plan. This is all pure laziness on my part and the fact that I HATE giving up the foods I love.

But I plan to change all of this. I always know when my eatting was getting bad, because I started to get horrible hearthburn. I'm only 24 years old, I shouldn't be getting heartburn to the point of not being able to function! I also want to be able to not get winded from going on a short jog down the street to catch my scarf on a windy day. It's all got to start here.

(this is me. Currently, at 205 lbs and age 24, I tend to wear a lot of black clothes to hid my chub as best as I can)

I want to Smile stepping onto the scale, not get the urge to cry myself to sleep after seeing that number. I need to step up to the challenge, and it starts here.

Goals:
  1. Loose roughly 70 lbs...however long it takes, My goal weight is 135 lbs. I know the closer you get to your weight goal the harder it gets, so I plan to give myself over a year to reach it. Ideally I'd like to loose it in a single year, but I know myself, and that's gonna be really tough.
  2. Eat and drink healthier. Cutting the soda intake completely, no diet sodas either, no pure caffinated beverages. Also, drink more water in general. Cut my portions and eat less pre-packaged foods, and sub out white bread for wheat. Go for more whole wheat pastas and eat less fatty and greasy foods. Cut down or out completely eatting from Fast food places. I know this is a lot, but I refuse to give up foods I love...I just need to eat them in smaller portions and in healthier ways.
  3. Exercise as much as I can. I plan to go to the YMCA gym at least 4-5 days a week. I plan to give myself 2 days of rest for the weekends, because to be honest, who really wants to go to the gym on their day off. I know I don't. That, and my gym is close to my work, not my home. So far, I've started a routine at the Y: 30 minutes on the eclyptical or treadmill, 30 minutes weight lifting (focusing on arms and abs), and 20-30 minutes doing laps in the pool. I hope to improve upon this, as I hope to be able to handle more exercise as I progress. Luckily for me, the pool is open late in the evening, so I can go after work.
  4. Feel better about myself, no matter how much or how little I loose. As much as I'd love to be able to wear those cute little dresses I see in stores, I realistically know, everyone's body type is different. Mine for instance: I have hips and large boobs. Both of which I don't expect to change much, even after I loose the weight. Those two parts of my body, I know will pretty much stay the same. This weight loss is more so I can feel good in my body, and improve my health.

So, in close, this blog will help me (hopefully) to track my progress in weight loss and exercising. I plan to post my meals and improvements in exercise and weight loss, as well as the struggles that I am trying to overcome. I hope, in turn, that someday, I'll be stepping with smiles.
-M

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