Ok, so I'll give you an update on my weight loss...
This hasn't been exactly a piece of cake, no pun intended! I last wrote in August about hitting a plateau. Well, I have managed to break through it. Gradually. Persistently. Painfully slowly.
So far, I've lost a total of 40 pounds. Please, spare the applause. I have a long way to go, no time to sit back and dwell in it. The biggest effect has shown up in my waistline - I'm down 6 inches there. I am now wearing pants that date back several years. They're still just a little tight, but once I get past them, it will require investing in some new ones.
I am still eating healthier - more fruit and vegetables, fish a couple of times a week, whole grains, smaller portions - but I haven't exactly given up on certain indulgences, as in - and not limited to - a good bottle of red wine. I guess I could have lost more weight faster, but my approach was to make lifestyle changes, and look longer term.
Walking has been the key. It's gotten to the point where I can't not walk. It has become automatic. When I get home in the evening, I feed the cats, change into my shorts and sneakers, and hit the road. Always with my trusty MP3 player. I have about 200 songs on it, set it play at random, and groove as I go.
That is not to say there aren't times when I don't feel like walking. That happens quite a bit. But I do it anyway. Because what keeps me motivated is remembering what got me overweight in the first place. Sittin' on my butt. Being lazy. Parking it in front of the TV. I still like to do those things, but I gotta go walk first, then the rest of the evening is mine to fritter away.
On those evenings I don't feel like it - did I mention it happens a lot? - I just say to myself, Ok, we'll (we???) just do a short route, maybe 3 1/2 miles, then pack it in. That rarely happens. After I get a couple of miles in, I guess those endorphins kick in, and I end up doing 5, 6, or even 7 miles. Yesterday - Saturday - was a great morning, and I did 9.5 miles! (In all honesty, my feet were getting a little sore after 8 miles, however.)
So, bottom line, I can't expect poundage from years of abuse to just fall off just like that. My body is resisting the weight loss - thanks to thousands of years evolution of self-preservation in my genes - it thinks it's endangered. It doesn't like changes, and it thinks I'm not serious, that this will pass and I'll get back to my old habits. And therein lies the challenge - it's a matter of will, mind over matter. And that is what keeps me walking; fortunately, I live in a great area for that.
The zone I am in is similar to the one I was in over 21 years ago, when I quit smoking. So, I've been there, done it. This is a new t-shirt I want.
So far, I've lost a total of 40 pounds. Please, spare the applause. I have a long way to go, no time to sit back and dwell in it. The biggest effect has shown up in my waistline - I'm down 6 inches there. I am now wearing pants that date back several years. They're still just a little tight, but once I get past them, it will require investing in some new ones.
I am still eating healthier - more fruit and vegetables, fish a couple of times a week, whole grains, smaller portions - but I haven't exactly given up on certain indulgences, as in - and not limited to - a good bottle of red wine. I guess I could have lost more weight faster, but my approach was to make lifestyle changes, and look longer term.
Walking has been the key. It's gotten to the point where I can't not walk. It has become automatic. When I get home in the evening, I feed the cats, change into my shorts and sneakers, and hit the road. Always with my trusty MP3 player. I have about 200 songs on it, set it play at random, and groove as I go.
That is not to say there aren't times when I don't feel like walking. That happens quite a bit. But I do it anyway. Because what keeps me motivated is remembering what got me overweight in the first place. Sittin' on my butt. Being lazy. Parking it in front of the TV. I still like to do those things, but I gotta go walk first, then the rest of the evening is mine to fritter away.
On those evenings I don't feel like it - did I mention it happens a lot? - I just say to myself, Ok, we'll (we???) just do a short route, maybe 3 1/2 miles, then pack it in. That rarely happens. After I get a couple of miles in, I guess those endorphins kick in, and I end up doing 5, 6, or even 7 miles. Yesterday - Saturday - was a great morning, and I did 9.5 miles! (In all honesty, my feet were getting a little sore after 8 miles, however.)
So, bottom line, I can't expect poundage from years of abuse to just fall off just like that. My body is resisting the weight loss - thanks to thousands of years evolution of self-preservation in my genes - it thinks it's endangered. It doesn't like changes, and it thinks I'm not serious, that this will pass and I'll get back to my old habits. And therein lies the challenge - it's a matter of will, mind over matter. And that is what keeps me walking; fortunately, I live in a great area for that.
The zone I am in is similar to the one I was in over 21 years ago, when I quit smoking. So, I've been there, done it. This is a new t-shirt I want.
Comments
Just keep on keepin' on! You go, dude!