As
discussed in a previous post, I officially lost 32.6 pounds last year. It
didn’t end up being quite as much as I had planned or hoped for (62.8 total to
be exact), but I’m still proud of the amount because I stayed the course
throughout most of the year, even with some significant changes to my life. It
does still leave me with 30.2 pounds to lose, though, so it’s time to re-commit
to proper diet and exercise habits.
This
brings us to #2 on my goal list: lose the rest of the weight I would like to
drop, and become stronger and fitter than ever before in the process. I think
this goal is easier for me to discuss and understand than the first one. I have
a couple of main issues when it comes to losing weight. First, I just plain
love food, especially when it’s accompanied by a good craft beer or glass of
wine. I’m a major foodie. If I’m consider going on vacation, the first thing I
look up is best restaurants in the host city. When I’m going to go to a
restaurant, I pull up the pdf menu so I can narrow down my choices to two or
three before I get there. Then there’s my grocery bill. Most likely more than
it should be for a person living alone. The good news is I have no problem
eating foods considered healthy. I truly enjoy them. I just need to discipline
myself a bit more and eat a healthy, balance diet at least the majority of the
time. We’ll call it 90% J Hey, if you deprive yourself
completely, it’s so much easier to fail long-term.
Secondly,
I’m a bored eater. If nothing else is going on, I want to reach for something
crunchy or something sweet. Or whatever food is leftover in the breakroom after
the executive meetings at work. At home, I’m sure I can distract myself with
some sort of hobby now that I’m starting to get settled into my new place. Work
is actually the place I find this most difficult. The stretches where I’ve
finished all of my duties, but I still have some time to fill. We do have
reviews coming up, so hopefully I will be able to take on some new
responsibilities around there. Or maybe once I feel confident enough, I’ll put
myself back on the market. I have an MBA. I should be making more anyway.
Working
out usually isn’t an issue. Cardio is the easiest for me because that’s where I’ve
seen the most results up to this point. The main thing with performing cardio
exercises is to do it often enough to build up stamina, but continue to
challenge yourself. Interval training has personally helped me with this.
The
strength training part is what I’m not always sure how to do. I’ve considered
hiring a personal trainer to give me guidance in technique (basically to make
sure I’m not doing specific exercises wrong), but trainers are not cheap. Let’s
be honest, though, I haven’t made it a priority either. Being on my budget and
trying to re-buy so many things for my new apartment is part of that, but I’ve also
bought tickets to a couple of concerts and I’m planning a 5-day vacation to
Toronto, so it’s not a real excuse. For now, I will try my best to get some
good advice from alternative resources, like YouTube or specific training
sites. Good resources are out there if you’re willing to look. And realistically,
many strengthening exercises can be easily done at home, taking little money
and effort to perform. Options, like yoga, push-ups, squats, and wall-sits don’t
even take special equipment.
Mainly,
I need to make an effort to do some form of physical activity daily. Exercising
always gets easier once spring and summer kick in for good, so that’s something
to look forward to. There are certainly more options to take part in outdoor
activities. I’m really looking forward to doing a lot of hiking this year.
Gaining all of the weight I did was a huge blow to my
self-esteem. I definitely think we should be happy with ourselves without
needing to attain near perfection, but I also don’t think there’s anything
wrong with wanting to feel like yourself, whatever you think that may be. I don’t
quite feel like myself right now, and wanting to look fit and strong may not be
everything in life, but it will help me feel my best as I toil along while
achieving my goals. That’s so much more important than the number on the scale,
which merely offers a specific goal to reach.
I think I’m well on my way as soon as I fully commit to this
process again. I’ve done it before, so I know I can do it again.
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