Sunday, July 3, 2011

Rethinking Weight Loss

For years, I have always said that I was focusing on small goals instead of the huge, seemingly unattainable "goal" weight. I think, however, while I was saying my goal was to "lose 10 pounds", in the back of my mind I was still thinking "yeah, but what's 10 pounds when you have over 100 to lose?!"

I think, though, that I am slowly getting to where my mind is where it should be. I have complained lately that I have been stuck where I am for months...instead of thinking of that as a bad thing, I need to see that as a great thing ~ I have MAINTAINED A 40 POUND WEIGHT LOSS FOR A YEAR!! Have I lost much beyond that? Nope. But that's cause I haven't been working out or watching what I eat.

Two years ago, my only goal was to get below the weight I was when I stopped Thrive. That was about 35 pounds from where I started. I got there and passed it and am not maintaining about 6 pounds below that goal. I can tell that my body has grown comfortable at this weight, too, because I can no longer tell that I've lost weight, LOL...(did that make sense?!) Once I lost the 40 pounds, I could tell I had lost a little...but now I just feel fat again. I think that means it's time to go on to the next goal.

So I am going to type it here...it's not something I particularly want everyone to know, but I've not been one to avoid writing things here because I am embarrassed.

My next goal is:

GET BELOW 200 POUNDS!!

For a lot of people, just the thought of being above 200 pounds is unfathomable...for me, though, it's just been a fact of life. The last time I saw a weight starting with a "1" was in 2002, when my weight was on its way back UP from my stint with WW.

I weighed yesterday and weighed 215 pounds. That means I have to lose 16 pounds to get to a HUGE milestone goal for me. I am now realizing that once I get into the 190's, it's fine to stay there! I don't have to be thinking of losing the next 10 pounds or getting into the 180's...I can maintain the 190's for months if I want to. The 190's don't have to be a stepping stone to another goal if I don't want them to be...for now, it is just my goal. If I never get out of the 190's, I'll still be happy, because I won't be 256 ~ or even 215 ~ anymore.

I think that losing slowly has worked really well for me. It would be awesome to lose like they do on "Biggest Loser" and drop 100 pounds in 2 months, but I just know that is not something I could maintain. If I were to lose quickly, my body would not have time to learn what it needs to eat to stay there, and I would just gain as soon as I got out of "loss" mode. It's a lot easier to learn how to maintain every 15 pounds or so than to drop 100 pounds and have to figure out how to maintain a difference like that.

My starting weight was 256 pounds. I remember the day I stepped on the scale and saw that...my mind went straight to "I am closer to 300 pounds than 200 pounds. Oh my God, how did that happen?" And now, 2 years and 41 pounds later, I realize that since that day I have been working toward getting the weight off. And I'm doing it. It has taken me this long to realize it, and even now it is a shock to me...it's not coming off quickly, but it's coming off. I AM LOSING WEIGHT!

So here are my numbers:

Beginning weight: 256
Thrive ending weight: 221
Current weight: 215
Goal weight: 199

When will I get to that 199 goal? I'm not going to put a time limit on it, but I would like to be there by October, when we go to the beach. That would allow me to maintain over the holidays, which sounds good to me. :)


1 comment:

  1. How nice to see such a blog, you are going to win your battle, wear your shorts to the beach/park. I don't think you will be criticized. Go for the brass ring, you are almost there, I have beat the fat guy syndrome(217 lbs-143 lbs) I feel so good, that I did it, hard sometimes, health problem motivated(diabetes) doing good now, you have got it beat already, be happy you are you, and phhhttttttt to the critics. They mean nothing, go for it, it is a nice place to be---healthy!

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