I am not currently a very "fit" person -- but I am working (hard) to get that way. I am choosing not to think of this so much as a diet/weight loss plan, but more of a healthier lifestyle. I have started viewing my body as somewhat of a machine...fuel in, fuel used up, and so forth. The reason I'm even posting this, is that what is helping me the most is community. I'm speculating that there are others out there who are in similar situations, and I'd like us to be able to encourage one another. My "friends" on the website I'm using aren't even people I know, but it still encourages me when they comment on my posts. Fitness pins on pinterest have been a huge source of encouragement and inspiration for me. Reading fitness blogs such as Clare's help me to stay motivated and give me new ideas and tips. Candace Cameron Bure's recent book Reshaping It All was a huge motivator in beginning this journey and I've read it twice now and I will probably start again soon.
So, what exactly is going on here? Well, I'm on a quest to get healthier, both by eating better and staying active. Turning 30 was a sobering thing for me, and then there was that whole thing about calculating my BMI only to see that I had crossed over the "overweight" category and into the "obese" category. That's a self-esteem booster right there. At the beginning of the year, I had surgery to remove my gallbladder and through that process I lost about 5 pounds. It seemed like a good jumpstart to a new year, so as soon as I was cleared to eat anything (and I truly was now that the gallbladder was GONE!), I joined LoseIt.com and started tracking EVERYTHING I eat. And, I mean everything. Seriously -- Did you know chewing gum has calories?!?! I've never really been a label reader, but let me tell you -- I check labels faithfully NOW.
For me, it's become a bit of a numbers game. I track my calories, and with the help of the website, I figured out how many calories I need to be eating every day in order to steadily lose 1-2 pounds/week, but without letting my body go into starvation mode. I love putting in my exercise numbers and keeping track of how many calories I've burned each day/week. It also puts things into perspective when you're scooping out ice cream and you're counting how many laps around the track you have to do for each scoop. "Um...no thanks, I'll just have 1 scoop." Not to say that I don't splurge for special occasions, because I SO do, but on a regular basis, I'm fighting hard to be very disciplined.
Drinking water has been a huge help -- did you know that in order to find out how much water you should be drinking everyday, you simply divide your weight in half, and drink that amount (in ounces) of water? Easy, peasy. So -- are you drinking enough?!?!?
One of the things I like about LoseIt, is that regular activities can count as exercise for caloring burning...things like vacuuming, house cleaning, mowing the grass, gardening, etc. I love to feel productive and I'm a hopeless multi-tasker, so if I can mow the grass AND burn calories, then by all means, SIGN ME UP. I've also been using an old weight watchers video that is basically aeorbics, walking/running (when my knees let me) at a track, sometimes going to the gym (but the 25 min drive one way gets old), and I just got a Leslie Sansone walking dvd, and 2 workouts in and I love it!
Just this week, I read this article about lifestyle modifications formed during youth preventing heart disease later on...this hit home as this is prevalent in my family history. But, the most encouraging thing I've read this week, with regard to this subject, is about the Most Powerful Diet Weapon...I think I need to read this post, daily. My Just Do It pinterest board kind of sums up how I feel about the subject, so take a peek if you dare...
It's a long battle and I'm fighting hard. But, it's a fun battle at the same time -- like I said, I like to be productive and I like to see results, and this provides both. If you are on a similar journey and are a member of LoseIt, let me know so we can encourage one another. I hope to post on Fridays from time to time with updates, fascinating tid bits, helpful hints, etc.
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