I’m seriously not on 43T all day long and have been awhile a number of times, but it seems like our timing is on the same schedule. LOL.
Walking is great exercise! I love walking. Good that you do that!
In some ways, I think we are pretty different, maybe in terms of weight needing to be lost. However, my journey has been excruciatingly challenging to the nth degree. When I embarked on this journey at 29 yrs old, I figured the maybe 30-35 lbs I wanted to lose would go away quickly, as I had already been an avid exerciser since I was 17-18 yrs old.
WRONG!
The pounds NEVER, until 9.5 wks ago, came off easily. Often I would have to workout every day for 1-2 hrs, maybe more, 5-7 days/wk to lose nothing the first 6-9 weeks. NOTHING!
Then, gradually I would begin to lose a little and I mean a little, not even close to a pound usually. Granted, I’m eating what I thought was good stuff, not prepackaged, no diet shakes, no pills, just real foods.
I counted calories, fiber, sugar, fat, protein, carbs, weight watcher points, all this stuff. Before they had those calorie programs or sites that do a lot for you, I kept an Excel journal of every food or drink I put in my mouth and their nutritional facts.
I logged all my measurements weekly, photos, weigh-ins and recorded in Excel. Quarterly I would get hydrostatically dunked underwater to check my bodyfat.
The volumes of workout journals I filled were tremendous, the hours spent at the gym, cycling or running outside, walking, exercising wherever. However, I never looked like a slender, fit person.
I even had a woman at church comment that she thought I was lying about all my exercise until she saw a PBS special about fit fat people who are challenged to drop the bodyfat/weight.
Honestly, I don’t know of another person that has worked so hard to lose weight but not lose it. I didn’t know that I probably have intolerances or allergies to corn, rice, wheat, starches. That would’ve saved me so much heartache, pain, injuries, etc.
I’m an example of a person that has seemingly done things that other people would easily shed weight on, but not me. It’s not that I didnt’ work hard, because I did. I still work hard.
Probably the effort I’ve put in, for the average person, I probably would’ve been losing 2 lbs/wk. That would equate to over 1300 pounds in the past 13 yrs. I just turned 44, so I’m not counting that as 14 yrs.
I didn’t want to do my 2nd workout today. My body was tired, sore, and hurting. But, I made the commitment. I wasn’t injured or anything, just tired. I knew what I needed to do . . . rest for a short period, refuel, and go at it.
Maybe the remainder of the 32 pounds I have left to get flat abs seems vain, and not a lot of weight, but I have worked hard changing, modifying my diet, reading, researching, blood tests, physicals at the doctor’s, and a host of other things. I have spent years and years doing this.
My ex-husband told me to give up, but it’s my health and my life. I’m glad I didn’t give up and choose some route that I could not live with.
If we look back at my habits over the past decade, they really aren’t bad, rather good. Like, I don’t drink soda and haven’t for a very long time. I eat whole, single ingredient foods. Rarely do I eat out. I mainly cook or prepare all our meals and have for quite some time now.
Believe me, I often felt it was so unfair. Someone gives up soda and drops 20 lbs in 2 weeks, while I eat non-processed foods, count all these calories, do all these things, workout like a madwoman, and have to be so disciplined in like a 100 things and it takes me a whole year to lose that 20 lbs. How is that fair? They didn’t even have to exercise. All they did was give up soda. I didn’t even drink soda!
Everyone is different. Maybe had I not been an avid exerciser, I would’ve weighed triple what I weigh now or more. I don’t know. But, I can tell you that many times or usually, I didn’t want to work out, especially on those days I’m sore and tired. But, I did.
This hasn’t been an easy journey for me, but I am glad things are clicking for me, because I was coming to the end of my ropes.
I’m glad you are honest & consistent about your weekly tracking progress. You won’t regret doing this. I’ll have to go back and checkout your entries.
Right now I’m just consumed with this. Really, I don’t normally write this much in commenting on other people’s stuff, but I guess I’m a liar when it comes to this particular goal of yours.
I love numbers, graphs and charts. I’ve taken some of my measurements and put charts to them. It’s sorta fun looking. But, I’m a nerd. LOL.
