lose weight

So, in all, I have lost 43 lbs so far. That’s a hell of a lot. But I still have quite a bit to go still. About three months ago I joined a website called SparkPeople (kinda like myspace for fat people, with nutritional info, a food diary, and all that jazz). It’s helped me keep track of my calories better and I’m losing faster now. If any of you decide to join, friend me. I’m AutumnKiss there too.

I’m horrified of loose skin though. I find it very disgusting, and I don’t have the money to fix it with plastic surgery if it happens. I just have to hope that weight training and drinking enough water / eating the right foods will help it.

I’m still losing the “right” way – which is, eating a balanced diet and exercising. No fads for me. :)

I’m down 5 more pounds… This is through a healthy diet plan (lifestyle change, not a “diet”) only, and not through exercise. I have felt sick recently and can’t do a lot of moving around because I get extremely dizzy. I believe I have an undiagnosed heart rhythm problem. My pulse shoots up to 135 sometimes when I am standing. So I have put off exercising until I can get it checked out by a doctor. Safety is very important to me.

I’m going at a slightly “slow” pace compared to some others, but I am happy enough with my results so far. :) I have lost a total of 35lbs in all.

Not being able to exercise is driving me crazy… but I’ll get there eventually (I hope).

I have lost 6 lbs so far. Not bad.

I really don’t care if I am super skinny. I certainly don’t want to be (or look) frail. I’d much rather be fit than anything else. I want to be able to do athletic things like rowing, hiking, and dancing. I have spent too much time cooped up inside in my lifetime. I would like to explore and not be so out of breath doing things like walking uphill.

I have made this goal for me. It is not to please anyone else, to help me find a mate, or to make anyone look at me different. It is for me to feel better health-wise and to be able to do more things. It is for me to be able to look in the mirror and love what I see.

My plan is aerobic exercise mixed with weight training (starting out easy and gradually increasing difficulty), coupled with a more nutritious diet – no more fast food, making sure I eat enough of the nutrients my body needs, watching my portions, and bringing down saturated fat and caloric intake gradually.

I have played with the idea of becoming vegan or vegetarian but I am not sure.

What I’m doing right now to attain my goal:

Learning – Probably the most important thing right now for me. I am reading books about Fitness and Nutrition, staying away from fad diets.

Exercising for 30 minutes each day – I do not know as much as I’d like about fitness right now. But I have two machines at home; a treadmill and a dual action exercise bike, as well as free weights. I have been using the machines on lower settings, not overdoing it, until I learn more about what my body needs. Even if I don’t lose weight doing what I am doing now, it will get me ready for making fitness a habit.

Making small changes to my diet – I am now using no fat milk to cook with and use in cereal, and am limiting my red meat intake (which was way too high). I am also eating more vegetables and trying to eat more fiber. I do not drink my calories and have been drinking nothing but water. I will make more changes to my diet as I learn proper nutrition. My aim is to be healthy. I don’t mind losing the weight slowly.

Things I need to work on:

Keep my motivation – When I am bored of reading or I feel down because of my family interfering with or making fun of my goals, or telling me I will never be able to do it because I have always been fat and that is just how I was made and how I’ll always be… when they tell me I shouldn’t care about being a healthy weight because there are plenty of people who are fatter than me and they don’t care, when they call me picky when I make a tuna sandwich on wheat with a salad instead of going to McDonalds… I have to keep motivated. This is my body, not theirs, and I decide what I do with it or how I want it to look or feel. I have to find the strength in myself rather than rely on them for understanding and support.

Drink more water – I know I don’t drink enough fluid. I love water, but I don’t take enough in. I need to boost my consumption. If I plan on exercising harder, I’m going to need it.

Learn – I need to finish reading and transition into the planning zone.

Keeping Track – I need to start keeping track of my food intake and exercise somewhere other than my head. Once I finish this post I’m going to find a website where I can keep a food diary.

Short Term Goal: 20 lbs lost in 3 months. (I have a lot of weight to lose)