lose 50 more pounds

In 2006, I lost 50 pounds. I actually didn’t make any sort of resolution regarding that, but it happened. Since then, I’ve managed to stay around the same weight. I generally feel pretty good, most of the time.

The past few months, I’ve been sliding. I’ve managed to keep active enough to only gain a couple of pounds, but my diet is pretty off these days. So, I am formulating a plan to get back on track.

First off, I am going to start running again. I have been out a few times here and there, but not regularly. So, I’m going to do it the way I did it before: I’ll start the couch-to-5K program from scratch, again. That way, I don’t feel like I have to jump back in where I left off, because, honestly, I haven’t run a 5K since the end of May. But I did it then, and I can do it again.

Secondly, I am going to go back to what worked for me before, drinking only one cup of coffee a day, and otherwise, only milk and water. No more pop for me. I sometimes remember what it was like when I did this last time. One time when I did have a can of pop, it had a very foreign taste.

Lastly, I am going to greatly reduce the time I spend at the computer. As in, not at all at home, unless I have to do something for work. It’s really scary how much time I’ve been spending online after I’ve been at a computer all day at work.

Wish me luck!

I’m still gonna do this.

Today’s weight: 267.

I am no longer going to weigh myself any more frequently than once every two weeks.

I’m going to start running again. I ran this morning.

I still have only lost a total of 10 pounds. But! My blood pressure is under control and I no longer have to take medication. I still feel like I need to step up my activity. My eating is now well under control, and I walk about half a mile every day. I am going to try to get up to walking 2 miles every day (not hard – the loop to the court house, across the river, around the stadium and back across the river is 2.2 mi) so we’ll see where that gets me. I’m feeling pretty good, though.

I weighed 270 when I originally recommitted myself to this goal at the beginning of June. I’m at about 262/263 now at the end of June. I’d call that progress. I’ve got my eating back under control, and now it’s time to start exercising more. I joined the YMCA in December and was going strong for a while (though I was eating a lot) but haven’t been going as much lately. I intend to start going at least 4 times a week.

The real reason is my health – I was diagnosed with high blood pressure about 10 months ago and have been on medication since then. I have been told that if I don’t exercise regularly and lose at least 40 pounds I will have to double my medication. My goal, of course, is to eventually get my blood pressure to a level where I won’t have to take anything for it (though genetics may foil that plan anyway) so we’ll just see what happens!

This year I lost about 55 pounds by eating better and getting out and moving around every now and then.

Next year I am proceeding to the next level. I just joined the local YMCA and have several centers around town I can visit. I have let the eating and the exercising slip a bit in the second half of the year.