I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that one of my goals for this year is to lose weight and promised to talk more about it. That time has come.
But first, let's review 2008: I didn't have any concrete weight loss goals, but I did want to make exercise a habit and eat more fruit and vegetables. I did pretty well with the first goal, since at the beginning of the year, I wasn't exercising at all. And by the end of the year, I was exercising three to four days per week. Plus, I ran a 5K in November for the first time ever. (That was such an awesome feeling of accomplishment!)
Also, I joined Weight Watchers last summer. I had great success at the beginning, but then hit a major plateau, got discouraged, and went back to my old habits. I'm still down almost 10 pounds from my initial weigh-in, however, so I'd still call that a success.
And that brings us to 2009. I'm still doing Weight Watchers, and I'm still exercising regularly. Mostly because of Weight Watchers, I do have a firm weight loss goal in mind for the year – I want to lose 15 pounds. After that, I may want to lose another five, but we'll have to see how I feel 15 pounds from now.
I also want to run another race – I'm thinking of an 8K, since there's one in April not too far from home. That's 4.9 miles, which would be a good distance for me – it's realistic but difficult enough that I would have to push myself to train for it.
And perhaps most importantly, I want to develop better eating habits. I realize that this is something I didn't do when I first started Weight Watchers. I thought I'd changed my habits for good, but it really didn't take long for me to revert to my old ways. My downfalls have always been portion sizes and sweets. So it's important to me that this year, I learn to regard sweets as a treat, and learn to be satisfied with less food in general.
For me, these are all very realistic goals, and if I achieve them all, then I'll be pretty close to being a poster child for healthy living. My weight will be in a healthy range, I'll be in good physical condition, and I'll be eating a nutritious diet. What more could I ask?
7 comments:
I think you have a good weight loss plan for this year. Setting yourself to run that race as a short-term weight loss goal is a great idea. Good luck and don't falter, weight loss can be pretty frustrating at times but just hang in there...
I too have a huge sweet tooth! I wage that battle most successfully at the grocery store - I make sure to buy sweet fruits like pineapples or oranges...and I refuse to even go down the cookie/treat isle!
I do keep a bar of special dark chocolate in the freezer - I'll break off a square if I'm really in the mood but the fact that it's there means I don't see it every time I go to the pantry for something. Good luck!
Congrats on your great progress so far!
Make a lot of small changes, too -- I've learned to live without sugar in my coffee, have a small side salad with those fries, get the smaller burger, etc. I found that the artificial sweeteners do actually make me hungry, so if you find that to be true, don't do the diet soda, etc. skip it altogether. I look for reduced sugar versions of things. It all adds up!
Your goals sound very realistic and doable. Perhaps once you do the 8K, since it's early in the year, you'll do one in the fall, too!
Good luck, Cathy!
Thanks, everyone!!!
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