I consider myself the tortoise of the three Charlotte Biggest Losers. Just like the tortoise in the children's story, I have decided to take a slower, less aggressive approach to my weight loss journey of 36 pounds this year and another 36 next year.
Am I not capable of losing more? Sure. Am I copping out? I'm sure that some may say yes, but I've made a very conscious decision to enjoy my journey back to a healthier lifestyle. I have several reasons for my strategy.
- I have learned in my Toastmasters journey towards my Distinguished Toastmasters Award that I can achieve anything that I set my mind to if I first get my head in the game.
- I am a single parent and caregiver of a teenager with multiple health issues. Time is a hot commodity for me. It took me over 25 years to get to my current weight. It didn't come on overnight and I don't think it’s wise to try to melt it off quickly. Perseverance is the goal.
- I've decided not to go on a "diet" for this journey. I have replaced the term "can't eat" with terms like "chose not to eat" or "rather not eat" because the road to a healthier lifestyle is about choices.
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6 comments:
Well said...
I think there's a happy medium between your suggested weight loss pace and losing weight too fast. The fact is, you need to get back to a healthy weight as quickly as possibly due to the side effects of being over weight: diabetes, hypertension, etc. Those have serious consequences. And since you mention your child, would that not be motivation enough to step up and get going? I think you will find that once you get some momentum in your exercise regimen you'll find that you will develop some stamina and the weight will start coming off at a rate that is rewarding. It's like a small snowball effect. And what better way to bond with your child than to go on this venture together. From your writing it sounds like you want to be in control. The best way to take control of your life is to get healthy. Go for it. You can do it.
This is a really good blog entry and I've been one of the anonymous posters who has been pretty tough on you.
I agree that when it comes to weight loss that slow and steady wins the race BUT I think maybe you are going too slowly. 36 pounds in a year is almost impossible to quantify on a week to week or month to month basis. But, if you have a plan and can stick to it I suspect you will lose more than 36 in a year.
Two years is a long time and a lot more time to be fat. Go pick up something that weighs 72 pounds. That is how much extra you are carrying that your body must accommodate.
One of the other bloggers is going on an infomercial diet, which is a disastrous idea. I totally agree with your view on nutrition change. That reflects a maturity to your program.
Keep on plugging away!
You are doing a great job. It's hard to see the end goal sometimes when you are trying to lose weight slowly (i.e. the healthy way). But one day you'll realize your clothes are much too big and it will feel great!
Thank you all for the encouraging words. I realize my minimum goal is not a stretch one, but having struggled with weight for so long, I really needed to set the initial goal to one I knew I could achieve with making a few better choices.
Anon 9:03, thank you for taking the time to let me know sharing that you had been tough in previous posts, but do see where I am headed in the right direction. That REALLY made my day.
All, Stay tuned tomorrow where I will share how I plan to get it in gear.
I like your strategy of not using the term "can't eat". When you use this, you feel like you're depriving yourself. If you're anything like me, if I feel like I can't have something, then I'm likely to go off the deep end and binge on it. Instead, it is all about making choices. Choosing to have something, but perhaps in a smaller portion size or less often is a much better strategy than trying to go cold turkey and say you'll never have it again.
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