Monday, July 13, 2009

Fitness Schmitness

It's well known around these parts that my "official" weigh in day for years has been Mondays. Well today I officially reached my goal weight...actually, I am two pounds under it. For the past couple of weeks I have been hovering at 1/2 lb or a lb over it, but I just kept trucking along and got the happy happy joy joy news this morning when I stepped on that itty bitty scale.

No matter what the scale said, I was planning on moving into the transition and weight management phase. I fit into all my clothes again...and some of my pants are getting kind of loose. I am not going to go down a size since I am not buying more clothes....being the cheapskate that I am. I fit comfortable into all my shirts and in all my size 6 pants. So...my body is where I want it to be. I just hoped the scale would play along...and luckily this morning it did.

As I mentioned in a post a while ago, now I am at the stage that terrifies me just a smidge mainly just because I haven't been all that successful doing it before. I've been successful at losing weight....and sadly, I am also pretty successful at gaining weight.

So, here is my plan....

1. Keep weighing in at least once a week. When I was gaining weight...shockingly I wasn't stepping on the scale at all. Big mistake...huge. It's much easier to live in denial land when you are helping denial out. I'm not going to freak out if a gain a pound or two...because people's weight naturally fluctuate. But I am going to have a range and if I go above or below that range...time to make a change.

2. Keep recording every little bite I put in my mouth. When I was gaining weight last year, I also wasn't journaling it. It's a lot easier to make bad food and exercise choices when I don't have to write it down and look at it.

3. Keep up the cardio, but add in a some more strength training. I've been a little bit of a cardio junkie lately....and want to work on adding a little bit of muscle and definition. I did the Body for Life program last year, but never finished it..so I am thinking I am going to start it again next Monday. It's 3 days of cardio and 3 days of weight lifting/strength training.

4. I have just accepting that food and stuff will always be hard for me. It's always going to take effort and planning. I used to always think that it should come naturally...and maybe for some people it does, but it just does not for me. If I am not paying attention, I know that I am leading into trouble.

I'll hell bent to not continue to lose and gain the same weight over and over again. Luckily this last time, I didn't gain all the weight back...and put the brakes on before too much damage was done. I tried to figure out how much total weight I have lost over my life....and it is a little over 250 lbs. Sheesh. Not doing this back and forth thing anywhere. Before, I never knew what my goal weight or what I like to call my "happy weight" was. I know what is is now...I'm at it right now. I just need to do the work to keep it here.

That's my story...I'm sticking to it...as I am eating my yogurt as my night time snack. And YES...I am writing it down.