Sunday, January 4, 2015

2015 Goals Series: Reach my Goal Weight

This post is part of the 2015 Goals Series, where I'll share my goals for the year, why they are important to me, and how I plan to accomplish them. You can follow along here.

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Hi there!  Thanks for joining me for part three of the 2015 Goals Series.

So far I have shared a summary of my goals for 2015, and focused on my goal to blog here every day. Today I want to look at another one of my goals:  to reach my goal weight by the end of the year.

I'm sure this is on the minds of many at the beginning of the new year.  Frankly, losing weight has probably been on my goal or resolution list every year of my adult life.  I think it is an admirable goal.  I think everyone should strive to be as healthy and fit as they can.  It just helps you enjoy life more.

I have been slightly overweight for most of my adult life.  It all probably began when I got my first job, had my own money, and started ordering from Domino's Pizza.  Oh, the freedom!  My weight began to increase slowly, and I didn't really pay attention, other than occasionally needing to go up a size in my jeans.  Amazingly, that did not sound any alarm bells for me.  

My need to lose weight and get healthy culminated near the end of 2010.  I was at my heaviest, unhealthiest, and unhappiest.  I was close to 250 lbs. (I'm 5'8" in my head, and 5'7" in the doctor's office), but most troublesome to me was my declining health.  Suddenly I was on several prescription medications, my knees were giving me problems, and I was seeing a cardiologist.  I had enough trouble dealing with my dress size of 20, but I was not ready to start feeling old at 45.

So in 2011, I started researching gastric bypass surgery.  My brother had gone through it a few years before, with great results.  My husband went through it the year before.  I knew the ins and outs of the surgery, but I wanted to make sure it was right for me.

Towards the end of 2011 I made the decision to move forward with the surgery, and in March 2012 it was done.  Fast forward to today -- I'm 40 lbs. lighter (I was down 55 lbs., but have gained some back) and am definitely healthier (no longer on prescription meds, heart is fine, but the knees still click and creak).  But, I want to lose the 15 lbs. I've gained back, plus another 25 lbs. or so to get to my goal weight.

So, one of my goals for 2015 is to reach my goal weight of 165 lbs by the end of this year.  It's important to me because I want to be healthier, happier, and more confident.  I think they are the cliche reasons, but they really ring true for me.

How am I going to do this?  I'm so glad you asked!  Here's my plan for achieving my goal:

  • Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. 
  • Weight myself every Sunday and keep a record to make sure I am on track.
  • Avoid fast food and fried foods and limit sweets.  All of these are my weakness.  :(
  • Use Fitbit to monitor activity, food, and water intake.

I'm most excited about my new Fitbit, and will be doing a review on it in the coming weeks.  It's proving to be oh so helpful so far, even on day three of my journey.  I'm really excited and motivated, and am really confident that I will easily meet this goal.  Sharing my progress here for all the internet to see doesn't hurt, either.  

Do you have any weight loss or fitness goals this year?  What are you doing to stay motivated?

I appreciate that you stopped by to check in with me.  You're awesome!

2 comments:

  1. I've had issues with the slow creep of extra weight too, really starting when I quit smoking several years ago. I never really made it a new years goal but this year I had a physical in December and everything was bad; cholesterol was high, blood pressure was high, I'd gained 10 pounds in about six months (!) and realized that something's got to change right away. I get a lot of activity in daily but have added some more. The big thing is controlling portions and avoiding excess in food. I love rich foods and tend to just keep eating. My active lifestyle allowed that for years but I guess my metabolism has slowed down. So I'm planning to carefully limit portion sizes and avoid junk-snacking (candy and chips and stuff like that) and bring better snacks to work (almonds, crudites, fruits). Will let you know how it goes.

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    1. Thanks for sharing, Josh! My biggest challenge is the exercise. I hate it. Well, let me rephrase that. I hate the going part. Once I'm there, I like it. And after I'm finished, I have that great endorphin rush and am really proud of myself. We can do it! Keep me posted on your journey!

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