I decided to resurrect my Wellness Wednesday series in the hopes that doing so will provide me with some ongoing accountability. I’ll be totally honest with you though. If I start to slip, I’ll probably just stop doing the posts. I realize that totally defeats the purpose, but my blog, my rules.
I’m not going to sit here and fat shame myself. I don’t want to whine that I’m so fat and ugly and nothing fits and so on. What I am going to do is put some facts out there.
As of January 5, I weighed 165 pounds. This is the most I’ve ever weighed even when I was pregnant. I have now surpassed my weight on the day I gave birth 8 years ago. I know we’re not supposed to talk about what we weigh, but in the spirit of only presenting information without judgement, I am giving an actual number. There it is: 165.
I am just under 5 feet tall, but let’s use measurements for someone who actually IS 5 feet tall. I like round numbers and I’m almost there and I feel like it’s better than rounding my height down. The ideal weight for someone who is 5 feet tall is between 95 and 128 pounds. I haven’t been 95 pounds since I was a senior in high school, so that seems a bit unrealistic. When I was my healthiest as an adult, right before I got pregnant in early 2006, I weighed 128. I felt good but like 5-10 more pounds would be ideal. Given those facts, my goal weight is 125. It’s also another round number.
To reach my goal, I need to lose 40 pounds. Losing 50 or 60 would not make me unhealthy though it may be less than realistic. I’m going to stick with the 40 and see how I feel when I get there.
Here are the action steps I’m planning to use for at least the first month:
1. Use MyFitnessPal to track calories and exercise.
2. Exercise at least 30 minutes per day at least 5 days per week. It doesn’t have to be strenuous, but it has to happen.
3. No cheese (because I tend to binge on it when I eat it) and no take-out (except January 24, the day of my son’s birthday party).
That’s it. No food is off-limit if I can fit it into my calorie budget and the budget helps me to make better choices. Exercising pads the budget. Take-out always ends badly.
It’s not just about the weight. I feel like crap almost all the time. My sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits are making me miserable and it’s time to change things. I need a measurable goal for this to work. “Feeling better” isn’t going to be enough. I will feel better if I weigh less because the only way to weigh less is the eat better and exercise. I hate to focus on numbers and all that but going by how my clothes feel isn’t a good measure (unless I only wear one outfit indefinitely) and my level of fatigue or shortness of breath or whatever else isn’t reliable since so many other factors impact perception.
Weight is measurable. Scales don’t lie. I know this doesn’t work for everyone, but it’s what will motivate me.
I’ve been doing well since Monday (yes, I’m aware it’s not even 3 full days yet) but I’m tired and cranky. I was going to try to end this on a positive note but, well, I don’t have one right now. My disposition probably has more to do with the weather and my current hormonal state than my food (because I have been eating). I look forward to being over the transitional hump that one must go through to build good habits because this transitional hump sucks.
Until next week…
Featured image credit: http://uncrate.com/stuff/fitbit-aria-wi-fi-smart-scale/
I’ve eliminated fast food and soda. That’s not going to be the only solution, but I need to start somewhere.
Good luck!
That is a good place to start. I go on binges with soda (I could easily drink a 2L bottle in one day) and I try to stay away from fast food, but I do have it every now and again. I plan to not have either again any time soon. You’re right, everyone has to start somewhere!
These kinds of changes are good even though implementing them sucks with a capital S. The hell of it is, once you start to feel better, the better you will want to feel. It’s the first couple of weeks that are the absolute worst. Just keep on keeping on.
I’m trying to remind myself how much better I used to feel when I was healthier. I haven’t gotten past the first month in years of trying. This year NEEDS to be different because I cannot keep going in the wrong direction like I have been!
Good luck Michelle! Last year when I turned 40 I made a commitment to get healthy. I made a goal to exercise every day for at least 20 minutes. I got a treadmill so I don’t have to leave the house and made it possible for me to achieve my goal. Then I joined Weight Watchers online for 3 months to help get my eating in check. One year later I lost 25 lbs and am in better shape than I was before having my kids 11 years ago. I don’t go crazy with workouts, but doing something every day is the key for me.
Congratulations on such a fantastic year! I think 40 is a big motivator. I have 16 months and 17 days until my 40th (but who’s counting?) and I want to be in great shape by then. I want to be one of those people who says she feels better at 40 than she did at 30. I love walking and running outside, but there’s just no way I’m leaving the house in this weather unless I have to. I agree doing something every day is going to be the biggest thing. I might take weekends off just because they are hectic, but if I can squeeze in 7 days of exercise I definitely will!
Wahoo! Number 1 fan, here. I’m with you in solidarity and self-love. I love that you’re being kind to yourself and have tangible goals. There is nothing wrong with tracking calories and using a number as a reference point, so screw whoever tells you otherwise. Proud of you, friend. xo
I honestly get the point people make when they talk about not focusing on numbers and on being comfortable with the body we are in. And while I know that being overweight isn’t a reflection of me as a person or anything like that, I do not think I’m being my healthiest and best self. So I’m trying to be kind while also taking care. I really want to be in it for the long haul this time and that means I need to let go of the negative thoughts. I won’t get anywhere with them. Thanks for always being in my corner!
I just joined the three-month deal on WW today. I had a particularly difficult couple of days involving Girl Scout cookies — and I finally hit “bottom” which really means the number in my head that says…YIKES! That number is two higher than yours.
I don’t know MyFitnessPal, but the fitbit thing didn’t work for me. I’m going to go do some exercise NOW so that I can say it’s done for the day.
MFP is an app that tracks all your food/drink information and exercise. You put in the data and it keeps track. I find that when I’m counting calories and recording what I eat I do so more conservatively. It also calculates the weight I’d be at in 5 weeks if every day were like the current day so it tells me where I’m headed if I keep steady. I also like it b/c it’s free 🙂
Maybe we can get together for a walk and some carrot sticks soon. I’d say lunch, but, well…