It Starts Now - My Weight-Loss Journey

#weight-loss-journey

I sit here writing this post to see if anybody wants to follow my personal journey of weight loss. I make no guarantees about the actual losses, and I make no promises for this journey. The one thing that I'll say is that I will try to keep myself on the straight-and-narrow and keep up the entries.

Now, to weigh myself. Drum-roll please...

My weight, as of May 3rd, 2018 at 7:30AM EST: 279.2 Lbs.

At 5'4", the weight-range goal that I see on going to this site (basic Google search): 117-143Lbs.

I haven't even seen 150Lbs. in about 30 years (that was back in my early teens). I don't know if that's within my reach, so I won't be setting my goals to such a low weight.

My personal weight-loss goal: 175Lbs.

If I set my weekly goal at about 3Lbs. per week, that puts me reaching that target in ~35 weeks. 35 weeks from today is (ironically) is right after New Year's. That's exactly 8 months of effort.

Now, I'm not looking to turn into an Adonis... my wife likes me as-is, so I'm good there; but I have health reasons for wishing to lose the weight.

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This is Me

Below is a recent picture of me. I'm wearing a cool geeked-out orange t-shirt. I want to be able to comfortably wear that shirt.

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The Plan

So, there's no set-in-stone plan for how I (and my wife will be joining me, whether she posts her journey or not is up to her completely) -- we -- will be going about this journey. I just know that we'll be trying to make some lifestyle changes to make it happen. Here is what I'm thinking:

1. Start with a method that worked well in the past for us to shed some initial weight very fast. It entails eating steak and eggs for breakfast, a salad with tuna fish for lunch, and a healthy meal for supper. Between each of those meals we will eat an orange. Water is the real hero here, though, as we will be drinking about 8 ounces of water with each meal as well as outside of the meals... we're pushing for about 100oz. of water per day to help with skin retention and hydration.

2. Yoga. As both of us have some physical limitations that prevent us from exhaustive exercise, yoga (specifically DDP Yoga) will be the mainstay of our initial healthy exercise regime. We will begin slowly to provide for time to adapt to the extra physical stress and exertion.

3. Eat smaller portions. Yep, that's a basis of many things... in moderation.

4. Cheat. You read that right, I plan to cheat. I don't mean cheating on my wife or cheating on the diet all the time, because it's not really a diet. This is a change to our way of life. What I mean is that I will leave myself open to eat some non-healthy stuff every now and again as to not make it a hard line against yumminess.

5. Buy fresh fruits and veggies. Buying fresh is difficult, especially on a limited budget, but I can afford to spend a little more once we have my current loan paid off and have that extra coming back to us. Purchasing fresh produce will make it easier to follow this plan because we'll be able to see what we're planning on eating and can, essentially, modify how we view foods (natural, shapely and colorful instead of boxed or canned).

6. Cook. We cook, just not as often as we should. Part of it's due to the inability to stand in front of a stove for long periods of time; and part is due to the desire for speed over quality. Some is just laziness, pure and simple. I tend to be fairly lazy with things, so I tend to take the cheap/easy way out. This is one of the pieces of the puzzle that I believe will help us the most. Cook for ourselves, make the recipes our own, and make super-flavorful meals that make mouths water.

7. Show me the money. When it comes down to it, most of us want to eat healthier but just cannot afford it. I think much of that lies in the abyss of "oh look, that's cheaper" but what we're really saying is "oh look, that's more convenient". The truth is that buying fresh produce and such can be pricey, but in the end you are then in charge of the amount that you make and how you use the ingredients. You will often see that, instead of spending more money you end up spending far less. That's money in the bank (or paying down debts).

8. The delightful effects of becoming healthier. Ah, to feel healthier. I have days where I feel healthy and good and can do many things. Unfortunately, they seem to be few and far between. I find that most days I feel semi-lethargic throughout the day and I huff-and-puff with just a little exertion. The nice thing about getting healthier is that if done right it will compound itself. You might start with the ability to walk around your house and then the feeling of euphoria (and extra adrenaline) will allow you to do more and more. I think, in no time flat, I'll be able to do many things and for an increasingly longer time.

9. Inner happy shines through. I often found that, when I was a more healthy weight, I was happier with myself and others could sense that feeling. The entire demeanor of friends, family & strangers begins to be affected by your own internal happiness. The joy just shines through.

10. Less pain means more romance. With a heavier body frame, doing the small things for my wife sometimes leaves me out-of-breath and frustrated. With a healthier lifestyle and body, the better I will be at just being the best husband possible.

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In Conclusion

Well, that's my plan. Whether I can take on this challenge and wipe away years of inground pain and emotional stress, or if the challenge will wipe me off the floor remains to be seen. I have faith that I can do so, but it's truly going to have to be a change to our way of life.

Thanks for reading and wish me luck (and upvotes are always a nice thank-you).