About a year ago I embarked on a weight loss journey. My goal was to lose at least 30 pounds by the end of 2018, and with a day left in the calendar year I still have four more pounds to go. So, technically I didn't reach my goal, but 26 pounds and 18 inches is nothing to scoff at. I feel proud to have come this far in my fitness goal for the year.And it surely wasn't a walk in the park - mind you I did a lot of walking and eventually walking turned to running.
The biggest question I got from my friends was "how did you do it? What's your secret?' No secret. I just put my mind to it. If anything, the fact that it was my main focus for twelve consecutive months was the secret. I didn't go on a fad diet or cut out carbs or booze or sugar. I learned how to portion control my food instead, exercised four days a week and enjoyed the journey.
That was the tough part; learning to enjoy the journey. The beginning was challenging because the results weren't as quick as I hoped for. I think it took up to six weeks to start seeing any change, but sure enough the numbers on the scale started to decrease. And if it wasn't for my sister as my workout and dieting buddy I wouldn't have stuck with it those first six weeks. We'd talk on the phone weekly about our progress, trouble shoot our obstacles and give one another encouragement. And that was important to have another person keeping me accountable and lean on for support. It also helped that my husband was very supportive and never complained about having to eat lighter meals on an occasion. And through my sister I found an online fitness group and learned exercises that upped my cardio and strength training. So I guess having support is key in terms of sticking with it.
But learning to be positive and enjoying the ride was tricky. With any new routine it is fun and exciting at first but soon enough the shine wears off and finding new ways to incorporate veggies into the diet or finding a new route to walk became hard. And when the weight stopping coming off (as it does when you hit a plateau) it's easy to give up. I found the more fixated I was with counting calories and counting steps the more stressed out I was about the whole thing, especially when I noticed I gained a few pounds instead of losing them. When summer rolled in it was really hard not to freak out about gaining a few pounds back after a week away camping. I had to come to terms with the idea that the more I stressed out the less I'd lose. I needed to go with the flow and just keep trying, but not obsessing over every calorie. And sure enough the pounds started to trickle away again. I was happier when I wasn't counting everything. With the shift in focus I started to notice the slight changes in my body- I had leaner cheeks, muscle tone in my legs and arms and definition in my stomach. Finally I was enjoying the journey. Even with my exercise I noticed a huge change from walking for 30 mins to running further in the same time -frame. It was remarkable.
I'm still on the journey and I don't think there will be a definite destination. The changes I have made are lifelong, it's not a diet but a healthier lifestyle. I'm loving the new me and I'm hoping 2019 will be just as fruitful for health as 2018 was. And I learned that it's never too late to change your life to make it healthier.
 |
| Summer 2017 |
 |
| Fall 2018 |
