Finally Getting Fit

I have been thinking a lot lately about why I am losing weight and why I want to continue to try to do so. Back when I first started seriously getting into dieting, I had a while to go before my wedding. I already had the dress and it was too big, so I would need it to get fitted anyway. Of course I wanted to lose weight for the wedding.

Here are a few tips and tricks in case you’re looking to do the same thing from someone who did it.

*Start early. It is always better to work in the healthy habits as soon as possible. That also makes it easier if you have a ‘bad’ day to recover afterward.

*Get your whole wedding party in on it. You shouldn’t make it a requirement for everyone in the wedding to lose weight, but it can be great to have that support from anyone who wants to participate.

*Plan ahead. For your pre-wedding parties, plan ahead and request healthier food and snacks.

*Always remember the dress/tux. If you’re going to be losing a significant amount of weight, be sure to have an appointment not long before the wedding to get the dress fitted.

*Most importantly: Don’t let it spoil the day. If you haven’t lost as much as you would have liked, it’s okay! It’s your day and no one is going to be thinking about your weight.

I know this is a little different from my usual posting, but I hope some people find it useful.

Okay, so these are a little late. But better late than never, right? It’s time for me to refocus for the month and talk about my goals…

Food – Honestly? I think I’m doing pretty good with this. I haven’t eaten bread in over a month now, no pasta either (I’ve found a noodle substitute – made out of beans!), and I have only had sweets a couple times. I like phase one of the South Beach Diet and I’m only making a few adjustments so I’m technically in Phase Two.

Even so, I feel much better than I was feeling. I miss my sushi, but I can still eat sashimi, which makes me very happy.

Water – I seem to have *SUCH* a hard time with keeping up on my water. I’m not sure what it is. I was doing fine with it for a while, but after that it’s been a constant trouble. I need to really get on this and get back into it.

Exercise – I’m going to try something a little new starting next week because I want to change up my routine a bit. I’m hoping that it will help me get re-excited about exercising again as well as switching things up to encourage more weight loss.

Mentality – I’m getting much better with this, but I do need to stop beating myself up so much. It’s a bad habit I’m slowly getting rid of, but I really need to ditch it for good.

What are your goals for May? Are you having trouble with anything? Is there anything you’re feeling proud of? Leave a comment in the comments section and start up a weight loss conversation.

Over this past month I have been a part of the weight loss challenge on the Yanks Down Under site. Basically, with a few rules like no fasting, we weigh in once a week and talk about what we’re doing to lose the weight.

I’ve found that having this kind of ‘loose’ (‘loose’ meaning lots of discussion, not a lot of competitive spirit between people which makes things more relaxed, and weigh ins only once a week) competition is a nice little Plan B motivational tool.

I didn’t realize it before, but at the last weigh in for the challenge, my total loss was ten pounds. Ten pounds! I had no idea. I mean, I knew I had lost twelve pounds total, but I didn’t realize I’d lost ten pounds this month for this challenge.

Talk about your motivation. I have less than a pound to lose to have lost five percent of my top body weight.

When you are trying to lose weight, I think it’s definitely a good thing to get involved in these types of challenges, no matter what the outcome. If you gain or maintain, you have that reminder that something needs to change. If you lose weight, you are reminded of how much you have accomplished in a new light.

Like I said, I knew I had lost weight, but looking at it in terms of the challenge made me feel great about it all over again.

Are you involved in any challenges? Do you like it/them? Do you find it/them motivational?

I think that coming up with a rewards list is one of the things people have the hardest time with (besides the actual losing weight). While everyone is different, I have pretty consistently heard people who want to lose weight talk about how hard it is to make a rewards list.

I think the reason for this comes in two parts: One, most of us don’t feel like we deserve rewards – especially the people who are trying to lose a lot of weight and don’t have a lot of confidence. Two, many people are so concerned about doing it ‘right’ that they end up not doing it at all.

First off, there’s no wrong way to make your rewards list. I promise!

Secondly, of course you’re worth it. Of course you are. You are someone who is trying to make your body healthier. You deserve a lot of credit beyond rewards.

Rewards can be as often as you want and whatever you want them to be. If you have an extremely hard time with motivation, then make it every five pounds you get a treat. I knew a woman who got a $5 iTunes card every time she lost five pounds.

If bigger rewards are what will work for you, then make it every twenty or twenty-five pounds and then get yourself a manicure/pedicure. Go out for a massage. Treat yourself with a road trip or a new purse/book/pen set/whatever.

Think of things you really want and then set them as rewards. Don’t feel guilty about spending money on yourself because that will just take the whole point out of it.

Work hard and then reward yourself. You deserve it.

Today I was having fun exploring what is turning into a massive blog roll list over at the Healthy You Challenge. (Looking for some support? Your guaranteed to find it there!) I had a lot of lovely people stop by and comment on my last post, so I figured I’d pay some of the weight loss blogger love forward.

I was reading on Irish Mom’s blog – Little Boy Blue and a Redhead Too – where she wrote:

“I just saw a commercial (not sure for what) where people comment on how life would change if I lost the weight….

What would you do?? Or what did you do when lost significant weight??”

That got me thinking as well.

While Irish Mom has pretty much said it all as far as what I would do, I got to thinking about a few things of my own I would add on.

~I would start planning for having a baby. (I’m currently saving money, but nothing else.)
~I would be able to keep up with my husband.
~I would finally find and buy ‘the little black dress.

So what would you do?

Welcome to a new month!

A new month brings new goals for the month, and I have decided to list my goals here. While having the big goal of your ultimate weight loss is nice and everything, I think it’s the small goals that really keep us on track with the journey.

I’d love to lose 100 pounds. First, I’d like to lose 50 and see how I feel about losing more. Before that I’d like to get into my 230s, which I haven’t been in for years. Before that, I want to get in the 240s where I was before I got derailed. The 240s will also see me lose five percent of my total weight.

See what I mean? I have many steps to take, but it keeps me going and keeps me from getting discouraged. That’s why I think monthly goals are great.

Here are mine:

*Drink 2-3 bottles of water a day minimum.

*Stick to the South Beach Diet. No cheating whatsoever.

*Don’t miss any gym days (M-F) after this week.

*Lose eight pounds by my wedding anniversary. (This strays into May – May 5th – but I need to lose most of the weight in April anyway.)

I would love, love, love to be back in the 240s by my wedding anniversary. Even better? The low 240s. I’m not going to put a lot of pressure on myself to do so, but I think I can at least break the 250 mark with the combination of South Beach and the gym.

What are your goals for this month? How do you plan on accomplishing them? Where would you like to be when May rolls around?

When you’re starting out, setting your goal weight is obviously something you’ll want to figure out. You may want to go one step at a time, your goals switched each time you accomplish one, or you may want to go with an overall goal.

I have the overall goal of 100 pounds to lose and the smaller goals along the way. My first goal is 236 – 20 pounds down and also the lowest point I got to the last time I went on a diet.

When it comes to setting your goals, you really need to consider what is going to work best for you. Most people consider one huge goal alone too intimidating. I highly recommend the combination of a bigger goal along with at least one smaller goal.

You’ll probably recognize the categories of weight according to BMI:

BMI Categories:
Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

Most BMI calculators are based solely on your height and weight, and that is the big thing to keep in mind.

If I lose the full 100 pounds and weigh 156 pounds, my BMI will be 25.2 – in the overweight category. However, I am also someone who is stocky. A farm girl. Even as early as 160, I might look like those bony people you wish would just eat a hamburger.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, according to the BMI calculator, is obese. Yep, a BMI of 30.2

So take the BMI calculator with a grain of salt, so to say. In the end, it’s about how you feel, not about what a graph created by someone who doesn’t know you says.

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If you’re looking for other health related sites, take a look at Encouraging Health