Obviously, my current plan has not been working. While my eating habits have improved from a year ago and I have been able to keep 12 lbs off consistently since May, there is a lot of room for improvement (not to mention another 50 lbs to lose). I have decided to make a more tangible goal: I want to lose those 50 lbs by the 25th of May 2013, which will put me at my goal weight of 135. To do this, I will need to lose 8.33 lbs per month, which translates to 2 lbs per week. To do this I have to take stock.
Areas in which I have improved:
- Reintroduced fruit and some veggies into my diet
- Stopped snacking all day long
- Cut down on the amount of food and number of calories per meal significantly
- Introduced more healthy food into my diet (seafood,brown rice, salads, etc.)
- Increased my level of activity from zilch to exercising several times per week
- Reintroduced vitamins into my diet
- Practically eliminated diet soda in favor of water
Areas that still require improvement:
- Stop late-night snacking
- Stop drinking altogether (both for calorie reduction and to make better diet choices)
- Increase levels of activity throughout the day
- Introduce more long/heavy workout sessions into my weeks
- Make healthy meals the norm and unhealthy food the exception
The plan:
- Use Sparkpeople.com for tracking, goal setting, and videos (starting with the 28-day challenge)
- Stick to 1200 calories per day (and no more than 1500 on “special circumstances” days)
- Join the local YMCA, which is within biking distance, and do cardio/swimming whenever possible
- Only keep healthy food in the house (lean meats, whole grains, fruit, and veggies)
- Increase my water intake to at least 8 glasses per day
- Make healthy living a hobby, rather than just something I have to do
- Get a little help from my friends
- Do not keep alcohol in the house and commit to not purchasing any
- Stop eating after 8:00 pm
I am committed. I will do this. No slacking.
