I feel like I have started “the first day of the rest of my life” about 100 times already. The fact is that the first day of my life was the day I was born in 1987. We can be reborn, reinvented, but our life goes on and one day life will go on without us. Time does not stop for anyone, and it doesn’t stop for weight loss.
I have set goals before like “Lose X lbs by X date”. None of which I have ever met. I have weighed as much as 360 and lost all the way down to 245. Right now, I’m at 290. It’s been an issue and a roller coaster all my life. Up until recently, I was afraid to lose the weight — like I wouldn’t be myself without it because it’s all I’ve known. Doing some self discovery and falling in love with myself, I’m ready to shed. I’ve chosen a word to label this year for me, “Blossom.” I am becoming more me than I have ever been… ever!
It has been a mixture of not achieving a life/work balance, not feeling like I was worth the effort, and attempting diets/exercises that weren’t up my alley. Making the space in my life for fitness and nutrition is a constant trial and error. Recognizing why my past attempts haven’t worked, I can better strategize what I should do now.
I ask myself two questions:
What activities do I love to do?
I love to dance, jog, and swim!
How do I want to feel?
I want to feel light, excited like I’m going to explode (the good explode), and in love with me.
I want more of this in my life. I know it’s achievable because I have felt it before. When I regularly exercise, eat right, and take care of myself, it feels like I’m high on drugs or something. It’s quite insane! That’s how I want to feel. It’s not really about the number, it’s about being healthy.
But, I need a tangible goal.
Therefore, my goal is to lose 40 lbs by December. Then, 110 lbs by next August total.
Lofty, but it’s fun to be a little outrageous. Weight loss is stressful so the little bit of fun squeezed out may make a difference. (Don’t judge me! I’m experimenting!)
I also want to reward myself I feel like I’m making progress. I have lost weight before but haven’t exactly felt like I have. This is a physical way that I can recognize my progress. I have made many reward lists before but never actually done any of them. Usually my lists consisted of classes I wanted to take in art, writing, or even dancing! The thing is dance classes should be now. It’s a way to be active. Why would I wait until I lose X lbs to be active? So there have been issues with my lists. Hopefully this time around, I can fix that!
280 – Manicure/Pedicure (I’ve never had one!)
270 – The Art of Brave
260 – New Dress (I love Old Navy’s cotton variety!)
250 – Go to a Play
The ultimate reward when I reach my big goal next August is to travel to Ireland and Scotland to go hunting for castles!
As you can see, I’m all about strategy. Living consciously is the key to unlocking my potential and blossoming into the awesome lady-dude I know I am!
I can relate to beginning diets and failing countless times, although I am 15 years older than you. I am rooting for you, because I hope you’re not still in this place when you’re 40, like me. Good luck, Cassie.
Hey Cassie, if you love to dance you might want to try Zumba. It is really the only exercise I will do and I have lost a good amount of weight doing it a few times a week. I have been going strong for seven months and I swear the weight stays off because of Zumba. It doesn’t feel like a workout- more like a dance party ;). good luck on your journey !