My journey thus far....

I started this journey on December 29, 2008. I was so excited about my new year's resolution that I couldn't wait to start. I started by making goals and rewards for myself....rewarding myself with non-food things for doing well. For example, I promised myself that if I was still sticking to the diet and losing weight in 2 months, that I would go out and buy myself the Wii Fit (which of course would involve buying a Wii as well).

I'm 7.5 months into this journey - almost 8 months and I've lost 83.5 pounds. Now it's getting difficult. Now I'm way past losing water weight at this point but to be honest, I never thought I'd get here. When I started this journey, as much as I wanted to be a size 10, I never even thought a size 18 was possible. I was a size 26, going on a 28. Currently I am a size 16. I'm not one to worry about what size my clothes are as long as I feel great and healthy - that's all that matters to me....so I'm not looking to get to a specific size by the end of this journey....I have a feeling that if I reach my goal, I will be right around a size 10 --- which will make me very happy.

You may ask how I am having such success. I attribute it to a few things....

1. My Diet - I've been doing Isagenix (Go to: http://fanclublady.isagenix.com/ for more information).

2. Exercise - I added in exercise on a regular basis after I had lost the initial 30-40 lbs. Once I got the Wii, exercising became a game for me --- and I LOVE GAMES. I currently use Wii EA Active Sports and the Wii Fit to keep track of my weight. I also love Wii Gold's Gym Cardio Workout as well as the Wii Fit games. I also have Wii Dance Dance Revolution --- which is fun and a good workout. For the last few months though --- I'm all about the EA Active Sports.

These last 50 lbs that I want to lose are going to be hard. My friends keep telling me that i'm on the downhill side of this battle and that I'm more than halfway done with it and I am in theory --- but it's only going to get harder. I've watched my mother battle to break into the 170's for the last 2 years. I'm trying to break through and keep going in 4 months. My overall goal was to lose 130 lbs in 1 year. To go from 282 lbs to 152 lbs. I'm currently sitting on the border tinkering between 201 and 199. I want to get into the 100's and stay there ---- and then my future goal will be to never hit 200 again.

There are a few things that I've realized in this journey --- that I wish someone had told me before I started it ---- and if they did - I guess I just didn't hear them.

1. There will be plateau's. You will gain when you do everything right --- and you will lose weight when you cheat.....it's just your body's natural way of being funny.

2. Cheating is the key to sticking to a diet. Every once in awhile I give in to whatever i'm craving. I try not to do this too often as it gets me going in the wrong direction.

3. Make simple goals. Small goals. Multiple goals at the same time. Be excited about the process and the small goals. Don't just set the 1 overall goal ---- set small goals to accomplish.

4. My one daily goal: Never to weigh as much as I weighed yesterday. If I say that every day, every day I will have a daily goal which will keep me going in the right direction.

Now that i've learned all of these things in my journey, I'm putting them to use.

My current/overall goals:
1. Hit 90 lbs lost before I leave to go to Denver for my Aunt's wedding over Labor Day. I have 4 weeks to go. I think I will easily accomplish this.
2. Lose 10 lbs a month - this is what I have to do in order to stay on task of finishing by Dec. 29.
3. Exercise outside (walk/run) at least 2 times a week (i work out on my wii 5 days a week).
4. Lose 100 lbs by end of October. At 100 lbs, we have a celebration planned which will involve Betsy quitting smoking and Melisa coming for a visit to TX. These are my rewards....:)
5. Lose 130 lbs by December 29. WHEN I hit my goal, I will be throwing the BIGGEST new years eve party for all of my friends & family to celebrate with me. We will be burning my outfit that I wore to my new years eve party with my friends last year.

So here's to not weighing more than I did yesterday.....and hitting my goal by December 29, 2009. 2009 was my year about change. This change is not easy and it's a daily struggle.

This blog will just be about my thoughts about this journey.....the ups & downs.....the cheating and the sticking to it.....and everything in between. It may not be pretty or fun but losing weight is neither of those things.

And so the journey continues....