Fitness Status Report: 2015 Year End

Now that we’ve moved from 2015 to 2016, I wanted share the progress in my “get healthy” movement (I need a better name LOL). I thought that if I post monthly updates, it would keep me honest, keep me going, and maybe find some support from anyone who reads the updates.

At the end of April, I started the “Thrive Experience”. I won’t rehash that since I already wrote about it. I started monitoring my weight in the middle of May. I weighed 274.8 pounds on May 17th. I’m pretty sure that that is the heaviest that I’ve been. I was tired all the time and avoided looking in the mirror unless I absolutely had to. And needless to say, I was disgusted with myself.

In June, I started going for walks … anywhere between 2 and 3 miles. By the end of the month, I was actually down almost 10 pounds. But once July rolled around, I got lazy. No excuses … just lazy.

When my birthday rolled around in November, I had a break through (or maybe a break down). I decided to get serious about losing weight and getting in shape. I mean, I’m not getting any younger.

I ordered a Fitbit Charge HR on Target’s Black Friday sale (online). It showed up on November 30th. I figured that if I spent a little over $100 on a fitness tracker, it would guilt me into keeping up with my routine. 🙂

In December, I started working out on a regular basis (There were only 2 days that I didn’t work out … Dec 6th and Dec 25th). At the beginning of the month, I didn’t really have a routine set. I was working out with a couple DVDs that I have, Walk Away the Pounds (which I’ve had for several years) and Weight Watchers 15 Minute Boot Camp Series. The Walk Away the Pounds DVD (set) has 3 workouts (1, 2, and 3 mile walks) and includes the use of 2 pound weights. The Weight Watchers 15 Minute Boot Camp Series DVD has 4 15 minute workouts (core, cardio, upper body, and lower body).

I now have a routine figured out. I do the core and upper body workouts in the morning before getting ready for work and either the 2 or 3 mile walk when I get home from work. For most of the month, I did the 2 mile workout, but for the past few days, I’ve been doing the 3 mile walk. The issue isn’t endurance. The issue is that the 3 mile workout takes 45 minutes and the 2 mile one takes only 30 minutes. 

When I stepped on the scale this morning for my scheduled weigh-in, I was a bit disappointed. I only lost 4.6 pounds during the month of December. I was hoping I could lose around 10 pounds a month. But I’m trying not to let that get me down. I still LOST WEIGHT! And since I started monitoring my weight in May, I’m down 18.2 pounds (to 256.6) AND a pant size. Woohoo!!! My goal is to get down to 175 pounds. I have a bigger frame (Grandma always said I was big boned LOL), so I’ll never be a size 0. I think 175 is realistic and healthy for me. 

I’ve been eating smaller portion sizes for a while now. I’ve cut out pop except for the occasional craving. I cut back on my white chocolate mochas too, but I still get one from time to time (hazard of working above a coffee shop 🙂 ). I haven’t been doing a lot of snacking either. But I’m still not losing the weight I’d like to be losing. I know that I need to start eating smarter. I might be eating smaller portion sizes, but it’s been something I can quickly get on a plate. I need to do menu planning, start buying healthier ingredients (and healthy snacks), and start cooking again.

My goals for early 2016 are to keep working out (and maybe to change up my routine so I don’t get bored or plateau), to start eating (and cooking) healthier, and to not let myself get down if I don’t lose as much weight as I want as fast as I want. This is a lifestyle change. It’s going to take time. As long as I don’t start gaining weight again, I’m on the right track.

So, as I post these updates, if you have any words of encouragement or suggestions for improving my workout routine, please leave a comment. I could use all the help I can get to stay on course and meet my goal. Thanks. 🙂