:Obesity Information for all

So…the gauntlet has been thrown…one of my readers asked me if I still have goals…now that I have lost all the weight.  I explained to him that a) I am still getting smaller and b) of COURSE I still have goals!  After 2.5 years of reducing my size, slowly and steadily, I am still finding my body adapting to my different movements and eating patterns.  As it is summer here in Central New York, I have begun to run/jog quite regularly, especially with my dog.  While I am no speed demon, the idea of running, was far away as the MOON when I started at 297 pounds.  I couldn’t walk a mile then.  Now, I run, a couple of times a week and my time per mile is a between 9.5 -10.5 minutes, over 5 miles.  Not, bad for a woman in her mid-forties!  But I digress…

I was explaining to JM how I was trying to get down one more size for a family wedding that I am attending in 5.5 weeks.  And he Challenged me!!!  Specifically, he wanted to know what I would do each day to make changes in my size…and I decided that I will keep a daily log of my eating and moving (or rest) to give everyone some insight.  As you know, I tend to be pretty private, but I am also passionate in my belief that EVERYONE of us can overcome our obesity…especially if we do it in small, manageable steps.

So, I will be putting daily posts on my blog and also sending emails out to the group to give everyone some information to put to good use.   I am calling this my Obesity Free Challenge…because even though I am no longer obese, being obesity free is still a mantra for my life…and it is what I am dedicating the rest of my education and career to.

Since I leave for California on September 10th, 2009.  I have exactly 4 weeks (including today) to have a “controlled” experiment.  Granted…life happens…and within those weeks, I have two weekend trips planned, which will be great examples of how one can still make healthy, sound eating and movement choices, even when traveling.  This is also a chance for those of you to see that I am no paragon of perfection.  I am just like you…I didn’t like being obese.  In fact, I HATED being overweight, obese, fat – whatever word you want to us…and I DECIDED to find a way, that would work for me, for the rest of my life to change it.  You will see, I am certain, over the next 28 days, that the decision to eat and move to be obesity free is made over and over again.  It is NOT a choice I made once and then everything just fell into place.

I extend this challenge to you.  Yes, YOU.  Each and every one of you reading these words.  It will require 4 steps:  1) determine where you are today – whether your pant size, or your skirt size, a tape measure around your waist, or the scale (always my LAST choice).  2) keep a food journal, every day, of EVERY thing you eat.  TRUST ME – it makes all the difference in the world.  3) Keep a record of all your movement, EVERY DAY…same thing…it adds up.  And 4) share it with another HUMAN…either email it to me, comment on the blog, tell your spouse or best friend.  The BEST way to successfully lose weight and maintain the weight loss is by having support systems.   (BTW, I am doing these four things too…and YOU are my support system!)

Now…to make my experiment as controlled as possible, I got measurements at my local gym (they offer them free) on 30th of July.   These will be the starting points.  I use two different online calorie journals… Prevention.com and the one from my gym.  Prevention.com is free and I have used it for months…very good.  My basic gym membership includes the online nutrition coach…so I am going to give it a go for the next 28 days.  Additionally, I am using  Jeffrey Clymer’s Website to calculate my body fat percentage (the only measurement I care about) to make sure I am not getting lighter but NOT fatter.  (One of the major reasons I am against pure weight as a determinant of success.)

Measurements as of 7-30-09:  Weight 202.8, body fat percentage 27.6, waist is 36.0 inches and hips measure 42.5 inches.  Comfortably wearing size 14’s and some 12’s.  (I started off, in April 2007:  Weight 297, waist over 55 inches…wearing 3x-4x. I have lost over 120 pounds of fat!  WOW).

My goal…I really want to be a size 10-12 (the clothes I have already BOUGHT for my sister’s wedding.  I have 28 days before I get on the plane to California.

Food for the day – good.  Calories @ 2150, and very good workout, cardio, lunges, abs, weights.  A+ for the day.