Weight loss and mapping out a strategy for your goal!

When I saw that I was making some headway with my goal to lose 40 pounds...I started getting serious about losing weight. I believe you will find success in anything you do if you set a goal and then think through how you are going to get there (i.e. the plan, milestones, etc.). This is particularly true if you want to lose weight.

So, this past weekend I decided to lay out my weight loss plan. I thought I would share this with as my plan may benefit you or at least get you thinking.

Date Current Weight Weight Loss Total Goal
10/30 182 2 2 2
11/6 4
11/13
all the way through...
4/9/07 6

In an Excel spreadsheet, I put down the date of each week, my current weight, my weight loss for that week, the total weight lost to date as well as a running goal total. I created a grid that goes from today's date to the point at which I lose 40 pounds. This grid also helps me get excited about how much I will weigh at the holidays and Valentine's Day.

I love having a tool that makes me accountable for my weight loss plans as well as somewhere to see what my expected weight will be on New Year's Eve (it is also a reminder of what I have accomplished so far). This is a wonderful tool to help monitor where you are. I also make notes off to the right about what has gone right that week as well as what has gone wrong. It is really a great weight loss tool.

Good luck and happy weight loss!

Weight Loss and New Found Excitement

I am so excited about losing weight -- a first for me in a while! I have finally shaken these three pounds that I have been trying to lose for some time. Just this little bit of incentive has really recommitted me to watching what I eat and refocusing my effort on weight loss.

I am going on a trip and I want to feel great about it so I have been careful about what I have been eating the last few days. I am so surprised a what a little bit of discipline (and some reward) are doing toward my mindset about the whole weight loss process. This is all I need to really focus my weight loss efforts in these next two months of big eating and feeling out of control.

This has made me realize that it is all about making baby steps and experiencing little wins. Putting my big goals aside and just having small goals has made the weight loss process not so weighty.

Isn't there a saying about eating an elephant...you can do it when you eat just one bite at a time!

Weight Loss and Swimming -- It Gets Even Better!

I have talked a lot about how swimming can really change your body and boost your weight loss efforts. I have discovered the way to take my lap swimming (and weight loss) to the next level.

My friend picked up some Zoomer short fins for me to use during my lap swimming. The first time I used these, I was really out of breath. The packaging advises that you will want to take slightly longer breaks because these fins/flippers tire you out more (they also may give you small blisters as your feet are getting used to them). I could only swim 6 laps initially with the Zoomers on...however, after reading the packaging about the strength I would gain as well as the trimming of my thighs...I was encouraged to flip on.

The second time, I used them for about half of my laps but I wasn't as tired (which gave me hope as my struggling body parts are my legs - oh, do I need a weight loss miracle there!). The third and fourth times, I used the Zoomers the whole time (30-40 minutes) and I wasn't tired. They seem to really propel me through the water so I am not having to depend predominantly on my arms.

This new swimming tool alone could help me lose weight, trim my legs and build my endurance.

If I could just manage what I eat, I will be a lean, mean fabulous machine!

Weight Loss and Swimming

I have been swimming in an effort to shake up my workout -- for the benefit of losing weight. I want to:

- get healthier
- continue to build up my endurance/cardiac abilities
- lose weight
- become more muscular
- see less loose, flabby skin on my body

I have been swimming now for 3 months. (Coincidentially, I have been gaining weight for three months.) I have been noticing some changes over the last three months that are very interesting. When I first swam for 30 minutes, I walked every couple of laps. Today when I swam, I walked only two laps and finished 40 minutes of continuous swimming. Wow. Big difference from the first time I jumped in the pool. Here are some changes I noticed:

- my endurance is better
- I am building more muscle under the fat (if I even lost 10 pounds, I would be much firmer then the last time I weighed 10 pounds less)
- my cellulite is smoothing out
- I am more muscular on my back side
- I feel more powerful
- I have the desire to eat for performance (I don't always do this), rather than just fun
- I can not wait until my next swim - it is not as depressing/as much "work" as a regular workout (I work my butt off but my perception is very positive which is different from the monotonous boredom I feel when I go to the gym)
- I am shocked that I love it so much despite the fact that it kicks my butt

I can not say enough about swimming and I can't wait until I see the results in the form of weight loss. I feel so powerful when I swim, it simply has to be helping me on the weight loss front. At the very least, I am getting a better body!

Weight Loss - Two ingredients to stay away from!

I have been very cautious lately about what I am eating (while I am inclined to not sabotage my weight loss plan - which goes by the wayside at the sight of chocolate). These two popular food ingredients minimize your ability to be healthy and lose weight. They are hydrogenated oil and high fructose corn syrup.

Hydrogenated Oil -- this is linked to diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Partially hydrogenated oil and hydrogenated oils are in the category of trans fatty acids that are slowly being eliminated from our food supply. The process involvd in hydrogenation actually helps foods have a longer shelf life -- good for manufacturers but bad for living beings due to the almost poisonous nature of hydrogenated oil. The more processed the food item, the more likely it is to have this "killer" ingredient. It is also no good for weight loss as the more natural your diet, the better you are able to process your food and the more efficient your body is at weight (and waste) management.

High Fructose Corn Syrup -- We started seeing high fructose corn syrup in our food supply in the sixties. Now we eat about 62 pounds of it annually. The way our bodies work when we eat regular sugar is to act as a cue to your brain that your full. In fact, the production of glucose prevents the release of ghrelin in your stomach (ghrelin signifies hunger). When you eat fructose, on the other hand, it does not block ghrelin which then tells your brain that you are hungry. You actually eat more when you have foods containing high fructose corn syrup because you think you are hungry. This is a weight loss nightmare. This is why you can eat an enormous amount of M&Ms but can eat a much smaller amount of protein and vegetables. The other bad side effect of HFCS is that it turns into fat immediately - another problem for weight loss.

Your weight loss efforts would pay off if you really looked at the labels of the food you consume. Say no to anything with hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup.

Weight Loss and Working Out

Think about all of the times you have tried to lose weight in your life. Didn't it all go better when you both lose weight and work out concurrently? Studies show that people who eat less and work out lose more weight and keep it off longer than those who just eat less.

I am doing better at eating more of the right foods (particularly those that DO NOT contain high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oil) with fewer additives. However, over the last few months I have diligently added circuit training and swimming laps. I have not lost weight, however, I have firmed up. I can't tell it so much but my masseuse and my husband insist that they can see more muscle tone (maybe I was flabbier than I thought).

This has all made me realize that working out is important in how your body shapes up. Surely, you know people that are slim but flabby. If and when I do actually lose the weight, I believe I will be somewhat toned and muscular!!