Here We Go Again

Loyal fans and newfound followers

Wassup y'all? Hello how are you doin' out there?

"Here We Go Again" (1988): Recorded by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.  Album: He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper.  Jive/RCA Records   

It seems like every January, I - and the rest of the world - get excited about losing weight and getting healthy.  Unfortunately, that desire usually dies out sometime in February.  (For proof of this, look at my 2016 posts.)

This year, though, I have something to work for.  Not that I didn't before, but I have been evaluating the things that made me lose weight in the past and it pretty much came down to two things:

1. Goal
2. Willpower

About five years ago, I was turning 40.  About six months before that blessed day, I was pushing 300 pounds (280) and I was tired of feeling like crap.  I decided that I was going to lose 40 pounds for my 40th birthday.  It was not easy.  There were a lot of early morning workouts and a lot of counted calories, but by the time I turned 40, I was down 40 pounds.  (As well as a smaller size of clothes.)

I kept going after reaching the goal, getting down to 226.  Then, for reasons I still can't explain, my willpower disappeared.  I couldn't get up when that alarm went off in the 4:00 hour.  I couldn't say "no" to the foods I had been able to do so for six months.  Fortunately, the weight kind of stayed off.  I would gain a pound or two, but I wasn't worried because I knew I could lose the weight again, if needed.

A couple of years passed by and my weight slowly worked itself back up to 240 pounds.  It hovered there for about a year or two.  I wasn't happy about it, but at least it wasn't going up.

This past year, my weight has gone up to 245.  That was the final straw!  My pants were getting too tight and there was no way I was going to buy bigger clothes again.

This year, I celebrate my 45th birthday.  I have made the decision that I am going to lose 45 pounds! I  figure that I could lose at least that amount if I lose only a pound a week.  (Technically, I should lose 52 pounds.)

That's it!  That is my goal.

So far, on this 5th day of January, I am already down 5 pounds.  Now it's about having the willpower to continue.

I have tried to make this one as easy as possible.  No fancy diets.  No crazy workouts.  No giving up certain foods entirely.

Here is what I do:

• I log EVERYTHING I eat - I use My Fitness Pal, but there are many places to do this.
• I drink a lot of water - I try to drink 8 ounces each hour from 5 am-5 pm.  
• I walk 10,000+ steps a day on my FitBit - Mostly walking to the bathroom and back.  😉
• I also exercise 30-60 minutes a day - The workout minutes depend on the day &/or exercise.
• I try to get more sleep - I have lived off of 4-5 hours of sleep for years, so I am shooting for 6.
• I give myself a 24-hour "Cheat Day" - Knowing that I can have anything I want on this day, it helps me give up some things during the week.

Once I reach this goal - which will put me at about 200 pounds - I will decide how much more weight I could and should lose.  (To be honest, I haven't been at or under 200 pounds in nearly 20 years, so I don't remember how that looks on me.)

I know that I can do this!  I have done it before.