On January first I set some goals for myself. Perhaps the biggest one was to lose weight and make healthier decisions. As part of that I gave up snacking in between meals and drinking soda, period. No exceptions. I also got a spin bike on January 8th to encourage exercise. I’ve used it every single day since (except for the one night I was in Kansas City and I used the elliptical in the hotel gym).
As of yesterday I’ve now lost twenty pounds since January 1st.
I’m very happy about my progress. It was my goal to lose twenty pounds by Sarah’s birthday, which is March 27th. So I’m a month ahead of my goal. The next big milestone I want to be at is another 15 pounds, and I’m hoping to get there by August 20th, when I leave on a hiking trip in the Rockies.
It feels good to lose weight. And it has actually been an easier journey than I had anticipated thus far. I just assume that if I was serious about weight loss, I’d have to give up most of my eating habits. But it’s not true. I have stopped eating fast food for the most part, and I’ve just been smarter about the amount of foods that I do eat. I haven’t cut out carbs or anything. I don’t really think I could. I just have been doing things in moderation. I’m pretty sure I’d lose weight even faster if I stuck to a strict diet, but I haven’t been. I haven’t felt like I’ve punished myself at all.
There are still lots of great foods to eat to stay healthy. I have been avoiding foods that taste really good for the moments you’re eating them, but then almost immediately you feel kind of gross (Burger King, for example).
I don’t have anything deep or really thoughtful to say. I just am encouraged through some intentional effort that my body has been responding by losing weight. And I feel better these days. I have more energy. I feel healthier. Lots of good changes.
The Overlap 