27 | February | 2013 | It's Time To Lose Weight

Some people will call it a cop-out (do people still say that?) but life does get in the way of the best laid plans. I had every intention of coming home from work and getting on the treadmill. Well, I had a doctor’s appointment first, then when I did get home, I had a call that took about 40 minutes, and then I had to log back into work… But most importantly, a friend asked me to come to her house tonight. And more important than losing weight is being there for your friends and family. So I’m taking five minutes to post this and it’s off to see my friend.

I am serious about getting onto the exercise portion of the weight loss. I have changed my eating habits – no more random snacking or seeking out the last bit of junk food that might be hidden somewhere in the deep crevices of the pantry. The food I eat is going to be nutritious and tasty. And not all nutritious food is tasty. There’s the dilemma. I will definitely go into the food in another post.

The most important aspect of this new way of life is to take care of myself. In the process, I may have to adjust to circumstances but I need to make a conscious decision that my health is important. Stop talking the talk; start walking the walk. On that note, I have a date with a treadmill tomorrow after work. No matter what!

Off to help a friend – maybe we will do something physical and I can call it my workout for today!

I said I was going to do it and I did. I weighed myself this morning and to my surprise, I didn’t pass out. But I wasn’t happy.

I had mixed feelings seeing that number. First, it wasn’t as high as it had been in the past. Before I was treated for a thyroid condition (and I definitely will get into that in a later post), my weight had ballooned up to 195 lbs! I felt like I was bursting out of my own skin. But after many years and multiple doctors, I am being successfully treated with thyroid medication. So the number is reflective of the progress that the medicine has made helping get my body to start working again. If you suspect a thyroid condition, run, don’t walk, to an endocrinologist. I’ve gone to GPs, internists, and other specialty doctors only to find out this is the very one I needed all along.

Okay, back to the weight. It wasn’t bad enough that I was feeling overweight, looking overweight, and now seeing the actual number confirming I was overweight but I had to go and check out my BMI (Body Mass Index*). I’ve tried Jillian Michaels program in the past and was shocked at the results of my BMI score. Not only did I fret over the number but the text was a slap in the face – not only am I “above” the healthy range but I’m in the obese category. WHAT? When did that happen?

Now I have to face up to it. What do I do next? It’s time to modify the eating and exercise. Modify the exercise – did I really just type that??? I have to START the exercise. I’m not what you’d call motivated to exercise in general. But no matter what anyone says or does, it comes down to calories in, calories out. I no longer have an excuse not to exercise. I will say that I am not going to push myself past my comfort level. I know that if I make it too hard for myself I will just quit. Jillian may be a hard body but she’s not me, a mature woman with years of excuses why not to exercise.

And the biggest reason why I can’t use excuses any more, like “I hate going to the gym” or “I get bored exercising by myself” because my dear, sweet husband bought me a state of the art treadmill for Christmas. God bless him. Really. It’s a mixed blessing. I know he bought it to help me but now I have to use that thing. I’m sure I will have much to say once I finally get on that thing. It has so many bells and whistles that I am sure I will fall down just from the learning curve.

Tomorrow – first day on the treadmill <sigh>

*What does BMI mean?
Body Mass Index (BMI) is an established measure utilized by physicians and health experts to determine weight status (i.e. underweight, overweight or within a healthy weight range).