I didn't get *fat* in a day
I am five feet and nine inches tall. According to the BMI Calculator on the NIH website, a healthy Body Mass Index is between 18.5 and 25. That means that a healthy weight range for my height should be between 130 and 170 lbs (I know that the BMI has its limitations, but bear with me here). When I weighed myself this morning, I tipped the scales at 218.2 lb, well past the overweight range into the territory of obesity. I've been that way for quite a while. I can't remember the last time I was below 170 lbs (the closest I can think of was when I was in college and was glad to get back down to 180 lbs). In the not so distant past, I've been as high as 245 lbs. I know the short- and long-term health risks associated with being obese, to say nothing of the aesthetic considerations, and I've decided (again) that being overweight is unacceptable. So what am I going to do about it?
Well, first off, I'm *not* going to go on some official, gimmicky diet plan. I'm not looking for the flavor of the month (or year) that will help me get down to a goal weight, then leave me stranded then once I reach it. I *am* going to track everything I eat, eat healthier, and exercise.
I've tried tracking my food intake before, but it's actually quite a bit easier now with the Livestrong.com iPhone app. It's easy to use, has a huge database of foods, and is totally FREE. Granted, you have to have an iPhone, but there are other similar apps out there for other platforms. I tried using it just after I got the iPhone last December and liked it a lot. However, with a baby coming up soon and lots going on in life, the timing wasn't quite right and I got away from it.
As far as eating healthier goes, well, a lot of that just comes naturally when I'm tracking everything I'm eating. Did I *really* need that second helping? Shouldn't I really be getting more than no vegetables on any given day? Did I really put that much butter on my bagel in the morning? Beyond the benefit of just tracking it, the thing that has always tripped me up in the past has been totally changing my eating habits so that I can regularly eat less and eat more nutritious food. To help on that front, I've signed up for a free life coaching program offered through a program at work. They'll be calling to check in every few weeks for about 6 months or so. Here's to some real change!
And exercise. This is the one I started on first, actually. I've made a real push to get out walking, hiking, and running regularly this year. I'm coming to the reluctant conclusion that running is actually the most efficient use of my exercise time (the most bang for the buck, by far). I'm not a natural runner--I'd much rather be out hiking--but since the hiking trails are a bit of a drive away and I can go running out of my front door, it just makes more sense. Given the choice, you'll still find me climbing a mountain trail, but it's nice to take off for a half hour run in the evenings to stay in shape in between hikes.
So, we'll see how it all works out. I really haven't lost much weight yet--although if I can trust the body fat measurement on my scale downstairs, I have lost a few percent of body fat already. I've been exercising a lot so that may be true. I don't know that I'll ever make it down to 170 lbs, but I'll be happy to get back to 180 again. Only 40 lbs to go. Let's do this.
Well, first off, I'm *not* going to go on some official, gimmicky diet plan. I'm not looking for the flavor of the month (or year) that will help me get down to a goal weight, then leave me stranded then once I reach it. I *am* going to track everything I eat, eat healthier, and exercise.
I've tried tracking my food intake before, but it's actually quite a bit easier now with the Livestrong.com iPhone app. It's easy to use, has a huge database of foods, and is totally FREE. Granted, you have to have an iPhone, but there are other similar apps out there for other platforms. I tried using it just after I got the iPhone last December and liked it a lot. However, with a baby coming up soon and lots going on in life, the timing wasn't quite right and I got away from it.
As far as eating healthier goes, well, a lot of that just comes naturally when I'm tracking everything I'm eating. Did I *really* need that second helping? Shouldn't I really be getting more than no vegetables on any given day? Did I really put that much butter on my bagel in the morning? Beyond the benefit of just tracking it, the thing that has always tripped me up in the past has been totally changing my eating habits so that I can regularly eat less and eat more nutritious food. To help on that front, I've signed up for a free life coaching program offered through a program at work. They'll be calling to check in every few weeks for about 6 months or so. Here's to some real change!
And exercise. This is the one I started on first, actually. I've made a real push to get out walking, hiking, and running regularly this year. I'm coming to the reluctant conclusion that running is actually the most efficient use of my exercise time (the most bang for the buck, by far). I'm not a natural runner--I'd much rather be out hiking--but since the hiking trails are a bit of a drive away and I can go running out of my front door, it just makes more sense. Given the choice, you'll still find me climbing a mountain trail, but it's nice to take off for a half hour run in the evenings to stay in shape in between hikes.
So, we'll see how it all works out. I really haven't lost much weight yet--although if I can trust the body fat measurement on my scale downstairs, I have lost a few percent of body fat already. I've been exercising a lot so that may be true. I don't know that I'll ever make it down to 170 lbs, but I'll be happy to get back to 180 again. Only 40 lbs to go. Let's do this.