Hello, everyone! Today I have a VERY exciting and much needed topic to discuss with you (can you detect the sarcasm?!). If you’ve been frequenting my blog in the last few months you know that I have been wanting to lose weight. I haven’t really been doing much to help myself in this process, so that is all going to change RIGHT NOW!
My goal is to lose 40 pounds by the end of the year. I had originally wanted to lose 40 lbs by my birthday, April 29th, but I’ve realized how HARD that would be to lose that much in less than 4 months! I’d basically have to work out for about 2 hours a day and pretty much starve myself. I like my food and as much as I’ve grown to like my workout time, I don’t have 2 hours to dedicate to being at the gym…. SO, I changed my goal to be 40 lbs for the whole year.
I’m going to make smaller goals each month/week, depending how each week goes. I have been keeping up on drinking 3-4 bottles of water a day so that has been helping me feel less tired and have more energy. Now I just need to start getting 8 hours of sleep each night and I might actually feel human again!
Here are my goals broken down:
Long Term:
* Lose 40 lbs by Dec. 31st, 20014
* Drink 6 bottles of water a day (equivalent to 12 cups a day)
* Fit into size 6 pants again! (This kind of goes along with losing 40lbs, but I really want to get back to my old size, so I need to see that just as much as the 40 lbs as a goal.)
By April 29th:
* Workout 5 days a week at the gym and run on the track 1 day a week.
* Lose 12 lbs
* Be able to do 35 crunches in a row
By July 29th:
* Workout at the gym 5 days a week and walk the dog at least 1 day a week
* Lose a total of 20 lbs
* Be able to do 50 crunches in a row
By Oct. 29th:
* Workout at the gym 5 days a week and walk the dog at least 1 day a week
* Lose a total of 30 lbs
* Do 85 crunches in a row
By Dec. 31st:
* Workout at the gym 5 days a week and walk the dog at least 1 day a week
* Lose a total of 40lbs
* Do 105 crunches in a row
So, those are my goals for the year. I will be revisiting them and reporting each month or so on how I’m doing. I’m not only going to concentrate on how much weight I’m losing, but also on how many inches. I know that you can be losing inches, but not weight so here are my measurements…
Stomach –> 41″
Chest –> 38″
Biceps –> 12″
Butt –> 43″
Thighs –> 24″
Calves –> 18″
I weighed myself at the same time as I took my measurements. It was at night so I will have to continue doing it at the same time. The scale said 159.4 lbs. I’ve been fluctuating between 163-160 in the past couple weeks, depending on the time of day that I stand on the scale. I hate how it changes all the time so that’s another reason why I’m going to be going off of my measurements so that I feel like I’m making more progress than the scale shows.
Here are my before pictures. These are very embarrassing photos, but I’m going to show you so you know where I am starting. (Please excuse my CRAZY hair!! I didn’t feel well, but I wanted to get these pictures taken. I’ve been putting it off… I wonder why! haha)
These workout clothes used to fit me and not make me look fat! I can still wear the pants, but if I wear the shirt I can’t do anything like Zumba or aerobics because the shirt is WAY too short to be moving around like that in! I still wear the pants because they’re stretchy, but the shirt I don’t wear anymore.
What are your weight loss goals for the year? Or even just for this month? What do you do to workout? My routine changes a lot. I try to go to classes at least 3 times a week because that way I’m getting a full hour of exercise, but lately I haven’t had time so I’ve only been doing about 30 minutes a day. I’m working on it!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you’ll share your weight loss triumphs and fails with me! Maybe I could feature you on my blog! 🙂 Have a wonderful wednesday!
Good for you Meg! You are amazing! You can do this and you will feel so great by the end of the year! Make sure you eat healthy along with working out. I find that if I am working my butt off at the gym, I don’t even want to eat junk because it makes my work at the gym pointless! Maybe you will feel the same way. Luis lost a lot of weight (22 lbs in 10 weeks) eating salads for lunch and homemade soups for dinner. xoxo
I want to start eating salads for lunches, but we always have dinner left overs so I usually end up eating that. I need to get better about cutting up the veggies in advance so I’m more inclined to eat the salad. If it’s too much work to make at lunch I just don’t do it. Thanks for the encouragement!!
Also, I think guys can lose pounds faster and easier than women!! It bothers me but that happened to mark even though he wasn’t working out just eating less, but I was working out! It’s not cool.
yeah… I think men lose it faster… but Luis was also working out like crazy… but still… they lose it faster!
You are so strong! You can do anything. And I am right there with ya. I wanna lose about 30 pounds. We can compare notes throughout the year if you want. My hardest thing is food. I do so well meal wise but snack during the day. Trying to find healthier snacks. I need to start walking too. Just hate getting out there in the cold…;O)
Thanks for the support! I would totally LOVE to compare notes! I have a hard time with snacks too!! I often snack on chocolate because we always have it in the house:p we should start a Facebook group with some friend who want to lose weight too! 🙂
I love how you broke your goals down in to small, achievable milestones. Good for you! I’m also on an endless weight-loss journey but I am an immediate results, crash diet kinda gal. I have had success keeping weight off with doing the HcG diet (not FDA approved and controversial, but works) and the Isagenix program which Im on now. They’re strict, but 11 pounds in 2 weeks is cool with me!
That is awesome, 11 lbs in 2 weeks would be great!! I am definitely going to look into those diets!! Thanks for sharing!
Good luck!
I am so proud of you! One for making this goal for yourself, to get healthy AND look good and also for sharing it with your friends. It takes a lot of courage to share such personal photos. If you need any advice or cheerleading give me a shout! I lost 15 lbs in 9 weeks with a healthy diet and exercise. If you need any recipes or workouts I am your girl. My one piece of advice that I swear by is LIMIT your SUGAR!!! This includes fruit! If you have a craving for sweets eat a piece of fruit, it becomes your reward that leaves you feeling good and not sluggish. My FAVORITE dessert was homemade banana ice cream. YUMMY and super easy! Also watch your salt intake. This will prevent your body from retaining excess water. Sorry, this has become a novel. Love you and GOOD LUCK!
I forgot to mention, I lost all my weight before Christmas and despite indulging myself with holiday fare I didn’t gain a pound because my body was in a state to manage small excesses. Just a thought. Weight loss is 80% diet and 20% workout.
Wow! That’s awesome! Great job!
Thanks Mary!! In impressed! 15 lbs in 9 weeks??!! Yes please! I would love to hear all the details about how you did that!! Have you been able to keep it off? That’s what I’m afraid of is losing the weight but then gaining it back. Thanks for the support and encouragement. I really think I should start a weight loss Facebook group. I think I would really benefit from it.
Thanks Dianna!!
I have the same dimple over my belly button when I wear a thin shirt. Do you hate it as much as I do? I think your goals are reasonable and I wish you the best. Looking forward to reading more about your adventures. 🙂
Great goals. I started my weight loss the 2nd week of January. My goal is to lose 100 lbs. that I have had on me for several years now. I have consistently been working out on my elliptical for 4 days a week and tracking my calories in MyFitness Tracker. To date, I have lost 15 lbs. Only 85 more to go.
Wow, that’s great Crystal!! How long do you work out on the elliptical and how many calories a day do you eat? I’m trying to keep track of my apiaries with that app too, but I’m bad at it.