July 2022: Weighed in at 268 with a plan to lose weight. I don't think I stuck with it for more than a week.
July 15th 2023: Weighed in at 261.4
August 6th 2023: Weighed in at 243.4
August 24th 2023: Weighed in at 237.6
September 12th 2023: Weighed in at 228.0
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Day 76: September 29th, 2023: Weighed in at 218.6
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Still continuing to drop the pounds. My next big challenge is going to be from October 11th to October 16th, I'm flying home for my Alma Mater's homecoming football game/weekend. Several of my good college buddies are also traveling to the game, and I know that I'll be drinking and eating poorly during that weekend.
My main challenges right now : 1) Drop as many pounds as possible before I go. 2) Not beat myself up, prematurely, for "bad" choices that I'm going to make during that weekend. 3) Enjoy the weekend, without being too afraid of eating and drinking, but also not going so insane that I lose a month's worth of weight loss progress in a week.
After this mid-October trip, I've got a cruise coming up over Thanksgiving that will also present some challenges, though I actually think I'll be able to stay on-track on a cruise, more easily than I will be able to, during a homecoming weekend with college buddies.
One of the things I'm starting to reflect on, is that when I started on July 15th, I started out by walking 3 miles on a flat treadmill at 3.0mph. I would be pouring sweat and would have to take multiple breaks - from walking - when I first began. Now, I'm doing an hour on the elliptical machine every day and doing some very light weight work, and I laugh at how out of shape I was to begin with. But, I'm also really proud of myself, that I was willing to be "humble" enough to get on the treadmill and be out of breath from walking, to where I am now. Granted, I'm not going on American Ninja Warrior anytime soon, but my progress in just 76 days is signficant.
I have been thinking, that it simply started by putting one foot in front of the other, and sticking with it. It really is that simple. You don't have to start P90X on your first day. Do what you are capable of, and slowly but surely, what you're capable of will expand and grow. The difference between eating fast food & doing literally no exercise, to implementing a diet & exercise plan, no matter how modest or "easy" it is, will absolutely make a difference if you give it the time and attention it needs.
If you've been eating terribly and haven't been in a gym in years, trust me that you'll be surprised how easily you can break out of the rut you feel like you're stuck in, and improve your life. You don't have to go from the couch to being Lance Armstrong in one day. Do what you can do. For me, one of the things I started to recognize is that I would spend at a minimum, an hour a day, doing absolutely nothing of value - looking on social media, watching random YT videos, just "existing" on the couch, and I finally realized that I was just throwing that hour+ a day in the garbage. Now, when I have my "mindless" hour, I have it on the elliptical machine. I have my phone, I watch YT, I play music, and the gym at my condo has basic cable on the TVs in the gym, so I can watch the local news, but instead of doing all of that on the couch, like I used to, I now do it in the gym, and I no longer feel like I'm just throwing that time in the garbage.
Food wise, I'm a convenience person. It has to be quick and easy or I will not bother with it, and I will go get something from a drive through window or Uber Eats. I've been doing Nutrisystem since I started on July 15th, and it has been really great. I've gotten into the timing of when to eat, and I've found which items I like and don't like from Nutrisystem.
7:00am Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Muffin (NS) and a Sugar Free Dannon Yogurt
10:30 Morning Snack: Popcorn (NS)
12:00: Piece of Fruit
3:00 Lunch: Hamburger (NS) and a piece of fruit
7:00 Dinner: Italian Sausage & Pepperoni Pizza (NS) + Fruit
(Note that I "skip" a snack that is allowed by the Nutrisystem plan every day, so every now and then, I will add another NS snack to this. Like today, for example, I'm going to see a movie right after work, so I'll bring along an extra Nutrisystem popcorn, and have that during the movie with a bottle of water.)
~1 gallon of water per day (minimum 96 ounces) + vitamins.
So, I continue to be committed and want to look and feel my best, for both of my upcoming adventures. The changes I'm seeing in the mirror are now pretty significant. It is hard to deny that I look much better and healthier, than I did when I started. My confidence is a lot higher and I am more pleasant to be around. The weight loss at this point is almost more of a "bonus" - the number on the scale, is just that- a number, but the confidence, mental health benefits etc. are what I'm finding to be the biggest positives.
Keep up the good fight. (Thanks for reading this far if you made it

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