Looking Beyond a Week

Dear Bleaders:

I am making progress! I woke up this morning and stepped on the scale (6 times) to discover that I now weight 283.8 pounds. That means that I have now lost a total of 23.2 pounds! I am so excited about this development and what it means. My next goal will be to surpass 30 pounds. A loss of 30 pounds will mean a 10% reduction in weight and a 50% reduction in health risks associated with diabetes and heart disease. Now that I have lost more than 20 pounds, this achievement seems within my reach.

This accomplishment is pretty significant not only for the amount of weight but also because I managed things well during my birthday weekend. I began my birthday with a 2.5 mile walk, followed by a healthy breakfast with my mom, playtime with my daughter, and then dinner and a show with my husband. The following day was very full. I was expecting an out-of-town guest overnight. I did not take a walk before picking up my guest for her visit; however, I kept my walking clothes on and remained dedicated to the idea of a walk later in the day. The old me would have said, “Oh, well, I will do it tomorrow.” I persevered. I started on my talk, tired from the longer walk the previous day. I honestly did not think I could get through my usual 1.75 mile walk, let alone the extended length. I prayed along my path, and, amazingly was able to walk my 3.1 miles. I did it! I discovered that I would be able to get through my 5K without paralysis! I made a plan to walk at least 3 days this week in order to keep up on my training. I have walked 3.1 miles on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week and plan to walk again on Friday. I might take a short walk on Saturday, but I don’t want to press to hard so that I am refreshed for Sunday morning’s walk.

Throughout my journey, I have been intentional in keeping my sights set on smaller, more obtainable goals. I have never looked beyond the next “0” on the scale and didn’t put pressure on myself when things have gone more slowly. I feel my body changing and becoming reliant on exercise. I am now feeling muscles that I didn’t even know that I had! I am heading into this weekend prepared and focused. I just hope that I can sustain beyond the week.