I’ve mentioned this a few times here and there, but coming on the heels of my discussions about what I eat, I thought I’d have a discussion about weight loss.
I’m trying to lose weight. Since I moved to DC in 2007, I’ve gained over 30 pounds. That’s not an insignificant amount of weight. I swore up and down that I was going to lose it before I turned 30. Then before I turned 31. Now I’m 32. Still heavy. And you know what, I’m going to even use numbers. I’m at 172 pounds right now. I’m 5’3″. That’s… not good. And it’s clear that I’m not a total couch potato. I’m not your average “fat girl.” Like many, many others, I’m out there, getting a ton of exercise and trying to eat right.
Please note – I’m never going to be a skinny minnie. It’s not in my genes, and it’s not going to happen. Plus, I just don’t want to give up what I would have to in order to even attempt to lose that kind of weight.
But for many reasons, I need to get my weight down. My cholesterol needs work. Added weight isn’t good for my heart. And most excitingly, I learned this week that a good estimate is that losing 10 pounds can cut a minute per mile off your running pace. If I could lose 20 pounds and be 2 minutes faster, I would be ecstatic.
And let’s be honest, I’d like to fit back into some of my clothes.
I’ve heard many times over that bodies are made in the kitchen, not in the gym, so that’s a big step for me. Just making sure that I’m eating right and keeping things balanced. I’m also still doing Weight Watchers, which is working well for me.
So there you go. More imperfections. But I’m okay with these too. I just need to work on slimming down and speeding up.
photo credit: Johnny Vulkan via photopin cc
It’s it liberating to put it out there? I first wrote my weight on my blog last year, and it was a big step coming face to face with it. I’ve been working on a lose weight/get fitter/run more program for about 10 months, and while it’s been slow going, I am at about 14 pounds lighter. Sometimes I get frustrated that it doesn’t happen quicker, but then I remember that I’m taking a very incremental/lifestyle approach instead of a Biggest Loser approach. I haven’t noticed that I’ve gotten exceptionally faster in my running, but definitely able to sustain a faster pace for longer.
Keep us posted and good luck!
This is a seriously brave post — I commend you for writing it! I lost about 20 pounds with Weight Watchers, only to gain some back when I started a new medication. (Insert angry growl here.) It’s a struggle, and I feel your pain on the difficulties of weight management.
That said, you’re clearly on the right track: you know what’s realistic for your body, you’re taking a slow and steady approach, and your goals extend beyond getting down to a certain weight. (Getting faster is an awesome approach.) Best of luck!
Wow, this was so inspiring to read. I know I said before that I love your blog because it never ceases to make me feel less alone – but holy moly, I can definitely relate to this post. I’ve fluctuated weight greatly since 2006 and I had the same goal last year – 30 Before 30 – and I failed. I’m 5’4″, 183lbs currently and it’s just getting annoying more than anything at this point. 😉 And man is it hard not to be peeved when you see inactive, 110lb waifs gorging on fast food on a daily basis with no consequences, when you’re trying so hard to put things in moderation.
Obviously, I know it’s not all metabolism or genetics – there is still a lot I can and need to do to actually get results. But I think it’s safe to say that we are both on the right track with our lifestyles, just based on what all you say here. I wish you the best of luck and I’ll be thinking supportive thoughts for you as I work on this myself.
I ran faster when I weighed less … But I didn’t really think about it until I started putting it back on. When I gained an initial 5 lbs back, I talked to my WW leader about how running felt harder, which was silly because it was only 5 lbs, and it couldn’t be that much harder, right? It hit home when she said, “Of course it can. Go grab a 5 lb bag of sugar and run 5 miles.”
I just wanted to echo the other comments on this post – you are certainly not alone! About a year and a half ago, I started down the “lifestyle” change route: eat better, move more. I knew if I didn’t make reasonable changes, nothing would stick, so I committed to slow and steady. And it was slow… (and super frustrating at times), but eventually, I saw changes. A lot of it is absolutely metabolism and genetics – we can still only do the best with what we have! Keep the faith – it’ll come!
Thanks for all the great comments. It’s awesome knowing I’m not alone out there.