Re-Evaluating Goals

A friend posted on my wall several weeks ago asking what the goal is I am working toward.  What is it that keeps me motivated as I pursue my weight loss journey? 

I couldn't answer the question. 

I mean, I want to get healthy and the clothes I had at the beginning of this journey were getting too small.  I was looking at needing to buy size 20 pants and had already started buying XXL shirts.  To me, this was disgusting.    Things needed to change and fast!  All of this started me down the road leading me to this question posted on my wall. 

In the last several weeks, this question keeps floating around in my mind.  Being healthy is not enough of a goal.  I mean, what is healthy?  A healthy weight?  A healthy BMI?  A healthy BF%?  There are so many variables, which one do I choose, when do I decide that 'healthy' is here?  Obviously weight, BMI & BF% are all great ways to measure one's health, but I needed something more, something concrete, a sense of accomplishment, not just looking at a number.

As my fitness level has increase in the last few months, I have started jogging during my usual walking route and I have 3 goals: 
short term - being able to jog down the 'big hill'
middle - being able to keep going around the pond and finish my route
end goal - being able to jog and even run the entire route

During my stretching routines before and after workouts, I enjoy seeing the new flexibility that I have gained.  When I first started, I could barely get my hands past my knees, now I can almost put my hands flat on the ground when bending over.  A new goal for me is to be able to do a full split.  This is something I was never able to do growing up, but I want to be able to do as an adult.

My final goal has to do with the fact I have always wanted to learn ballroom dance since there was  a swing dance class offered while I was in HS.  My body has never been strong enough to endure any type of dancing and yet I still would love to learn ballroom. 

This is my end goal. 

I want to be able to learn ballroom dancing!

10 Lbs Lost

My lost cause has already started.  I am committed to becoming a healthy and beautiful me.  In no way, shape, or form do I mean materialistically beautiful.  I mean that I will become beautiful to myself.  I have never considered myself externally beautiful no matter what my weight.  I have always believed that who I am, how I express myself, and what I represent myself as to the world, is so much more important than mere looks.  I know this goes against the norm in todays fashion model filled world, but after my life's journey, I am glad this is how I view myself.

After getting sick my senior year in high school and needed to stop all physical activity, I quickly picked up the weight, 80 pounds in 3 years.  I was able to lose about 30 pounds, but I could never get any lower.  Life happened and I gained the 30 pounds plus an additional 25.  I am now down 10 pounds from my high weight and weigh the lowest I have in 5 years.

I haven't taken full body pics in years so that I wouldn't have to see my weight gain.  If someone wanted a pic, I always tried to make sure that it wasn't evident how much I had gained. 
I joined Lose It, a weight loss and fitness community on April 23 and have found courage and support for this journey I have ahead of me.  For the first time in years, I have hope I will make it farther than I usually do.  I want to be healthy again.  I want to feel attractive again.  I want to be fit again!
As I see my friends' journeys and watch the forum on LoseIt.com, I finally found the courage to take my first full body pics showing exactly what I look like.  As I have been seeing on the scale and in the mirror, there is much room for improvement.
Good news is that I have already achieved a great milestone in 10 lbs lost. 

My June fitness plan / tools:
Monday, Wednesday - Adidas MiCoach Lose Weight Level 2 Workout & continue walking / jogging my regular route at the park. 3 miles
Tuesday, Thursday - Wii Fit using wiifitroutine.com rotating weight loss, strength, yoga & endurance workouts. Medium difficulty, 1 hour
Friday - Adidas MiCoach Lose Weight Level 2 Workout & goal is to bike my regular route at the park. 3+ miles
Saturday, Sunday - Swimming 1 lap at the pool
I may not accomplish all of these everyday and obviously all outdoor activities are weather permitting, but I do have alternate indoor plans.

June exercise goals:
Be able to jog down the entire 'big' hill at the park
Be ready to increase difficulty on the Wii to hard for July
Be ready to up my swim laps to 2 for July

I hate the word diet. I can't say that I have ever attempted a diet. Lose It is not about dieting. It is all about lifestyle changes: committing to the long haul, losing the weight and keeping it off.

My dietary commitments to a life style change:
No bad or added carbs - means limiting pasta and bread consumption
Add fruits, veggies and protein to every meal
Drink at least 4 bottles of water a day - 92 oz
Control sodium intake

Changes I have noticed:
My belt is lose
I don't have a single pair of pants that fit correctly.  Noticing loss in both waist and thighs
Shirts are starting to fit on the belly different
Fashion watch - instead of being snug to wear is now fitting comfortably
Exercise time has increase from just 30 mins up to 60 mins
Mile per minute has gone from 18+ mins to under 14 mins
Comfortable enough to start jogging while on my walk
My back injury is not irritating me as much as it used to