Goals
April 26, 2010
The Beau and I have been together for more than five years, and it's been a wonderful, amazing five years with our eyes set on fifty more (or more). We're unshakable, and we're very much in love, such that when we made our engagement official and public many were surprised not that we'd be getting married but that we weren't already.
There's no date yet. It'll be a spring wedding mainly since we won't change our actual anniversary date, we'll try to get married close to when it is (April 1). So at least a year - and there's a lot to consider and deal with in the mean time like whether we intend to move and of course, weddings ain't cheap, so there's some savings to be done.
But there's another thing I want to do - obviously. Getting married is like the culmination of a bunch of my weight loss goals all at once. I want to be able to
wear the clothes that look good and feel good. I want to wear an
absolutely fantastic suit. I want to
get our pictures taken and enjoy it, and enjoy looking at the pictures afterward. I want to enjoy all sorts of
great activities on our honeymoon. In short, I want to lose this weight so I feel absolutely perfect come the big day.
Since it'll be about a year before we tie the knot, I have time. I just need to stay focused and parlay the successes I have into bigger better ones. I can lose the 100+ pounds I need to use in a year safely and sanely, and by the time we're standing at the altar, I'll be the healthiest, and happiest, I've ever been in my life.
Read more about my weight loss goals
Journey Updates
April 6, 2010 @ 07:55 am
Yummy Endorphins
When we feel pain, stress, or sense danger, our bodies release endorphins to mask or minimize that pain. Exercise is pain. Therefore about 30 minutes after we get our tired, cramped legs movin' and groovin' on the elliptical, our bodies release endorphins to help the physical ailment it senses ... and damn does that feel good! This endorphin release is often associated with a sense of euphoria just well-being. The cause of which may be the endorphins themselves (they bind to the same receptors as morphine or opium), or the fact that since they mask pain we are more sensitive to other chemicals being released as a result of exercise like serotonin.
Either way, after a while, it actually does feel good to exercise. This isn't always the case, sure. It usually starts to kick in for me about a week or two after starting or restarting a regimen. And even then, since it can take upwards of 30 minutes for the endorphin release to hit, I find I actually need to be exercising a bit longer than that to feel it. 40 minutes on the elliptical is about right (10 minutes of pain triggers the release 30 minutes later and by the time I'm in Cool-Down mode I suddenly feel good again).
Go Go Go!
So all that to say, the gym is somewhat starting to feel good again! After a nearly two week break due to work, schedule and vacation, I got back into the gym two weeks ago today. Within 10 days I was feeling the happy little endorphins by the end of my cardio and I was ready for more. Same goes when it comes to strength training. I get off the equipment or I wrap up my set and I stand there and think to myself "I could do more ... I should just stick around for another hour or so."
Of course there's a line between feeling good and working hard, and working so hard that I collapse as soon as I get home. I have to balance a good workout with having a life, and some sometimes that means not necessarily using every last shred of energy on the equipment. But it still feels good. And since the endorphins are like opiates, one can get addicted to them, driving me back to the gym. It still takes willpower, it still takes planning and dedication, and it still hurts, but somewhere in there it feels good, too, and keeps me going back for more.
1 comment | Topics: exercise, gym, motivation, workout
Misc
February 19, 2010 @ 10:43 am
So while browsing about the web a while back, I was in search of real-world before-and-after photos of people who've already done this journey. I wanted to see it was possible. I wanted to see what the transformation could look like. I wanted hope that my 300 pounds of blubber could in fact dwindle to a paltry (dare I hope, svelte) sub-200.
But there was little out there. Sure many of the people I follow on blogs and Twitter have some pictures of their success and that's helpful, for sure. But frankly I was hoping to find more - some sort of treasure trove of motivational milestones from around the web. Mostly the sites I found were just trying to sell me something. A miracle fat-burning berry here, a vibrating dumb bell there. It really is ridiculous all the crap that's out there, and the fact they attach potentially fake before-and-after photos as "proof" is just insidious.
But I know the power of seeing proof that real weight loss is possible - no matter how a person goes about it. It's just a matter of collecting those stories and the photos and putting them out there for others to get inspired along their own fitness journeys. So with that in mind,
I'm launching MyJeansFit.Me
This site is going to be simple - it's a place for people who are making their way along their fitness journey to share their success as a way to encourage others. Real people. Real stories. Real success. No gimmicks, no sales pitches, no nonsense. This site isn't going to be selling something. It's not going to be making a pitch. It's going to
show others that losing weight and living healthfully is possible - and it's possible for them.
Right now the site is open for gathering stories. When there are a bunch of good ones in the hopper, it will launch. If you have lost weight, I hope you will be a part of this project! You don't have to be "done," if you're 50 pounds into your 100 pound journey, that's fine - in fact that's great, because it's a reality that weight loss is a slow methodical progress, and
all levels of success should be celebrated: - Visit the site and tell your tale through the guided interview.
- You can be as specific or vague as you like. Answer just the questions you want to answer.
- The only thing we ask for is a "before" photo and a "current/after" photo.
- If you have a blog or website, your Jeans profile will link to it - driving search engines to you
- If you Twitter, your profile will link to that too.
And whether you want to submit a story or not, follow Jeans' Twitter at
@myjeansfitme to find out when the site launches and when new stories are added.
I really hope you'll join me on this project. People like me - who are at the beginning of their journeys with a long way to go - really treasure the kind of motivation that comes from seeing people like you succeeding.
Here's the link again - use it, share it, link to it, and look out for the official launch:
http://MyJeansFit.Me
4 comments | Topics: My Jeans Fit Me, inspiration, motivation
