A few thoughts and unveiling my July challenge

Well, I made it! I stepped on the scale this morning and it said 216.6. What up, 40.4 pounds lost!? That feels good! Now I just need to keep it off. So, while we're on the subject of maintaining weight loss, I want to tell you a bit about my journey so far (loved that transition, didn't you?).


When I first decided that I need to lose weight in June of 2005, I started going to Curves to work out. I had a week trial and after that week, I decided to sign up. During the sign-up process, you have to weigh in and have measurements taken so you have a baseline on which you can improve. This was the day that my highest recorded weight was taken: 268 pounds. After about a year of consistently working out and making slightly better nutrition choices, I lost 60 pounds. That's right. I was down to 208 pounds! It was awesome. But, I didn't keep it off. I started getting busier at school, binging when I ate, eating inconsistently, and before I knew it, I had gained back nearly all the weight I lost. Thus, in October of 2010, I wasn't surprised when I weighed in at a whopping 257 pounds. That's when I decided I needed to do it all over again, but in a fashion that was actually liveable and didn't feel like a restriction. In short, I couldn't diet; I needed to change. So that's what this year off has been for me. 


I've learned to be smarter with deciding what goes into my cart at the grocery store. I've learned how to cook for myself (still kinda shaky on that). I've learned portion control (though I'm still learning consistency on that). I've also learned a lot from Mark, my personal trainer. I've learned new exercises that I can do that won't be too rough on my knees. I've learned how to use the machines at the gym (and not be afraid of the plate-loaded ones). I've learned how use a heart rate monitor. But mostly importantly, I've learned that talking about it helps. I have amazing friends and family who are all more than willing to support me through this journey, but they can't support me if they don't know that I need help. So, I need to call on you guys (again) for some help.


I'm really worried that when I go to med school, I'm going to gain it all back again. I'm also worried that I'm going to start eating crap (not literally), and that I'm going to find excuses to stop exercising. And this scares me because I've been there before. I've gained it all back. And I know how down it makes you feel. I just can't do it again. The other thing that worries me is that I see exercise and eating right as the means to an end, rather than a lifestyle. I still don't enjoy it every time I go. Like when someone asks me if I'd rather sit on my ass and watch TV or go to the gym, I'd probably choose to sit on my ass.


So, that's why I'm doing challenges. Once I make things competitive, I tend to get into it a little more. So, my June challenge was a big success! Though I didn't do a great job tracking calories (it can be a tad tedious), I did lose a whopping 14 pounds in a month. So that's something to celebrate!


And now, for the unveiling of the July challenge! Get excited!

1. I am giving up dessert, again. However, I do have a few exceptions to this rule this month. I am going to have a piece of cake this weekend - just one (and a normal portion-sized one). I am also going to have a piece of the fruit pizza that I'm making for next weekend when I spend a weekend with Matt and his family in GR. And lastly, I'm going to have a piece of wedding cake when I go to a wedding with Lisa in Detroit.
2. I am going to do heart rate cycling every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning before work (starting tomorrow!!!). This is going to suck. But I am going to do it. This is where I'm really going to need your help. I'm going to need you to bug me, to tell me that my excuses suck (when I try to make them), and that I'm awesome for going (and for any other applicable reasons).
3. No eating out. This will not only help save me money, but it will force me to make better choices with my food. Though I'm sure there will be occasions when this can't be helped (the wedding weekend, for instance), I'm going to try my best to plan ahead to minimize them.
4. Continue drinking at least 4 water bottles a day

All right, now that that's over, here are some pictures of what I ate today:

Breakfast

Morning snack

Lunch

Afternoon snack

Dinner

Salmon

Garlic-herb potatoes

Garlic zucchini

I also went to the gym and trained with Mark today since we didn't meet yesterday. We discussed some of my goals and I'm gearing up for an intense July with him. I also went blading tonight. I didn't go nearly as long as yesterday because I really had to pee at about 2.5 miles out, so I turned around and came back. It's pretty hard to hold it when you're blading, in case you were wondering. I also didn't mind turning back because my right knee is giving me some pretty awesome pain as of late and my left knee kept popping. So, I really wanted to rest them up before heart rate cycling tomorrow morning.

Anywho, I'm off to bed so I can be well-rested before tomorrow. Any fun plans for the fourth in your future?