A friend of mine wrote the phrase “you’re getting fat” under a photo I posted on Facebook. That photo is the one you see on this page. That picture of me was taken this past weekend. When I read those words I have to admit, it really hurt. It doesn’t matter if you’re in grade school, high school or a grown man. When someone calls you ‘fat’, it stings!
It brought back feelings I haven’t felt in a long time. As an overweight child, I was picked on from time to time. As an adult, I finally got serious about my health and lost a lot of weight. In fact, I lost more than 100 pounds. But, as it happens with many people, I’ve recently started gaining back the weight. My friend wasn’t telling me something that I hadn’t told myself in the past few weeks. But, seeing it in black and white on my Facebook page really hit me hard. So after the initial hurt and anger subsided, I really thought about his comments. I know I need to make a change. Just last week, I wrote down in my journal that I wanted to lose weight. And, with all of you as my witnesses, I’m recommitting myself to losing weight and eating better.
I’m not losing weight because I want to prove something to my friend. I want to be healthy so that I’ll be around for a long time. I want my body to work for me. I don’t want my body to keep me from doing the things I want to do in life. I want to feel better physically, more energetic. I want to feel good about how I look and I want to feel comfortable in my own skin.
Right now, I weigh 196 pounds. My immediate goal is to lose 20 pounds by June 28, 2012. My long-term target weight is 160 pounds. As part of my weight loss plan, I will be running and exercising at my local gym. I love to run, but I haven’t done enough of it lately. I’ve run two half-marathons before, so I know I’m capable of long distance running. I plan to work toward building up my stamina and getting back into long distance running shape.
I will keep track of what I eat by using a new app I just downloaded. It’s called “My Fitness Pal”. It’s free. It has nutritional facts on thousands of foods. It estimates how many calories you’ve eaten and how many calories you need to burn per day to reach your ideal weight. I also have a great support system to turn to when I need extra motivation. I know it won’t be easy to lose weight. I love to eat!! And, if you’ve read any of my other blogs, you know I like to try new restaurants. So, I’m going to have to learn to choose wisely and make healthy decisions when I go out to eat.
As I begin my weight loss journey, I will keep you posted on my breakthroughs and breakdowns. I’m excited but also a little nervous about this latest venture. But, I hope that by sharing these personal details with you, I will be encouraged to stay on the right track!
