Hello everyone. Time for an update.
My original goal was to lose 40 pounds by Dec 2010. It is hard for me to admit this, but I did not meet that goal.
The last few months have been very stressful and busy, as well I had some unforeseen health issues that impeded my progress.(excuses, excuses) Also, I seem to be stuck on a plateau. I have tried improving my diet even further, as well as upping my cardio and other exercise, and yet the scale has not budged since September. A bit discouraging.
However, I must now focus on my successes;
-I have lost 25 pounds, and I have not gained any weight back.
-I have lost 8 inches from my waist, another 8 inches off my hips, 5 inches from each of my thighs and 2.5 inches from each of my arms.
-My mood and energy levels are consistently better, as is my ability to deal with stress.
-My blood pressure is lower (although it was not bad to begin with),
and
-I have achieved many of the things I originally set out to achieve, such as being able to walk up flights of stairs without feeling out of breath, and not having my thighs rub together uncomfortably when I walk.
-People who know me are amazed at the change, people who have not seen me for awhile are downright shocked.
-I am in probably the best shape I have ever been in my life.
I need to admit to myself that these achievements are remarkable, even if I did not reach my goal in the time I set for myself.
My new goals are to reach 120 pounds by April, keep it off, and further improve my fitness levels. I have confidence I can do this, after all I have come this far.
Best of luck to all of you who are on this crazy journey with me in this new year!