Weight Wednesdays: Weight Journey

I am on a mission to not only lose weight, but also get in shape.  As of today, I am 143.6 pounds.  Now this is not my highest, but it is definitely up there.  According to my BMI, I am overweight! 

I am only .9 away from being OBESE! Below are pictures of myself at different sizes throughout the years:

2001: Age 19; A stick with tits

2011: Age 29; An overweight over eater

2002: Age 20; 110 pounds

2007: Age 25; 126 pounds (can you believe I thought I was fat then!!)

Nov. 2011: Age 29; 148 pounds!

As you can see, in the past 10 years there has been a drastic change in my appearance, but should I really be considered overweight?  However instead of worrying about how I got this way, I need to be worried about how I allowed myself to get this way. 

According to the picture above, they recommend that I should weigh anything from 94 pounds to 124 pounds with 116 pounds being the ideal weight for someone my age and height (29 yrs/4'11). 

My ultimate goal is to lose 30 pounds or get to 110-115 pounds, but most importantly I want to be in shape and live an active lifestyle.  Nevertheless I do know that there is not a quick fix a.k.a diet, but rather a lifestyle change.  In order to change my bad habits, I feel like I need to do the following:

• Mental changes:

The first thing I need to do is to come to grips with the size I am now, become comfortable in this body and develop higher self esteem.  I truly understand how some people can look in the mirror and see something totally different.  It is only when I look at pictures or try on clothes that I truly realize how much weight I have gain.  I know some people will look the pictures above and say, "She not even fat!", but I cannot go by what others think.  I feel like the old me is trapped in someone else's body.  I am completely unsatisfied with my body and if I am not happy, it is going to project outwards.  Basically I need to recondition my mind and become committed in order to have a successful outcome.  I am constantly praying to the man above to provide me with the discipline and drive to be successful, not only on this journey, but with every journey that I face. 

• Exercising:

Oh how I hate that word!  Like many others, I will start a workout regime and probably at the third or fourth week, fall off and ultimately stop completely.  It's obvious that exercising is important because it increases your metabolism and prevent diseases.  Now I am no "Biggest Loser" contestant, so I do not need some major boot camp like workout, but I am completely out of shape.  I have this goal of completing a 5k as well as completing the 30 day shred, Insanity and P90X workouts this year.  I feel that by doing those, I should accomplish my goal of losing 25-30 pounds. 

• Eating healthy:

This will be the hardest.  Even with me being a picky eater, I love food!  I am completely what people call an "emotional eater".  I will strive to learn how to "eat to live" versus "living to eat" (which is what I am doing now)".  One thing I plan to do is to eliminate fast food (particularly McDonald's nuggets) and increase my water intake (BTW... I hate water).  Those two things in addition to exercising should make those 25-30 pounds fall off in no time.

Finally, I know that this post has been talking about the pounds I want to lose, but ultimately I am looking to become healthy, physically fit and sincerely happy with the way I look.  I have finally come to grips with knowing that there are no shortcuts or easy roads to a permanent healthy lifestyle.  Just taking one day and one step at a time. 

Let the journey to a healthier lifestyle begin.........

Allow me to introduce myself!!

When you are a child, turning 30 seems like a lifetime away.  At 30 you picture yourself with a great job, great spouse and finally settled enough to think about children.  Even in your early 20s you say to yourself, "By the time I am 30, I will have my life all figured out, right now I am still young, having fun and can make a couple of  mistakes.

I am here to announce that 30 is NOT a lifetime away.  In fact for me it's just 8 months and 8 days away to be exact!  This damn number really sneaks upon a person.  It feels like yesterday that I was 10, 15, 18, 21, 25 and hell 28 thinking about how my life would be at 30.  NONE of the stuff I envision for my life has come to pass.  I don't feel and I for sure do not look like a 30 year old.  I still love my graphic tees, hood music blaring out my stereo in my car, eating cereal for dinner and damnit when I look in the mirror I do not see a 30 year old!

However the signs are there.  While the hood music is blarring in my stereo, I actually pay attention to the words now instead of just the beat and wonder, "What the hell am I listening too?"  When I am out with friends, we say to ourselves, "We are going to pay for this in the morning!"  The most clear sign...."Back in my day...." or "When I was your age..." comes out of my mouth more times than I like it to.

Nevertheless, in eight months I will be 30 and in a lot of ways I feel like I have not lived life yet.  I know 30 is not a death sentence, but I have not even scratched the surface of what I want with my life.  During my adolescent and young adult years, I never once imagined myself to be without a career, broke with tons of debt and lastly unfit!

This is where this blog comes into play, I am going to use these next eight months to get to the place I want to be or at least at a good starting place.

So join me as I:

• Become spiritually stronger;
• Find a job in line to the career I want to be in;
• Get out of my financial hole; and
• Get to the weight that I can feel good about myself.

There we have it!  If I can get these things together by September (not complete.... let's be realistic about this people!  LOL), I probably will feel a little better about turning 30.

Join me because I am losing it! Weight and Debt that is!!!