Oh goodness, how long has it been since I was last here? Much too long, if the holiday weight gain has anything to say about it...
I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that this will be the third time I've started a journal, but hey... third time's the charm, yeah? Either way, I'm starting from step one, once again. I won't give you some super long story about why I 'fell off the wagon' in the first place; it'd just be an excuse, and excuses are inexcusable. Long story short: I lost focus, lost track, gave up.
Since its the start of the month I thought, "Hey, y'know what? Start of the month, start of a new you! Let's see where I can get in a month!" Basically, I'd like to set a small challenge for myself to lose about 8lbs, which would take me down from 143lbs to 135lbs. I used to be around 148 (before December) and my weight would usually fluctuate anywhere between that and 150, so technically I have been losing weight without really knowing, but I honestly don't feel like I've lost anything.
Truthfully, I think I feel worse off than I did before. Part of me thinks its due to the large amount of caffeine I've been drinking lately. Back in December, when I first started losing the weight, it was simply because I didn't have time to eat. I had finals to study for, projects to finish, and a million and one other things to worry about. I'd usually rush out the door to school, grab a coffee from the cafeteria when I got there, and then was too cheap to buy lunch because food is so pricey there. Eventually, I just got into the habit of not eating, instead filling my stomach with copious amounts of coffee and the occasional smoothie. Fast forward to now, and a day is not a day for me without at least one cup.
I know its so bad for me, having this much caffeine in my system. Its cost me sleep, focus, and I'm pretty sure my health as well. I can feel my heart racing, beating hard against my chest, almost all the time and I get headaches and weak if I don't have any. Its another goal of mine, to stop relying so heavily on coffee. I tried to stop all together, but that ended up backfiring, so I'm going to slowly try and ween myself off of it.
Anyway, back on topic. I recently got a 2-year gym membership to 24-Hour Fitness for Christmas (yay for Costco!). I've been going three times a week, and I plan to keep it that way. On days that I don't go, I plan to walk/run on the treadmill for an hour so that I get at least some exercise every day.
As for food... well its not much of an issue, because I'm still in the habit of not eating much. My days of overeating are pretty much over. I mean, I don't starve myself anymore either, but I eat normal meals now. Breakfast is usually Cheerios, a slice of whole wheat toast with PB, or eggs if I have time. Lunch, I'm able to come home and make my own, and I often eat a turkey sandwich with lots of lettuce on top (not a fan of tomatoes..) and the same goes for dinner, which my family usually eats chicken or turkey with a salad or some other form of cooked/steamed vegetables. I know that I'm not supposed to eat right before bed, but unfortunately, I have to eat a small snack (usually a piece of fruit) due to medication. That's about it for my food. As for drinks, I've cut back on the soft drinks and juices (which I was also drinking in abundance) and sticking with water mostly. I do have cranberry juice sometimes, because my mom has this odd fear of UTI's and makes us drink it, but aside from that, not much else.
Anyway, for the sake of looking back:
Starting weight: 143lbs
Current weight: 143lbs
Goal: 135lbs
Did I get there?: We'll have to wait and see.
I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that this will be the third time I've started a journal, but hey... third time's the charm, yeah? Either way, I'm starting from step one, once again. I won't give you some super long story about why I 'fell off the wagon' in the first place; it'd just be an excuse, and excuses are inexcusable. Long story short: I lost focus, lost track, gave up.
Since its the start of the month I thought, "Hey, y'know what? Start of the month, start of a new you! Let's see where I can get in a month!" Basically, I'd like to set a small challenge for myself to lose about 8lbs, which would take me down from 143lbs to 135lbs. I used to be around 148 (before December) and my weight would usually fluctuate anywhere between that and 150, so technically I have been losing weight without really knowing, but I honestly don't feel like I've lost anything.
Truthfully, I think I feel worse off than I did before. Part of me thinks its due to the large amount of caffeine I've been drinking lately. Back in December, when I first started losing the weight, it was simply because I didn't have time to eat. I had finals to study for, projects to finish, and a million and one other things to worry about. I'd usually rush out the door to school, grab a coffee from the cafeteria when I got there, and then was too cheap to buy lunch because food is so pricey there. Eventually, I just got into the habit of not eating, instead filling my stomach with copious amounts of coffee and the occasional smoothie. Fast forward to now, and a day is not a day for me without at least one cup.
I know its so bad for me, having this much caffeine in my system. Its cost me sleep, focus, and I'm pretty sure my health as well. I can feel my heart racing, beating hard against my chest, almost all the time and I get headaches and weak if I don't have any. Its another goal of mine, to stop relying so heavily on coffee. I tried to stop all together, but that ended up backfiring, so I'm going to slowly try and ween myself off of it.
Anyway, back on topic. I recently got a 2-year gym membership to 24-Hour Fitness for Christmas (yay for Costco!). I've been going three times a week, and I plan to keep it that way. On days that I don't go, I plan to walk/run on the treadmill for an hour so that I get at least some exercise every day.
As for food... well its not much of an issue, because I'm still in the habit of not eating much. My days of overeating are pretty much over. I mean, I don't starve myself anymore either, but I eat normal meals now. Breakfast is usually Cheerios, a slice of whole wheat toast with PB, or eggs if I have time. Lunch, I'm able to come home and make my own, and I often eat a turkey sandwich with lots of lettuce on top (not a fan of tomatoes..) and the same goes for dinner, which my family usually eats chicken or turkey with a salad or some other form of cooked/steamed vegetables. I know that I'm not supposed to eat right before bed, but unfortunately, I have to eat a small snack (usually a piece of fruit) due to medication. That's about it for my food. As for drinks, I've cut back on the soft drinks and juices (which I was also drinking in abundance) and sticking with water mostly. I do have cranberry juice sometimes, because my mom has this odd fear of UTI's and makes us drink it, but aside from that, not much else.
Anyway, for the sake of looking back:
Starting weight: 143lbs
Current weight: 143lbs
Goal: 135lbs
Did I get there?: We'll have to wait and see.
