About Fogdog's Weight Loss

Don't Focus on the Goal...

If you've followed this blog you know that I've struggled for many years with improving my health. I've finally reached a point where I've managed to maintain a small amount of success. Now it's time to take the next step, but I believe it requires a new way of thinking.

Instead of trying to get healthy, why not shift focus toward learning how to build healthy habits instead. Follow me as I try to teach myself how to Engineer healthy habits that will allow me to take my health to the next level. Let's see where this experiment goes!

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Day #56 - The Time Has Come

I'm now 56 days into this journey.  I've done well and I've had setbacks.  I've managed to stay completely 100% smoke free for every one of those days.  The alcohol, well not quite as well, but I'm still trying.  I've posted on this blog every single day; something I thought wasn't all that important but has turned out to be highly therapeutic for me.  As for eating... well let's just say that I'm hanging on trying not to gain weight and go above 349 (my highest weight ever).

These first 55 days have also been about finding the mental fortitude.  I've spent a lot of time focusing on how I feel.  I've worked at shedding the guilt and learning to forgive myself for not being perfect.  I've also learned a few things... I've learned that although I can lean on others for support, I cannot rely on it nor can I blame others for not providing it (just because you need someone to support you, it doesn't mean they are capable of it when you need it).  I've also learned how to cool a hot temptation by distraction.  I've also created 2 visions of my future self; I've spent some time picturing myself 10 years from now if I don't change my ways and if I do.  When I have those hot temptations I try to pause and picture myself as the guy who didn't change.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

Anyway, from the outside one would never know how much change I've gone through in 55 days.  Even my wife doesn't really see it, but I do, and that's really what matters.  It all stems from one simple commitment to make my health my number one priority for 1 year and to do it one day at a time.

So now I've started to crawl and I'm ready to take my first step walking.  I'm pulling all three of my goals together and putting complete focus on meeting them.  Just a quick recap of my goals:

  1. Quit Smoking - Complete
  2. Quit Drinking Alcohol - Work in Progress
  3. Lose 100 Pounds - Not yet Started
To be honest, I feel like I'm a little behind for reaching all my goals.  I really didn't anticipate the mental part of this journey taking so long to work through and I truly thought that quitting drinking would be a piece of cake. 

This morning I got on the scale...

347.8 lbs
 
This is essentially where I started on January 5th.  That's actually OK with me.  I lost a little bit of weight in the beginning but I knew it would be hard to sustain while not smoking.  Smoking is a stimulant and most people gain weight as your metabolism slows a little when you stop smoking.
 
I briefly thought about changing my last goal to just getting under 300 this year.  100 pounds is probably not too realistic, but 47.8 pounds in the next 10 months is very reasonable.  However, If I change my goal, I will be doing what I've always done... I will be selling myself short before I even begin.
 
No, I'm keeping my goals as they are.  If I don't make it then I don't make it, but at least I'll give it my best effort.
 
So as of today, I'll be focusing on all three of my goals at the same time.  As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm going to start by just focusing on eating only healthy food and following a carb cycle regime.  No calorie counting and no exercise commitment yet (though I will try to move a little more).  Still no smoking and still no alcohol.  It won't be easy, but as always I'll just take it one day at a time.  Here we go...
 
Stay Strong!
 
 


10 comments:

  1. Hey---- I love this post!

    And I'm SUPER proud of you for quitting smoking! That is a HUGE deal!! And in the middle of that great accomplishment, you did not gain weight. Wow. It really is huge. I can see it.

    As far as the 100 pounds.... yeah.... me too. This morning I'm 89 pounds from what I want to weigh on Dec. 31st. I weigh actually 2 pounds heavier than I did on January 1st. I weighed this morning and thought "Seriously? Are you really doing this? or not?".............then I told myself to shut up. I am striving toward the goal and will do my best and we will see what happens.

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    1. It's hard because progress doesn't always get measured by the scale. I follow your posts and you've had a lot of "non-scale" demons to face as well. We'll get there one day at a time. Thanks for your comment.

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  2. Don't sell yourself short FD! You've quite smoking and that is an awesome accomplishment. Work hard and I know you will continue to accomplish what you want!

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    1. Thanks for the support Alati. I'm glad you believe in me; now it's time to believe in myself.

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  3. Goodness you certainly started the year with three big goals -
    Quit Smoking
    Quit Drinking Alcohol
    Lose 100 Pounds

    So well done for what you have achieved so far I'm CLAPPING LOUDLY !

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thanks Jan; yes the goals are lofty, but not impossible with the proper motivation. Not wanting to die young or, even worse, live a long time in misery from health problems seems to be some pretty strong motivation.

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  4. Great for you FD, have faith in yourself, nothing can trip you if you keep focus on your goals and the benefits.

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  5. Quitting smoking is just the most amazing, healthy, difficult thing ever and you should be very proud of yourself for that. I agree with keeping 100 pounds as your goal. Some people aim low to be sure they get there, but I kind of like to aim high and then even if I don't make it I've still done enough to be proud of.

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    1. I'm definitely aiming high on this one. My only fear is that I might get discouraged, say, in the fall if I reach a point where it becomes physically impossible to get there. Oh well, I'll cross that bridge if I ever get there.

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