Saturday, May 30, 2009

Slow progress

After a fast start, it has been very slow. Currently, only have lost 10lbs. I had anticipated 15lbs total weight loss at this point. Slightly disappointed. With memorial holiday, i took a few steps backwards. It is always difficult to lose weight during the holidays. One bright spot. When i first started, i was wearing size 46 waist. Now, I can wear size 42 (although it is a bit tight)... Maybe by the end of June, I'll be wearing size 42 comfortably and size 40 a little bit tight.

Just went riding. I did some weight training on Thursday. Want to get stronger so i can ride longer. My ultimate goal is to be able to ride 10 miles or more. Right now, I think i am at 3 miles (if i pushed myself to the limit)... that is not impressive at all.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Starting the blog to track my weight loss progress

Please, I need all the motivation I can get. It's been almost two weeks since I started to try to lose weight and I've almost lost 10lbs.  Let me tell you what I've been doing. 

Replacing two meals a day with slim fast shake, snacking on fruits during meal intervals (also on slim fast snack bars).  Then I eat a regular meal. Sometimes it's 500 calories, sometimes 800, sometimes it's home cooked meal and I have no idea. Regardless of what home cooked food I eat, I try to eat a resonable portion. Yesterday, I deviated somewhat. I did not have a slim fast shake in the morning (i ran out), I had fruits instead. Then I went to my mom's house in Baltimore (on the way, I bought some shakes), worked in her yard and had skake for lunch and then when I got home later that evening, had dinner that was cooked at around 7pm. I was very hungry so I ate two plates (instead of the normal 1). On Sunday morning, I had weighed myself to be 276.8lbs,  This morning, I was 275.8lbs so I lost 1 lb. I did not get to ride my bike. I've been doing very good riding the bike. At first, I just rode around the patch of grass outside my house (and by patch, i mean, my house faces a divided rode.. divided by grass area, i just rode around in circles). Then I started to ride about 2 miles a day, then approx 2.5 and now I can do 3 miles a day. Very significant portion of the path I ride is uphill (at one point, very steep uphill)... at first, i could only ride uphill in lower gears (try riding uphill in 21st gear, espicially when you haven't ridden in a while).. now, i can ride uphill in 21st gear.. (well, except for the very steep uphill portion of my ride, where i still gear down).  My ultimate goal is to be able to ride 10 miles a day. I hope within the next month to be riding at least 5 miles a day. Anyway, here is how I measure my myself.

1. In the morning.
2. Naked (trying to find my absolute weight without anything on).
3. Approx the same time (ie, before i go to work, between 6-8 in the morning).
4. The same scale everytime. 

Other than my weight, have I noticed anything else?.. yes!!!.. before my current attempt at losing weight, My waist size was 46. I could no longer wear size 44 waist pants. Now, not only am I wearing size 44 waist, my jeans that is size 44 waist is starting to get very slack. 

What are my goals?.

To lost 85 pounds from my starting weight (ie, get to 200lbs). 
To do this, I hope to maintain a pace of at least 2lbs a week (ie, a weight loss of 2lbs a week).
Currently, even though i have lost almost 10 pounds in 2 weeks (today is Monday, by Wednesday, I am sure it will be over 10lbs). I lost more in the first week than in the second week. My current trend is approx 4lbs a week. 

So, today I am 275.8lbs.
by end of month, I hope to be at 269lbs. 

If you too are trying to lose weight, please let me know and we can encourage each other through this blog. I hope anyone that read this blog keeps me honest. I really need to lose the weight. Even at 200lbs (which is 85lbs less than 285lbs), according to the standard measure (BMI), I will still be overweight. I've decided that the BMI does not apply to me. I cannot imagine myself less than 200lbs and not being sick. 200lbs is a good enough target for me.. perhaps when I get there, I will reasses my goals and readjust.