How Far We Have Come

PatrickB_87

maybe I am just tooting my horn or looking for some motivation so I make sure to get up and get out tonight for a walk, but I think it's nice to check in and see how far we have come.

I'm looking over my walking maps and I'm just so happy with how far I have come. When I started out on this path 48 days ago and took my first walk as exercise I could barely complete the 0.86 mile walk just around the block. I had to stop 3 times and was completely out of breath. Compare that to 46 days later and 3.86 miles without stoping or loosing my breath, getting to the end and feeling like I could just keep on going.

From that first day when I could only walk 0.86 miles 48 days ago I've walked 77miles.

It reminds me I can do anything. Loose 150 pounds, walk a race, run a marathon, swim in a triathlon, bike across the state.

How far have you come?

KarenZen

That's amazing, Rat!!!
Funny, I was thinking about this today too. Although I've been swimming regularly for years, I went to my first aquasize class seven months ago, and now go to all kinds of classes and am thinking of teaching one this summer. A month ago I'd never been able to keep a food journal, and now I do it religiously. I used to eat sweets all the time, and now I almost never do. Even when I had my mental breakdown on Sunday, I skipped the Ben & Jerry therapy. I've lost and kept off almost 30 pounds in 10 weeks!!!

So yes... I feel like I've come a long way too!

When I hit my 50 pound goal, I will attack my closet and see what I can wear again. And GIVE AWAY anything that's too big!!! Woohoooooo!

mikesgirl4evr

Funny you should bring this up Pat. My therapist and I were talking about this very topic today. My other therapist left me last week when she graduated so I moved to a new one today. It was a little scary because Jessica and I had hit it off instantly and my fear was I wouldn't click with this one. It went great though. We spent today discussing what Jessica and I had been working on and what I wanted to continue working on. I have a really hard time focusing on how far I've come. I have no problem focusing on how far I need to go though. Go figure, right? Pam (my new therapist) said something about how far I've come and of course I commented on the other. So she had me point out things that represent just how far I've come.
1. Even 8 years post bariatric surgery, I have kept off 69% of my excess weight. At surgery I weighed 500 pounds....my goal weight was 199 for 301 pounds of excess weight. At 293 that means I've lost 208 pounds since I started meaning 69% of the excess. And 85 of it I have actually lost twice since I gained that amount and lost it again. The really big deal about this is that if you lose 70-75% of your excess weight they consider the surgery a success but realistically for people as far out as I am they usually only maintain about a 50% of the excess loss.
2. I've also made huge strides concerning the sexual abuse. I have accepted that it happened, it was NOT my fault and it doesn't define who I am as a person. I'm also seeing how it greatly effects my eating and am working really hard on getting past that.

Those are the big ones and I'm very proud of them. You are doing awesome Pat and just keep it up. Before you know it, you'll be doing that marathon. And there's nothing wrong with tooting your own horn!!

KarenZen

Dee, those are huge milestones! I love looking at Rat's map because it is such a tangible sign of progress, and looking at your side by side photos does the same thing. How do we mark the less measurable accomplishments, I wonder? I have a whole shelf full of art supplies--maybe I need to drag them out and figure out how to collage it... or make a piece of jewelry with a bead for every pound. Or dig out my old charm bracelet and start adding charms for this journey .

Your shrink makes such a good point--we need to celebrate our successes instead v of just looking at how far from" perfect" we are. MORE SELF LOVE!

scubasuenc

I did a challenge on MFP back in February where we logged how much we cycled, ran and walked for the month. I've kept it up, and Feb - April I logged 1249 miles of cycling, walking, elliptical, rowing and swimming.

I like to see an increase in total distance each month. Although I'm not sure I can add a lot more time, so I'm just going to have to get faster.

PatrickB_87

Congratulations Dee,

That is a big change. I look back on the 160 pounds I have to loose and to know you have done it and a lot more is really helpful. You made a huge change, one that most people can't pull off, and that makes you pretty amazing and powerful person. I know the feeling, it's hard to focus on where we have been and celebrate that when their is so much more to go. It's easy to think to yourself, why do I deserve to be happy i'm still fat and i still have so much more to go, and even then I need to keep it off. We feel guilty for celebrating before the race is run. But thankfully its not a race, its a life change and we can celebrate along the way. You have lost the weight and kept it off.

I posted the map because I loved the contrast. The night I hit the edge of the horse race track at the fairgrounds as my halfway point was the time i realized I can walk anywhere. The fairgrounds is only a mile away from the freeway on rap, thats on the other side of town. Each day as i plan my map it grows longer and crazier. But now I need to focus on speed. No more leisurely pace.

KarenZen

I did a challenge on MFP back in February where we logged how much we cycled, ran and walked for the month. I've kept it up, and Feb - April I logged 1249 miles of cycling, walking, elliptical, rowing and swimming.

I like to see an increase in total distance each month. Although I'm not sure I can add a lot more time, so I'm just going to have to get faster.

Sue, have you mapped that? I'd love to see how far you've traveled!

blondageh

That is really awesome! That is a LONG walk. You should be very proud and accomplished! You too Karen and Dee! Think how far y'all have come already! What happens if we keep going? Do we dare? Muwhahaha. :bigsmile:

blondageh

HA! I am dense. I just NOW friend requested you Pat and saw you were a guy. Oops. I blame the avatar. :huh:

shaynepoole

That is awesome RatPat13 and everyone

When I started losing weight at 340, I could barely walk down the street without stopping and stooping over with back pains... It's what motivated me to change my lifestyle more than anything else...

Now my daily walks range from 1 1/2 to 3 miles - just me and my ipod and occasionally a dog (depends on the weather)

PatrickB_87

Thanks everyone,

I did a 5 mile walk today wich was unfortunately my halfway point in the original planed walk. Got to the end and had to call it quits and make a call for a ride. But 5 miles is a new record. Now if only someone would rub my feet.

NorahCait

5 miles is great, Pat! After 5 miles, uff da, I'm pooped.

KarenZen

Thanks everyone,

I did a 5 mile walk today wich was unfortunately my halfway point in the original planed walk. Got to the end and had to call it quits and make a call for a ride. But 5 miles is a new record. Now if only someone would rub my feet.

Awesome!
And nice moustache.

blondageh

Half way point? You were going for 10 miles? Crazy pony!

blondageh

When I started losing weight at 340

That is just crazy. I see your ticker and how much you've lost and realize dang, just last month I was STILL at your starting weight. Ugh. Such a long road to go.

PatrickB_87

I've started biking again after 12-15 years to add some spice to my workout and I'm really loving it. Their is nothing like going far and fast. I enjoy the sense of accomplishing something each time I set a new route and complete it. Plus it's a challenge each time. Unlike some of the other exercises I have done this one keeps my interest and makes me want to keep going out. I would defiantly say that If you have a dusty old nike in the garage, get it out, get it tuned up, and go for a spin (plus the calories you burn compared to walking are great!).

-- Ok plus, if you have a bike group in your area check if they do safety courses, the lecture I went to was a huge help.

I track my progress with Cyclmemter on my phone and I was thinking back today on the first time I got back on the bike and took my first ride. As ever, I am thrilled with how far I have come and how far I can go. I need these moments as a nice pick me up especially when other things stall. Just got to keep going!

I don't have the very first ride as that was just around the block.

But this first ride posted bellow was on June 16. It was only a 2.5 mile ride and a short loop from my home and took nearly 20min, and only managed and average speed of 7.90mph. I felt dead at the end.


Here is my ride from today, July 6th. 90 degree weather, but I managed 14.02miles at an average pace of 12.04mph. It took me 1:09:53 and I ascended 138 feet.

KnitOrMiss

Acknowledging progress is such a slippery slope for me. My struggles with this are mostly in my mind. It is like as soon as I acknowledge any kind of success, my subconscious fear starts sabotaging me - or my mind backslides - oh, you achieved that, guess we don't need to work hard after all, etc. The only way I really combat this so far is to keep everything "loose." I don't have set goals, I don't have hard and fast limits, and I just do what I can each day. Sometimes I succeed at this far more than others. Right now, the only progress I'm aware of in my basic day-to-day existence is the fact that I was down to 246.4 a few weeks back. At last weigh in, I was up to 250.2 or something. So all I feel is the negative progress. Acknowledging the rest of it makes me feel like a fake, a fraud, a drama queen/attention hog, etc. It makes me feel like I'm stealing someone else's thunder, and I don't understand why....

Carly, sighing...again...in okrahoma