Gaining momentum

Asavitzk

So a few years my doctor told me I had to go on cholesterol and blood pressure pills. I asked her for how long and she said "the rest of your life unless you make some changes". Well, I didn't want to be on pills forever so I asked for her help. Turns out she was partnered with a nutritionist and they run a weight loss program focused on lifestyle change, not a quick diet. Stupid insurance didn't cover it but I paid and went. Over the course of the program I went from about 230lbs to 169lbs and a size 44 pant waist to a 29. I looked great and felt great. The whole program was basically a minimum number of steps per day via a pedometer, a minimum water intake, a minimum protein intake, and a maximum calorie intake. We tracked all of this manually in a food diary which we reviewed weekly with the nutritionist in addition to group lessons where we basically learned about food and nutrition. It was an amazing class and obviously it worked for me.

I maintained for about a year and a half but then I went on my first cruise. Damn those buffets! I also focused my life on making some economical changes and lost track of the weight changes. Over the course of the next 4 years or so my weight crept back up to about 210. Last year I started using MFP but gave it up after a month or so because I guess I just wasn't committed enough at the time. About a month ago my 36 pants were getting really tight and I was starting to wear 38's which is when I decided it was time to fix myself.

I'm now using MFP religiously and as of today weighed in at 198.5! It seems silly that only 11.5 pounds off is such a big deal but breaking the 200lb marker is a mental thing for me. My goal weight is 160-170. Given my goal of 2lbs off per week if I stick to it this time I should be at my goal in time for a shirtless summer. I know I can do this since I've done it before and seeing everyone else's stories here is a real inspiration so I hope to be the same in the future.

I'm also trying to convince myself to start exercising but every gym I ever joined disappointed me. I'm a tech geek though and found out there is a KoKo Fit Club near my office. Google it if you haven't heard about it but basically it's like having an electronic personal trainer all the time. The problem is it's something like $80/month and if you recall from earlier in this entry I said I had focused on my economical health. I need to convince myself that this exercise program is going to be worth $1K a year. I'm almost there but it would help if anyone else here has used them and can recommend them (or not!).

Thanks folks.