Change
MosierTim
Posts: 56 Member
I posted this on my blog (http://maninmyshadow.com) but thought I would share this with MFP. Keep looking for little changes you can make in your life to make you better!!!
“Sometimes it is the smallest decisions that can change your life forever” Keri Russell
I lost 100 pounds. I am amazed! I am probably more amazed than most of you. I know me. I know my history. If my past actions have proven anything, I give up a lot! So the fact I am still losing weight and blogging about it 17 months after I started is crazy. Before now, I think 6 months might have been my longest weigh loss spurt. I am also amazed at the thoughts of “what is yet to come” that go through my head. I actually find myself looking forward to working out or planning what my next run is going to be. Most of all I am amazed this whole process has been nothing but a series of small decisions that have snowballed into 100 pounds lost and a much healthier me!
I did not jump feet first into this process. I took it slow. I started by making small cut backs in my eating. I would do things like put less food on my plate the first time for dinner and then, if I did go back for seconds, I would put the same (or less) food on my plate. So what I only put 2 pieces of pizza on my plate and not 4, I can always go back for more if I want. So what I am only having pasta 2 times this week and not 3, I still get to have pasta. I kept doing this until I stopped going back for seconds. Sheri and I also put our cooking minds together and slowly started limiting or cutting bad food choices out of our weekly menu and added some healthier options back in. For exercise, I started with a walk around our apartment community or around the parking lot at work. Then I progressed to about 10-20 minutes in the gym.
All of these changes were easy for me to make because they were not major changes. And as I got used to eating less, it was easier to keep cutting things out. I estimate I was eating anywhere from 4000 – 7000 calories a day at my peak of not caring what I put in my mouth. Now I eat somewhere between 1700 – 2200 calories a day. When I started, I had trouble grocery shopping because I would be in pain half way through. Now, I am working out 8-9 times a week which includes at least 2 hours of cardio machines, 3 hours of strength training and 8+ miles of running.
I have had the chance to give advice to people who are starting to try to get healthy or who are in the process of getting healthy. I hammer the point home about making small changes. Massive, life altering changes are great but in my case, they never stuck. In the past I would go from eating anything I want to completely restricting all those yummy comfort foods I loved. For a while it was easy for me to avoid those foods but eventually I gave in and dove head first back into my old ways. By making the little changes I have weaned myself off of the stuff I was addicted to.
There is a problem with my process. While small changes are good, I have become accustomed to the baby steps I have been taken and have shied away from some bigger challenges. I was reminded of this when I read Putting it out there (http://www.alifechangingjourney.com/?p=3577)… over on Tara’s blog, A Life Changing Journey (http://www.alifechangingjourney.com/). Two things struck me in this post. The first was her challenge to her readers:
"Push those boundaries. Get off that elliptical you’ve been on for months on end while secretly looking at the boxing class happening at the same time. Stop thinking you’ll never be able to complete a 5k race and register. Get out of that comfort zone and prove to yourself that you can instead of thinking you can’t. Someone needs to see you go big so that they too can allow that glimmer of hope that maybe in fact that if you can…So can they."
The second was her comment “GO BIG. (never settle for going home)”. The light bulb went off over my head and it clicked. I have been playing is safe. I have only taken challenges or set goals that were the next baby step in my progress. I did not push my boundaries to GO BIG! So, it is time for me to change how I set my goals. It is time to set goals to push me farther, to challenge me!
My first new goal is to run a “Mud Run”. I have been looking at these for a year thinking “someday”. Well, someday now has a name. It is September 15, 2012. I have signed up to run the Boselli Mud Run. For those that are not familiar with what a Mud Run is, it is a 5k (or longer) run broken up by obstacles in the mud. Sounds fun, right? No seriously, outside of the insane physical exertion, it sounds like a blast! I have heard of these and have thought I wanted to do one and now, I am doing it.
I have also decided on at least two more 5k’s this year. My goal is to be running a 5k in 30 minutes or less by January .
So, what else am I going to do to “GO BIG”? Well, here is a list of things I am committing to doing and the estimated time line for me to do it in.
1.Do the Fight for Air Climb (42 flights or 838 Steps) – February 2, 2013
2.Run the Gate River Run (15k) – March 9, 2013
3.The Never Quit (5k) under 30 min – May 18, 2013
4.Katie Ride for life (36 Mile Bike Ride) – 2013 (date not announced yet)
5.The Never Quit Trident (5k run, 500 Meter Swim, 1.5k surfboard paddler) – 2013 (date not announced yet)
6.A Sprint triathlon (750 meter swim, 20km Bike and 5k run) – Event TBD – 2013
7.Katie Ride for life (62 Mile Bike Ride) – 2014 (date not announced yet)
8.An Olympic Triathlon (1.5 km swim, 40 km Bike and 10k run ) – Event TBD – 2014
9.A Half Marathon (13.1 miles) – Event TBD – 2014
10.The Baltimore Marathon (26.2 miles)- October 2015
It is time to GO BIG!
“Sometimes it is the smallest decisions that can change your life forever” Keri Russell
I lost 100 pounds. I am amazed! I am probably more amazed than most of you. I know me. I know my history. If my past actions have proven anything, I give up a lot! So the fact I am still losing weight and blogging about it 17 months after I started is crazy. Before now, I think 6 months might have been my longest weigh loss spurt. I am also amazed at the thoughts of “what is yet to come” that go through my head. I actually find myself looking forward to working out or planning what my next run is going to be. Most of all I am amazed this whole process has been nothing but a series of small decisions that have snowballed into 100 pounds lost and a much healthier me!
I did not jump feet first into this process. I took it slow. I started by making small cut backs in my eating. I would do things like put less food on my plate the first time for dinner and then, if I did go back for seconds, I would put the same (or less) food on my plate. So what I only put 2 pieces of pizza on my plate and not 4, I can always go back for more if I want. So what I am only having pasta 2 times this week and not 3, I still get to have pasta. I kept doing this until I stopped going back for seconds. Sheri and I also put our cooking minds together and slowly started limiting or cutting bad food choices out of our weekly menu and added some healthier options back in. For exercise, I started with a walk around our apartment community or around the parking lot at work. Then I progressed to about 10-20 minutes in the gym.
All of these changes were easy for me to make because they were not major changes. And as I got used to eating less, it was easier to keep cutting things out. I estimate I was eating anywhere from 4000 – 7000 calories a day at my peak of not caring what I put in my mouth. Now I eat somewhere between 1700 – 2200 calories a day. When I started, I had trouble grocery shopping because I would be in pain half way through. Now, I am working out 8-9 times a week which includes at least 2 hours of cardio machines, 3 hours of strength training and 8+ miles of running.
I have had the chance to give advice to people who are starting to try to get healthy or who are in the process of getting healthy. I hammer the point home about making small changes. Massive, life altering changes are great but in my case, they never stuck. In the past I would go from eating anything I want to completely restricting all those yummy comfort foods I loved. For a while it was easy for me to avoid those foods but eventually I gave in and dove head first back into my old ways. By making the little changes I have weaned myself off of the stuff I was addicted to.
There is a problem with my process. While small changes are good, I have become accustomed to the baby steps I have been taken and have shied away from some bigger challenges. I was reminded of this when I read Putting it out there (http://www.alifechangingjourney.com/?p=3577)… over on Tara’s blog, A Life Changing Journey (http://www.alifechangingjourney.com/). Two things struck me in this post. The first was her challenge to her readers:
"Push those boundaries. Get off that elliptical you’ve been on for months on end while secretly looking at the boxing class happening at the same time. Stop thinking you’ll never be able to complete a 5k race and register. Get out of that comfort zone and prove to yourself that you can instead of thinking you can’t. Someone needs to see you go big so that they too can allow that glimmer of hope that maybe in fact that if you can…So can they."
The second was her comment “GO BIG. (never settle for going home)”. The light bulb went off over my head and it clicked. I have been playing is safe. I have only taken challenges or set goals that were the next baby step in my progress. I did not push my boundaries to GO BIG! So, it is time for me to change how I set my goals. It is time to set goals to push me farther, to challenge me!
My first new goal is to run a “Mud Run”. I have been looking at these for a year thinking “someday”. Well, someday now has a name. It is September 15, 2012. I have signed up to run the Boselli Mud Run. For those that are not familiar with what a Mud Run is, it is a 5k (or longer) run broken up by obstacles in the mud. Sounds fun, right? No seriously, outside of the insane physical exertion, it sounds like a blast! I have heard of these and have thought I wanted to do one and now, I am doing it.
I have also decided on at least two more 5k’s this year. My goal is to be running a 5k in 30 minutes or less by January .
So, what else am I going to do to “GO BIG”? Well, here is a list of things I am committing to doing and the estimated time line for me to do it in.
1.Do the Fight for Air Climb (42 flights or 838 Steps) – February 2, 2013
2.Run the Gate River Run (15k) – March 9, 2013
3.The Never Quit (5k) under 30 min – May 18, 2013
4.Katie Ride for life (36 Mile Bike Ride) – 2013 (date not announced yet)
5.The Never Quit Trident (5k run, 500 Meter Swim, 1.5k surfboard paddler) – 2013 (date not announced yet)
6.A Sprint triathlon (750 meter swim, 20km Bike and 5k run) – Event TBD – 2013
7.Katie Ride for life (62 Mile Bike Ride) – 2014 (date not announced yet)
8.An Olympic Triathlon (1.5 km swim, 40 km Bike and 10k run ) – Event TBD – 2014
9.A Half Marathon (13.1 miles) – Event TBD – 2014
10.The Baltimore Marathon (26.2 miles)- October 2015
It is time to GO BIG!
0
Replies
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That is so awesome and inspiring!!!0
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Nice work!
I too started out with making small changes. In some ways I think it is good to start small because it isn't as overwhelming and you are less likely to give up. Then, once you are a bit fitter and start seeing results, you are more motivated.
I started with small things like taking the stairs instead of the escalator/elevator, cutting back on sugary foods and beverages, going for walks and stopping eating once I felt satisfied instead of totally full.
After losing over 30 pounds I have now kicked things up a notch and made a lot of changes to improve my diet. I have also started a learn to run program (no longer allowing my asthma to hold me back!), and have been working out a ton and I feel great!
Your post is inspiring, I'm going to think of some big goals for myself as well!
Keep up the good work!0 -
Wonderful!! I am so encouraged by your accomplishments and goals!0
This discussion has been closed.
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