Less than 20 to lose- Spam me!

I have about 4 or 5 left to lose. I have lost 18 so far. My mantra this whole time has been, make the journey as enjoyable as possible! It has taken me about....9 months. I'm sure I could have done it faster but Im in no rush. I'm giving myself two months to lose the last couple pounds.

Samylin13.....I don't know what I can say to inspire/motivate you to continue your journey to where you feel comfortable. I can share what I have done and continue to do.

I'm now 56. I started my weight loss, at 158 lbs, when I determined that no one would do it for me. I started logging my food intake on MFP and walking at the park after work. I eventually determined a 3.3 mile course around the trails which have several elevation changes, gradual and steep. I also use an activity tracker. Under Armour is a good one. I like that it counts calories burned, too.

It used to take almost an hour. I added music at 100 beats/minute so I could make sure I was actually doing some work. Gradually, I began running up the inclines. This helped increase my strength and lung capacity. Over a few months, I began running/jogging more than walking the course. I use the flat areas to walk/rest.

My son was a high school track star and still runs. He has joined me a couple of times.....called me a "beast".

I did my best to track my food during the holidays. It was quite difficult for me. I kinda "fell of the wagon". I had lost about 20 lbs by then. I was very proud of myself but still I felt so guilty I quite weighing for a while.

I got back on track after the new year and continued to run outside on nice days (Oklahoma weather, we have some good winter days). In December, I joined the local YMCA so I could continue exercising when it was cold outside. I'm not a good cold weather runner. I used all the exercise forms available....machines, weights, cycles, treadmill, and classes. In March, I got talked into signing up for the Idle Ironman challenge at the Y. It consisted of walking/running 6 miles/wk, swimming/rowing 4200 meters, and cycling 28 miles/week. I didn't always make each week's goal, though I completed the challenge.

I think that it helped me lose an additional 5 lbs! I weighed this morning and am down to 131.8 lbs. I actually thought I might have gained since that last time I weighted. I almost jumped!

I do actually get comments to stop losing weight! Wish people would just stop at saying, "You really look good."


This is getting lenghty.....back to your original post....

If you have a local gym or YMCA, do check it out. I live in a smallish town, yet the Y is a great gym. Make use of all the equipment and classes, if available. I think the variety has helped me in my fitness quest. It is great to see muscle tone/development.

If I can offer you any motivation/inspiration, I would say to get/remain active. I truly wish that I had remained more active in the previous 20 years so it wouldn't be as hard as it is now to regain health and fitness. If you don't have a partner that is into a healthy lifestyle, try to find one when you do look. Otherwise, you might end up feeling guilty that you want to exercise or eat better than you spouse/partner does. I finally just had to do it! I am so glad that I did.

Keep up what you have been doing. You can change things up a bit with different activities. Look for things on the web to increase metabolism. I also found a 30-day plank challenge today that I plan to add to my activities.

GOOD LUCK, KEEP GOING!!!