2020Lose 52 Pounds in 52 Weeks Challenge

Week 52. A year in review
52 pounds in 52-weeks seemed like a decent challenge to shed the extra weight I’d been carrying for years. I lost the first 25 pounds with relative ease until Covid-19 restrictions forced me out of my routine and added a bit of tension when venturing outside. Then, the rest of the year was a slow crawl which finds me here. In all, I’ve enjoyed the journey and watching this group succeed and lamented with those who’ve stumbled. I am not done, as I still have a bit to go, and wish you well moving into the new year. Summary below:

Starting weight 1/1/2020: 233 lbs
Goal weight: 165 lbs
Ending weight 1/1/2021: 192 lbs
Total weight lost: 41 lbs

This Year’s Successes:
I bought a bike and, in total, rode nearly a 1,000 miles several times a week with the longest ride being 100k (>62 miles). I worked out in the gym for a few months until it shut down and increased my weights as I learned what worked for me. I walked (for a short time) and even tried my hand at running again (perhaps a bit earlier than advised). I learned to cook dozens of healthy meals and soups and found substitutions which allow me to keep on track while keeping my kids fed with the less healthier versions of the foods they love. My lowest recorded weight for the year was 185.1, which I’ve hit about a dozen times, but not broken past. I moved from ‘Obese’ to ‘Overweight’ and flirted with a ‘Healthy’ BMI during this year. In all, I’ve lost 21 inches off my measurements and 10% of my body fat. Finally, I’ve added friends on MFP for the first time since I joined over 10 years ago.

This Year’s Challenges:
Covid-19 and a couple of hurricanes disrupted my new routine and slowed down my progress. Once I lost over 40 pounds, I found my drive to keep losing was inversely proportional to my need to buy new clothes. I’ve not maintained the strictest of diets (though that was never the plan) and have had long lapses in logging. I also found that, once they reopened, my desire to go back to the gym has faded off.

So, Happy New Year!!! Congratulations to those of you who remained or checked back in, whether smaller than you were 52 weeks ago or not, it was a good fight and having learned, we move on to a new year and a new challenge. Thankfully, 2020 does not define us, but the challenges it presented, with hope, will place us on a course to finish what we started.