Over the next 265 days, I will push myself in every aspect to not only get myself in shape, but healthy at the same time. Over the past 8 years Ive watched my weight yo yo, often not really caring what Ive been doing. When my Daddy was sick, before he died, he often expressed to me how important it was to get my weight on track then, and here it is nearing 8 years. and I'm in the worst shape that Ive been all of my life. Granted I was never an athlete as a child, but I was active enough to not be overly obese.
My goals for the next 365 days:
- Lose 50+ Pounds by April 17, 2014
- Get my BMI Down to 39 from 49
- Get my Body Fat Down to between 25% & 30%
- Be able to Run
- Complete a 5K Walk & Run
- Stay out of the 300's FOREVER
Starting this week, I am going to start what I will call a Health Bank.
Week One: I will place $25 in the bank, each week for each pound I lose I will place $1 in my Health Bank. For each pound that I gain, I will place $2 in my Health Bank. And all of that money will remain in my health bank until April 17th 2014. To go along with the Health Bank, I will allow myself ONE cheat day per week, which will consist of ONE meal that I will be able to eat whatever I chose. (Whether its going out to eat, or eating something I've been craving), For each additional Cheat day, I will have to place $5 into my Health Bank. In addition to that, I am going to make out a workout plan for myself, for each workout that I skip, I will have to place $2 in my Health Bank. By the end of my 365 Days, I will remove all of the cash from my health bank, and that will go towards some new clothes & Whatever else I may want. :D
To add to my "Health Bank" I'm going to start a "Journey Jar", Where I write down my milestones, and goals I have completed along the way, and I will place them in the jar. On the days I'm really struggling, I will add a note as to what is keeping me going, why I am doing this. At the end of my 365 Day Challenge, I will pull them all out and review all of the ups and downs throughout the year.
I am going to get really strict and only allow myself awards for some of the biggest accomplishments along the way. Some awards I'm thinking of are:
New Workout Clothes
Try a New Exercise Class
Get my Hair Dyed
Get My Tattoo (memorial for my Dad)
I am also going to keep a food and activity journal on paper and on www.myfitnesspal.com
keeping a journal will help keep me honest and true to myself, and will also help me see what I may or may not be doing wrong. Plus when Im at a stand still I can take my journal to one of the trainers at the gym and they can give me some incite of what i need to be doing.
My Biggest goal is to BEAT the chance of getting Heart Disease & Diabetes Both are VERY bad on the Whitaker side. I am still young, and I have it in me to reverse the chance of both. Ive watched too many of the people I love die, and or struggle from both Heart Disease & Diabetes. Sadly, they are two things that I fear more than anything in the world, next to cancer. I am going to do everything in my power to lessen the chance of me getting either of them, seeing how they are both so strongly in my blood. I want to live past the life expectancy of a "Whitaker". Nearly all of my Dad's siblings including him have died in their 50's or early 60's. Its very sad and scary at the same time. This past week my cousin, who is only 37, suffered from a mild heart attack after going in for a procedure that wasn't heart related. Its scary, and has really opened my eyes.
The next 365 days are going to be very hard, difficult, and challenging for me, but I'm ready for this. Anyone who would like to join me or help push me along the way feel free to. I may need that extra push at times.
Watch for updates, as I am planning to update often throughout this weight loss challenge. I can't wait to see my end results. I'm doing this as a promise to my dad, because this year i was hoping to do this and bring in his birthday with a bang, and Ive disappointed myself yet again. I'm not allowing myself to do that anymore. This is something that is important to me, and it was important to my dad..
Pictures & more plans to come!!
<3 April Val
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