2018 was very successful. Matilda (my new tummy) and I get along pretty good now. We co-exist peacefully and every now and then she still reminds me of her purpose. I rarely overindulge, because I feel way too uncomfortable when I do.
Matilda has also helped me with a reality check. She can pound food that has very little -- ok -- NO nutritional value. I can put away crackers, cookies, pretzels, candy, chips like nobody's business. Food that has protein and fiber, I can eat very little because I'm full very quickly, and I stay that way for several hours. Carb heavy food -- I can graze all day. I'm happy I'm not much of a grazer.
It's really a delicate line, losing and maintaining weight loss. I can easily see how I can gain back all the weight I loss by just eating junk and not moving. I even did that for a short period of time at the end of 2018.
As a result, I gained some weight - not too much, but it was enough to have me concerned. This was the first holiday season where I could tolerate more foods, and although I still can't eat a whole lot, I can sure eat plenty of candy and junk. And I did.
After a while, I got bored with it, and I started back exercising right before the new year and getting my goals together. I'm 20 pounds away from my goal weight, and I've pretty much loss all the weight I gained during the holidays. That was something new for me. Usually, when I was discouraged in the past, I just let myself go, and the pound come back super easy and super fast. I don't want to be that way anymore.
It's been 18 months since my weight loss surgery, and the "honeymoon phase" has ended. My body has gotten used to a new normal, and it's going to continue to fight me every step of the way because my body knows how much I love sugar and carbohydrates -- and my body doesn't run nor look the best when I pound those two items.
2019 will be different because I'm focusing on strength, not weight. My goals this year are fitness based, not weight based. Would I like to lose these last 20 pounds? Of course, but my ultimate goal is doing one full pull up and push up (to the ground) and running a consistent 12-minute mile. I will focus on muscle building and fitness. I notice that exercises I used to do (like the elliptical) barely have me breaking a sweat so no more. Running at a fast pace and lifting heaving things.... that's what gets my heart pumping. In the meantime, if I lose those pounds along the way, so be it.
Every workout will focus on building the muscle groups necessary to accomplish my goals. Today, I hit another milestone by holding my body weight unassisted on the pull up machine. I didn't even know I could do that. Now, I need to work on pulling my body up, inch by inch until my chin is above that bar.
If you've followed me the last years, you know I've been all over the place regarding my plans, weight loss, weight gain, food choices, dieting and so-on. It's not easy figuring out what works and what doesn't work. I'm always working and experimenting because as my body changes, my physiology changes. For me, I must change things up often or I fizzle out. From January - April, I'll be working on Intermittent Fasting along with high protein, moderate fats. In May - June, I'll be focused on half-marathon training as I have my first long race in Toronto in June.
I'll share my food, milestones, slip-ups and mistakes along the way. No one is prefect and I'm far from it. Let's start 2019 off right and keep the momentum moving forward. I'd love to hear what your goals are for 2019. Please share. Until next time....
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