My 6 Month Weight-Loss Plan

Over the past 5 years...I've slowly packed on an unhealthy 40 pounds.  I don't feel confident like I used to be, I hate going shopping for new clothes, I hate having my photo taken, and I've just become incredibly lazy and uninspired.  More importantly...my weight gain is really causing some health issues.  I have absolutely no energy...I have to catch my breath just from climbing the stairs to my apartment (and I've done it every single day for 2 years).  I've developed foot and joint problems due to my weight gain, and I'm constantly having headaches, bloating, and fatigue.  To put it simply...I'm not happy and neither is my body.  It's time for CHANGE!

Here is a side by side comparison of me about 4-6 years ago and me just a couple of months ago.  The difference is 40-45 lbs!  Woah!

And here's a photo from 2010 with Brando when he was a baby.

It has become absolutely necessary for me to make a lifestyle change in order to be a happier healthier me.  I don't want to set myself up for failure by giving myself a certain amount of time to lose a certain amount of weight, but at the same time...I feel that if I DON'T give myself a time-related goal...it will just be one more excuse that I have to say "I'll eat better tomorrow" or "I'll do something active tomorrow". Six months is a reasonable amount of time to lose 40 pounds right?.  That comes out to about 6-7 pounds per month.  I think that's a healthy pace to shoot for...and I also like the sound of 6 months.  It's a nice even number and it's also half a year.  I'll also be gaining confidence once summer rolls around so it will be nice to feel comfortable on the beach again!

Weight Watchers: I've tried Weight Watchers before, and it's really helped.  It's going to be a lot easier to keep up this time around since I'll be upgrading to a smartphone this month and won't have to wait until I get home to log everything that I eat.  I find the points system motivating and eye opening for sure.

DietBet:  I came across DietBet just recently, and have really fallen for the concept.  You basically join or start a "game" with the intent on losing 4% or 10% of your current body weight.  You throw $25 into the pot and whoever reaches their goal by the end of the game splits the pot!  That sounds like a really great motivator to me!  And fun too!  It also matches up well with the amount I want to lose per month...so it's perfect!  If I can't find one that starts March 1st I may create one.  If I do I'll let you know so you can join my game if it's something you're interested in!

Hula Hooping:  I bought my first weighted Hula Hoop from Hoopnotica last month, and feel like I'm getting more comfortable with it everyday.  I currently don't practice for nearly as long as I would like (or need to), but I think committing to 1 hour practice session at least 4 days a week would be great!  The best part about it is that it's fun.  Learning new techniques is very motivating!

Pinterest Motivation Board:  I love Pinterest.  I love to create boards and fill them full of fun cute stuff.  There are soooo many really great motivational/inspirational health and fitness pins on there!  You can find and follow all of my pinterest boards here!  

Alright so here is what I have planned so far!  

I am definitely someone who drinks WAYYYYY too much soda on a regular basis.  There's no telling how many of these empty calories I consume on a daily basis...so replacing them with ice cold refreshing water (with lemon! YUM!) is going to help out a ton.

I'm actually not too terrible of a morning person, so making breakfast everyday for myself  shouldn't be too challenging of a task to get used to.  I'll definitely be stocking up on smoothie recipes and ingredients!

I can be somewhat incredibly lazy when it comes to cooking.  I actually really like cooking...I'm just super super lazy about it.  I'm also unorganized in the kitchen, so that doesn't help either.  I really want to learn new recipes and spend more time in the kitchen though...so this should be fun!

I usually pack healthy snacks to take to work, but I don't at home.  I don't know if you've seen the ads on Facebook lately, but I signed up for Graze packages.  Yummy nutty snack boxes mailed to me every two weeks.  So far they're pretty tasty!  Just make sure the ones you want to try are the healthier of the choices.  I also love fresh fruits and veggies for snacking.  Time to stock up on those too!

Aside from eating terribly and drinking sodas all the time...and I'm sure you probably know what I'm about to say since I've mentioned the word a few times already...I'M TERRIBLY LAZY!  I've never been someone who spends time at the gym or plays sports or goes for regular runs.  I have a mountain of workout DVDs including a Richard Simmons collection, 30 Day Shred, Tae Bo, P90X, and various others.  Some of them I've tried...others are just sitting on the shelf waiting to be watched.  I have a Schwinn mountain bike...that's only been ridden a handful of times.  I have a workout machine on my patio that I've only used a few times.  I have a habit of buying all of this workout gear and never using it.  I get discouraged and as I said before...lazy.  I think a lot of the time it's just that the task at hand seems so much like work, and after being at work all day...the last thing I want to do is MORE work.  As I mentioned above, I purchased my first weighted Hula Hoop recently and I really love it.  It doesn't feel like work, I feel like I'm making good progress, and learning new tricks keeps me motivated to stick with it.  I plan on continuing with the hooping, going for hikes every Sunday, and once I reach my halfway mark (or possibly before that) I plan on starting a Beachbody program.  I just haven't decided which yet.

I think setting up a rewards system for weight loss is a GREAT idea!  Losing weight is a reward all by it's self, but I know treating myself to things here and there will keep me motivated.  So here's the breakdown of my reward system:

• For every 5 pounds lost I will buy myself a new nail polish and a new lip gloss.
• For every 10 pounds lost I will do a little accessory shopping.  I'm thinking Etsy or Forever21.
• Once I reach my halfway mark and lose 20 pounds, I'm going to buy 1 new outfit and a new perfume.
• Once I reach my goal of 40 pounds lost, I'm going to get a new tattoo that I've been planning!

My Current Stats:

Height: 5'0"

Weight: 165 lbs

Measurements:

Waist: 33.5 inches

Arms: 14 inches

Bust: 39.5 inches

Thighs: 26 inches

Hips:  45.5 inches

Dress Size: 14

Goal Weight: 125 lbs

I'm so excited to start!  If you have any advice I would love to hear it!  I'm so ready for this change!