Weight loss resumes, reporter’s almost back on track

I feel refreshed.

I yelled out all my emotions and complaints in the last column, and now that I’ve had a breath of fresh air, my weight loss progress has resumed.

In the past two weeks I’velost almost four pounds. While that doesn’t get me back to where I was before my month off, it puts me pretty darn close.

Getting back on the wagon when you’ve fallen off can sometimes be more difficult than when you initially started a grueling process. I’m managing well.

I have taken a lot of what readers have said into consideration. Nutrition and exercise tips have helped me, as has negativity from a few folks. I’d like to thank a few people for telling me I will not be successful on this journey because it has lit a fire under my you-know-what to prove you wrong.

That reason, of course, comes second to doing this all for myself and my health.

Here’s what I have done the past two weeks to change that: resume exercising and keeping track of my food. From that, and using the My Fitness Pal application on my iPhone, I have learned that despite eating healthier, whole wheat, low-carbohydrates, and other items, I still had consumed over the recommended daily amount I should have of sugar.

I’m watching that like a hawk and have done my best to keep that in control. I am not diabetic, nor pre-diabetic and I want to keep it that way. Plus, the more weight I lose and the healthier I eat, the better chance I have at not getting the disease.

According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 25.8 million children and adults in the nation have diabetes, and an estimated 79 million are pre-diabetic. I’m not looking to be one of those statistics.

It has also been rewarding to know just how many people pay such close attention to the column and who reach out to help. Just this past week I had a woman, Mary Foster, drop off materials for me to use and study. The kindness and support from most of you readers has been much appreciated, and needed.

I plan to dive into Mrs. Foster’s materials and search for more tips on how to work my core. That is something that I have been trying to improve with the Watertown Family YMCA Ready to Be Fit Instructor Nicole Clutter. She showed me this exercise where you lay on an exercise mat, place your hands under your butt, and lift both of your legs up at the same time, then lift them down, but don’t touch the mat. Only leave a couple inches of space to the floor, then repeat the exercise. All of that is done while you tighten your core. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but for someone that has 10 times more fat than muscle there, it’s a workout.

I look forward to each week when she can teach me something new.

I’ve also been practicing a pointer I learned from former Biggest Loser Contestant Tara Costa. She jumped on every cardio machine at the gym for 10 minutes each, and I like to hit at least three cardio machines for 10 minutes each. It changes up my cardio routine and keeps me moving. Bursts of high intensity and low intensity work during interval training has proved to be an effective method for me.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, interval training will help you burn more calories and improve aerobic capacity. It makes you work a little harder, and by the end of the workout you feel accomplished, and want to do it again tomorrow.

A man I’ve never met or have even talked to before has been an inspiration. Jay Wornick, Fulton, lost 198 pounds in 10 months after making a bet with his wife. His story reached millions of people nationally, and I am just one person who was touched. No weight-loss surgery, just pure dedication. That’s been my intention, and now I must stick with it. I’m not turning back.

From day one of my weight loss journey in January I couldn’t do a single push-up and didn’t know what a plank was. Now, I do 45-second to one-minute planks, getting me inches closer to full-plank-style push-ups.

Miles to me are measured in inches because even the smallest step is a big leap forward when you have about half of your original weight to lose. Looking at my original goal of wanting to lose 100 pounds in a year. I don’t think that’s going to happen, but I am driven to see just how close I can get.

Thanksgiving will be a test, but I have a plan. No second helpings, and only a sliver of a piece of pie for dessert.

Looking back at the past few weeks, I had realized in the month of October I actually gained 5.8 pounds, not five, as I previously thought. The good news, however, is that in the past two weeks I have managed to lose 3.8 pounds. I am two pounds away from being where I was before my vacation and all of life’s stress and chaos. I’m taking that as a good sign.

If I stick to my path of success, I should be able to maintain a minimum 1.5-pound weight loss per week. That could put me at a 60-pound total loss in a year. Now that I have readjusted my goal, I’m going to work even harder to not only achieve, but exceed that.

To exchange weight-loss pointers and tips, please email me at rmadden@wdt.net