Where has it gone?

"Where has what gone?" you might be wondering. Or not. Where has the year gone, has my motivation gone, and my fitness gone? Would be the correct answer. Of course I know where it has gone - right out the window.

First went the motivation.  For some reason, once I met my personal goal of riding for 180 in a row, I just didn't have much more motivation to ride.  In fact I haven't been on the bike since I finished that personal challenge. This is terrible.  This is what has contributed to my overall lack of fitness (not that I had much to begin with).  Let's face it, as we age we are either actively working to maintain or possibly improve our fitness or are losing it. Since I haven't been riding I have been heading down the losing fitness road fairly quickly.

Along with the lack of exercise, we have come through the holiday season which is notorious for overeating and I have been keeping true to form in that arena as well.  Combine these 2 facts and obviously my weight has been on the increase instead of the decrease.  Time to wake up and face reality, I cannot afford to not work out.  My metabolism and eating habits just don't allow it.

This time of year is notorious for making resolutions to do whatever and unfortunately most of those resolutions rarely make it past the end of January.  That's why this is not a resolution but a commitment.  I will eat healthier and be more active starting today.  No sense waiting for the new year, for next week or until after my cruise in less than 2 weeks.  I have to start today and keep with it every single day.

I have been avoiding the scale like the plague because I know that it will not have any good news for me. I will get on the scale and note the number that it shows.  I will use this as my new beginning and move on from there. I am not happy with my current state of affairs, I have no one to blame but myself and no one can change it but me and that starts today.

I hope everyone had a great holiday and am looking forward to a happier and healthier new Year for us all!

Now, get on your bike and ride!!!!

In the beginning...

In the beginning I was 492 lbs and got winded just walking from the parking lot into the building at work. In the beginning walking up the flight of stairs to the apartment left me panting and gasping for air. In the beginning I struggled to keep up with my Grandchildren. In the beginning I realized that I had to do something to make a change or my time to enjoy my Grandchildren would be cut dramatically short. So I decided to make a change.

In September of 2009 there was a weight loss competition at work called the Lose to Win challenge and I decided I would participate. I signed up for the challenge and decided that since I had experimented with a low carb diet in the past and had modest success (although once I stopped I gained back the weight twice over), that this would be the method I would use to achieve success. I thought about adding exercise, or any real physical activity to my plan, but it was basically just thought as I sat at my desk or my computer at home or on the couch (ironically watching shows like the Biggest Loser) but really did nothing.

I have achieved some success. I am down approximately 72 lbs from that start at 492. I know the weight loss has had a positive impact on my health as I am now able to walk much longer distances and I have even gotten a bike and started riding.

I think part of what has inspired me are blogs by Robin, whom I work with, and Jayne, Otherwise known as the slow fat triathlete. reading about how they have struggled and worked and met their goals has truly inspired me to get off my butt and start doing something. Along the way my co-worker Mary's triumphs in her Sprint Triathlons and reading about rides that Cynthia has taken have all helped inspire me and I just might decide to try a Triathlon in the future.

Between now and then I am going to try and put down into this blog some of the triumphs and set backs I experience along the way.