Weight Loss on a Budget Plan

Well today was a good day. I had my water aerobics class this morning. It was marvelous the teacher is a great teacher. I hope that I am able to get into her class again. So I walked into the locker room today and someone said that they thought I looked thinner. I was really happy to hear that but at the same time it is hard to believe. I have only lost maybe 2 lbs since starting this class. In fact after about 2 weeks of doing the class I had gained about 3-4 lbs and only now am I back to just a bit below where I started. I do know that I lost some inches because I took measurements the first day and then again a month later. I should post those up here eventually. It is nice to know that I am losing something. I mean if the inches are coming off the weight will to...eventually. It is just frustrating.

So as I was doing my vigorous exercise class today I found myself drifting into thought...which is not hard for me to do..probably why I can't sleep at night very well. But I digress anyway I was thinking to myself amid the ankle touches and cross-country skiing(water class terms). That I would love to sign up for another water aerobics class this summer. This would have to be at one of the few public pools in the area. So then I decided that I didn't really have the extra money to be throwing around for that this summer. Then I thought about going to the lake near where I live that has a FREE swimming area and just doing my swimming and some workout there...I am not sure the lifeguard would be to pleased with me splashing about though. So this obviously lead me to my next thought...

Weight Loss on a Budget..

I am so sick of searching around and finding the only answers people seem to have about losing weight is to spend money. Buy a gym membership, buy this and buy that. Well I decided that this summer I am going to devote to losing weight with very little funds. I will not be joining a gym or paying for exercise from the local pools. I will do things that are free or cheap(maybe they require gas to go hiking out in the Gorge.) I have come up with cardio: Swimming(free lake), bike riding, walking/jogging, backyard obstacles( no matter how crazy I look.) I will use weights that I already have for strength training and if I need heavier I will use water bottles. I am really excited to see what I can do. I would love to be able to motivate other people that think you need expensive things to lose weight. I know that 90% of people already know that you don't need all that stuff but sometimes we need a reminder.

As far as food goes I have decided that I am going to try to eat more foods that are healthy: Lean meats, veggies, fruits, nuts, and dairy. I am going to cut out the fast food and processed food it is just garbage.

I guess that is it for today. I will be posting progress pictures from last year to present time and I did my video blog yesterday but that is private and only available to view on invite only. So maybe once I feel more comfortable I will make that public as well.

The New Beginning.

I don't really understand why it was so hard for me to start this. I am devoting this blog here to my weight loss progress. I have a regular blog at another site that I update, however I wanted to make something separate and completely different from that to track my journey. I think the reason that this is so difficult is I am really afraid of failing. I have been trying to lose weight for years. I wasn't over weight until a year after high school. I suppose I was a bit in denial up until about 4 years ago over the whole weight gain thing. I have sense then been "trying" to lose weight. I feel like I haven't been trying my hardest though. I will do great for about 2 months and then life gets in the way and I slack off. Then I will start over again a few months later. As of last August I have managed to lose and keep off about 20lbs. I just feel like I need to stick to it and finally finish this. I am not a total idiot when it comes to weight loss. I know all the fine details that one should know to lose weight. In fact I have helped multiple people lose weight. Somehow I just can't help myself.

I have around 50 lbs that I need to lose. I want to lose weight so I feel better about myself. I have never loved my body..not even when I was 15 and weighed 110 lbs and worked out everyday. It all goes back to 2nd grade. I was taller than all my friends and this in my mind always made me feel like I was fatter then they were. There was a time in 7th and 8th grade that I would hardly ever eat. I had braces and was paranoid of getting food stuck in my braces so I would skip lunch and I never would eat breakfast. I also was on the basketball team at this time so I was working out. It wasn't intentional to not eat but just a stupid teenage mistake. I think that is something that directly contributed to my weight problems today. So with that being said I refuse to converse with anyone who honestly thinks these things are healthy.

I love healthy and fitness despite the way I have let myself go. I love hiking, biking, and swimming. I love learning all I can learn about health. I am currently in college pursuing a degree which I put off when I was younger.

Here are some of my stats:

Height: 5'5
Weight : 226
Exercise: I don't limit myself to one type of exercise because I will get very bored.
Food: I count calories for the most part, this seems to be what works for me.