iDiet

[a weight loss story]

*kathrynoh at nemesis dot com dot au*

::14.9.05::

Pact

I was on a forum today where people were discussing what their goal weight is and how they set it. A couple of people said that they set their goal to be what they weighed in high school and found it very hard to get to that weight. They could live a comfortable lifestyle and be a few kilograms about it, but to get to their goal they had to cut the calories right back.

I thought, why bother? What difference does 1-2 kilograms make (unless you are like 2 foot tall)? Why live a miserable life to be the same weight as you were in high school? It doesn't make sense to me.

I was thinking about this on my walk tonight. How do you know when to stop? I set my goal to be 70 kilograms because it was an even 40 kilograms to lose. The top of my healthy weight range is 73 kilograms. If I lose more than 40 kgs, well and good but I am not going to care.

So my pact with myself is this - when I get to 70 kilograms, I'm packing away the scales. I'll rely on other means to judge my size - measurements and clothes and things. At the moment, I want to lose weight and the scales are the best way to judge that, but when I'm at goal I want my focus to be on toning and staying healthy, not on "oh my god, I'm 65 kilos and I can't be happy unless I'm 64!" - who needs that shit?

ps. I'm ahead of the plan anyway, cos I weigh less now than I did at sixteen!

pss. I said "when I'm at goal" not "if" - I didn't even have to think about it. I think my brain is shedding some of it's weight too!

Fabulous pact, Kathryn. Goals are great but even better is the life that's lived in balance and moderation including a healthy concern with oneself but also including many other things outside oneself. Weight maintenance should not consume one's whole life.

By Blogger not specified, at 12:12 am  

Excellent points to raise, "goal" needs to be realistic and also it is simply a number. I weight after a wee as I don't want to register the water weight and the difference can be 500g - that could be the number that is keeping me away form the magic number one day. No thanks, don't need those issues.

I had a pair of jeans I wanted to get back into and was going to use them as a benchmark, but BF cleaned out my wardrobe and the jeans have vanished. Bugger. They were a pair of 501s so I should just go and get another pair...think they were a 33...I'd be happy with that!

By Blogger CaramelKitKat, at 12:58 am  

Aaah, so wise! As long as you're in the 'healthy' range, and comfortable in your body and clothes, then the scales are just a number and not the be-all-and-end-all.

Its our health and wellbeing that are important, the scales are just a tool to help us get there.

By Blogger Emily Campbell - Independent Stampin' Up!® Demonstrator, at 5:13 am  

that's a great pact! i mean what's in a kilo anyway? it's rather how you feel in you pants, naked etc that matters rather than what the scale say, i'd say.

By Blogger InsaneMind, at 5:24 am  

I agree 100% with that. I set a target that was a nice round number and just within an ideal weight for me, but if I'm within a decent distance of it, I'll be fine. In my mind I've set a target "zone", ranging from a bit lighter than my target to a bit heavier, it's quite a big area and once I get there I might refine it a bit, but to be honest, anywhere within that zone would an achievement. Actually, where I am today is an achievement, but I still feel I can lose more doing what I'm doing. They day I don't feel that any more is the day I try to maintain, I'm not going to push for an artificially low weight that I'll have to deprive myself to maintain.

By Blogger YP, at 5:35 am  

You are fantastic! I love the way you think and thank you for sharing :-) Just being in the healthy weight range should be goal enough, not what we weighed in High School. How bizarre. I will have to go down to my 60s. Scary and then I'll lose what's left of my boobs!

By Blogger Mary, at 7:50 am  

Another awesome post! I don't know why people care what weight they were in high school - that was then, this is now. Some people haven't even finished growing/developing in high school for cripes sake! Our bodies change as we get older and that is a fact of life. For most people that means getting heavier. Of course for some of us our goal is to be lighter that we were in high school, but that's okay too!

I set my goal at 60kg because it's a round number. Then I decided I should set it to 65kg which is bit closer to the top end of the healthy weight range, and, like you, just see what happens when I get there. I'm not going to pull my hair out over one or two kilos. My body might like being 67kg. It might prefer being 62kg. I won't know until I'm there.

By Blogger jak, at 7:56 am  

Awesome pact, it's great that you're thinking "when" instead of "if" and knowing that after a certain point a losing can be as unhealthy for you as it started off being healthy [did that make sense?]

Fussing over a kilo just isn't a way I'd want to live.

By Blogger Dee, at 9:12 am  

I'm determined not to let goal weight take over my life. Supposedly, my goal is 76kg, but when I get to 85kg I'm going to reassess that - with the help of the man, the teenager and the sister.

By Blogger Sue, at 11:20 am  

Do you know what? I just spent an hour of WORK TIME reading through some of your past entries, including your Faves on the left hand side and I'm freaken amazed that you are so honest, real, open, trusting and insightful, and there are tons of fantastic entries where NO-ONE HAS COMMENTED!!!! If I had more time I would of commented on every one, everything you said has come from your heart and you are a marvellous writer!! I'm so pleased I found this blog!!!!

By Blogger Emily Campbell - Independent Stampin' Up!® Demonstrator, at 3:02 pm  

Very sensible. Get within the healthy range, that's what matters and how you feel yourself, not what a graph table says you have to be.

By Blogger Suzy, at 3:27 pm  

I've sat here and typed a huge long respone to your post from a person who hasn't got alot of weight to lose, and whatlosing 2kgs means to me, but when I read it back it sounded really condesending and stuck up, so I've deleted it.

Loved reading this post!

By Blogger Jaykay, at 3:39 pm  

Me again. M said it is your birthday tomorrow so Happy Birthday and have a great day!

By Blogger Suzy, at 3:54 pm  

ditto than lady suzy! happy birthday!!!!

By Blogger InsaneMind, at 4:23 pm  

 

stats:

current weight:
76.6 kg

start weight:
110.1 kg

total loss:
33.5 kg

goal weight:
70 kgs

 

measurements:

boobs: 100 cm

waist: 81 cm

hips: 109 cm

thighs: 50 cm

 

Weekly Goal Lifestyle Changing Challenge-A-Rama

Week 1 - Drink more water

Week 2 - Cut out sugary treats

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