First, I want to thank everyone for the massive positive support that I have received in the last week! Opening up and revealing things that are so personal can be unnerving; it has become easier just by hearing the positive feedback! Second, I want to apologize for the structure of the Lezbelean blog at the moment- I am in the process of altering the design and am still learning!!
Alright, now that the disclaimers are out of the way… get ready for the main event! So you’ve finally made your resolve. You’re ready. THIS IS IT. You have decided to put your health first and change your life forever. It’s time to lose the weight- just like you’ve always promised yourself! *Cue the band and the hallelujah chorus* So… what now? Getting the process started is probably the largest challenge i faced. I had
started this so many times… what will make this time different? Originally, I was going to wait until January 1st to start my journey. It was December 10th, and I was going to start this whole “weight loss thing” in January. Wait… what? If I am resolved to lose weight the time is NOW. Right then and there I decided to get the process started, no excuses. I will never understand what is so special about January 1st or the magic of “Monday”. If you are ready to lose weight, what are you waiting for? Your body won’t know the difference, Friday is just as opportune as Monday.
The first step that I believe was necessary in my success was setting goals for myself. This is imperative to keeping yourself on track and accountable during the process. The goals you set for yourself can be anything you want! You should keep three things in mind when creating your goals: be specific, realistic, and challenge yourself! If you schedule a session with a personal trainer and they ask you what expectations you have, you need to be specific! “I want to be healthy” is a great long-term goal, but there is no way of measuring your progress. Start with some smaller short-term goals and have some long-term goals in the back of your mind. My first goal I created? I wanted to be able to walk up the long staircase at work without being winded. As that goal was achieved, more were created in its place: I want to run a mile without stopping, drink more water, go a month without cheating on my clean eating, and (my personal favorite) finish a personal training session without stopping and saying “I can’t”. As the goals came and went, I became more determined, more self-aware, and gained more self-respect. Goals can be weight-specific or fitness-related, whichever is going to drive you to be the most successful.
Challenging yourself is another important element to goal-setting. For some time, I have wanted to register to run in a race of some sort- likely a 5K. I’m not a runner, but I know the benefits it can have specifically with weight loss. I also can appreciate and recognize the discipline it takes to train for a race; this is something I’ve needed to add into my stale work out routine. Recently, I discovered that the Biggest Loser Runwalk had added an event in Buffalo at the end of this summer. I was thrilled! Biggest Loser has always been a source of inspiration for me and the Biggest Loser Runwalk is geared towards beginners. This event holds two races: a 5K and a half-marathon. I was ready to sign up for the 5K to take place in late August. Then something hit me. Late August is more than seven months away. I’m going to take 7 months to train to run 3 miles? That’s not setting the bar very high! I made the decision then and there to register for the half marathon. That’s right, ME! The girl who’s “not a runner”. The best part? My trainer, Carley, offered to run the race with me. What a great experience! I’m nervous and invigorated at the idea of the event- I can’t wait to start training for it!
For those who are interested in learning more about the here Biggest Loser Runwalk in Buffalo, check out the website in the link provided! Hope to see you there!!
You are SO right! Everyone should read this!
Hi Erika,
I would like to contact you about an interview request with the Half Size Me show. Could you tell me how I can get in touch with you? Thank you!