A journey to remember

[DanaeArgos]

On an adventure to find myself, to not only feel and be healthier on a journey to massive lifestyle changes about as intimidating as Mordor, but an inner emotional change that has me overwhelmed, humbled, and scared to pieces. I had an epiphany not so long ago that I've been everything to everyone else but myself and in that process have never gotten to know ME. I don't know who I truly am! I am nearly 40 and I don't know who I am and I'm getting married soon! Luckily, the man I've found is willing to support me as I find my voice.

 

Do I have the courage and the discipline to see this change through? I have no clue because I've never truly gotten to that finish line. I'm a little quitter!  I've been chasing tails never really getting any where and am now completely turned around and lost.  I've never been this emotionally low in my life. I've hit as rock bottom as I've ever felt or ever want to experience. Any lower and I don't think there is any hope left for turning my life around. So here I am. I can't say "again", I can't say "I'll do it this time" again, I can't say "I promise to meet my goals" again, because IT HAS NOT WORKED for me for 10+ years. I have no motivation for myself. I don't know how I'm going to find it, but I've made a choice to start here among rebels, to take that first step into some unknown force to see what it reveals about me! I don't know how I'm going to do this.

 

Number one short term goal and priority

I have 6 weeks to look good in that dress!

I started this year with a goal to lose 36 pounds. I can celebrate a 16 lb weight loss to-date, but have failed to meet my initial goals of weighing in at 135lbs by May 31st (7.2 lbs a month).

So I ask: Can I lose 15 pounds in 6 weeks healthily? I've been practically starving myself for a month to break my 155lb plateau unsuccessfully. I've started exercising more this month, but feel I need to bump that up even more and truly test my limits. My mindset now is if I weigh 140 and look good in that dress, I'll be a happy purring kitty cat. mrrow! mrrow! mrrow! I'm a cat!

 

Lifestyle and lifetime goals

• eliminate coffee, drink green tea
• eat Primal 80%
• be green
• increase my wind (lung capacity)
• stand up for what I believe in and be able to explain why
• walk the talk
• stop eating fast food
• think scientifically
• think strategically
• gain some self discipline
• mountain bike with confidence and cross that stupid little bridge I can't seem to bring myself to cross! gah!
• learn Yang style Tai Chi
• play the piano and the violin
• climb all of Colorado's fourteeners
• practice yoga and mindfulness daily
• stop the negative monkey brain thoughts
• gain confidence in myself, my skills, my talents
• believe in me
• exercise my creative talents, and create an artistic library worthy of, well ME!
• ride horses often and compete at least once in equine dressage, jumping and eventing.
• volunteer
• start my business and succeed
• become a gaming Goddess
• ask more questions
• continue be a student of life
• test my limits
• cry out loud
• laugh out loud

 

Not asking much at all. =P

 

I fancy personifying myself as an amalgam my favorite heroines:

Elizabeth Bennett

Ayla

Maid Marian

Galadriel

 

 

 

Thanks for listening

[godjira1]

all the best!

 

my tips:

1) small changes are easier than big ones. choose a few priority goals, break them down into small jumps rather than giant leaps and aim to progress slowly. no one went from a lvl 1 char to being able to slay a lvl90 dragon immediately. 

2) discipline beats motivation ALL THE TIME. we all get demotivated from time to time, so having a "program minimum" is important to maintain momentum on days when you just don't feel like doing the workout, the music practice, etc. 

3) be patient. it is one of those things about our modern lifestyle, everybody wants/expects instant gratification. If achieving greatness/kick-assdom/nirvana is a lifetime journey, why emphasise the quick wins? They tend to play into motivation anyway (eg. 12 weeks to leaner body, blah blah) which eventually must be parlayed into discipline because gains plateau at some stage. 

 

Enjoy yourself and don't get too hung up on the occasional setback, it's called life!

[Shakeel_R]

Welcome and all the best on your new journey.

 

Congratulations on getting married. And I am sure with the right motivation you'll rock that dress! Do keep in mind not to go overboard with everything :/

[Isaac Clark]

Hey! Welcome to the community. Don't beat yourself up over previous attempts. We all have trouble sometimes, and all of those brought you closer to the goals you set now!

 

If you're at 155lbs, you may or may not be able to meet your goal. The higher end of what is generally considered healthy in most cases is losing two pounds per week. If you have six weeks, this puts you at 12 pounds. So, if you put in a little bit more effort than would be otherwise standard into both your diet and workouts, it's not impossible for you to lose that 15 lbs. But, like I said, this is generally on the more aggressive end of weight loss.

 

It's good to have a number, but one thing that will really put you in danger of quitting again is being married to the idea that you HAVE to lose X amount of weight in X weeks, especially if you're still new to this. Just focus on small changes, like @godjira1 said, and recognize when you see progress.

 

And, here's just a little bit of anecdotal advice. I see your long, long, long list of things you want to do. It's great you're so detail-oriented and know what you want! But, I think you really need to start trimming that list down in a major way, at least for now. 

 

Basically, what I've found works for me and some of the people I know is choosing three or four of those tasks to be a priority. You can only put your energy into so much in a day. It's important you don't get overwhelmed. Focus on a few specific things, and take a couple of weeks to get them done well and form habits. Then, come back to your list with that satisfaction you've crossed some items off, and choose a few more that you feel are priorities for you at that time. Instead of saying "I don't have time to do that", say "That isn't a priority for me right now."

 

But hey, that's just my ideas! Either way, congrats on getting married, and good luck on your journey to live a healthier life

[DanaeArgos]

 I wholeheartedly agree with taking things slowly, and not get caught up in not being able to do it all in a short span of time. It is unfeasible. That was just a list of things I would like to accomplish in a lifetime. Sorting it by priority is a good idea. Thanks! 

[Kita]

Heya! I'm another 40 something working out how to take care of myself (I can manage out her people, but tend to forget myself in the equation)

 

I'll be following and cheer you on

[Guzzi]

Welcome on board!  If you have any questions about the forum then please feel free to ask.