Gradually Losing My Fatness

After coming back from the gym today, I weighed in at 231 pounds.  I have now lost 18 pounds in about five or six weeks.  I want to at least get under 200 pounds and realize I still have a long way to go.  I have made some progress and am really starting to feel a tangible difference in terms of strength and energy.  I can't believe I weighed 249 pounds.  Oh my God.  Later, I hope to be able to say that about 231 pounds. 

I'm trying not to concentrate too much on long term goals.  I talked to a woman today who told me she needed to lose 40 pounds.  If I was to overly concentrate on my long term goals I would probably get discouraged.  It's a gradual process and patience is really needed to get the job done.  Just like an alcoholic, I have to take one day at a time and make sure I exercise regularly, both aerobically and anaerobically. Sounds like a pep-talk for fat-aholics anonymous.

If I wasn't lifting weights, the pounds may have fell faster up until now, I don't know.  The reason for this would be because muscle weighs more than fat does.  I'm definitely getting stronger from hitting the weights three times a week, though.  This has also helped to strengthen my knee, which is now able to take more of a pounding on the treadmill.  Fat also is burned more during the day as a result of lifting weights.  It increases the metabolism and I don't fear so much that whatever I eat will turn to fat now.  I have increased the lifting gradually.  I started light to make sure I didn't pull something and put myself out of commission.   Then I would have got depressed and stuffed my face and you know the rest. Every time I hit the line, I go up about four pounds for each machine.  Now, I don't feel very sore the next day like I did at the beginning and I think my body is healing faster between sessions.

Another great fringe benefit from the exercising is I feel more up mentally.  When you exercise, endorphins are released in the brain, and a natural high occurs.  Some people don't want to shell out the extra dockets to join a gym but if you actually use it it's more than worth it in my opinion.  What is more valuable in this world than your health?  Not much.  Probably only the love you give to others.  I have realized the worst thing I can do for my loved ones is to die prematurely because I was too damn lazy to exercise.  

My regimen now is I go to the gym three or four times a week and in between I take walks around the neighborhood or on a nature trails in the area.  This keeps up the variety and makes things more interesting for me.  I try to take it easy at least one day a week to give my body time to rest.  Anyway, so far so good.  I can't get complacent.  The momentum is building and I am seeing results.  I just have to keep it up and not get overwhelmed by impatience.  It took a long time to eat and not exercise my way to this fatness; I can't expect to get back to where I want to overnight.  I have to keep reminding myself to continue because I know it's so easy to fall back into bad habits.