Weight loss plan: Setting my goals

To get on-track with my weight loss plan, first I have to set realistic goals that i can monitor my progress against, in terms of weight loss and exercise.

Weight loss goal:

• to lose 60lbs by the end of April - thats roughly 8.5lbs per month or 2.1lbs per week!! I plan on keeping the weight loss per week down so wont have to stress my body too much =)

Exercise goals for October:

1. do aerobics every monday and friday from 5.30pm to 6.30pm.
2. play ultimate frisbee every tuesday from 5.30pm to 6.30pm.

These exercise goals do not pertain to any specific or measurable exercise program for me to shoot for, but these are the goals i hope to accomplish that will help me get me off my chair. Lucky for me, my office has these( after-work offerings of fitness classes starting this week that i can take advantage of to kick start my weight loss plan!! =)

I'll share my (more specific and measurable) goals for next few months in another post!

Here are some tips in exercise goal-setting that i got from this article - 4 simple steps to start the exercise habit (@ zen habits) that i hope will help you make your own exercise/ weight loss goals!!

Goals should be written, specific, measurable, and time bound.

• Written - to serve as a reminder of your targets, because if its "out-of-sight" it will become "out-of-mind"
  
• Specific - your goal should identify what type of exercise you will be engaging in, when you will be doing the exercise and where. an example would be: Road-run 1km every 7.30am every Tuesday at the village park.
  
• Measurable - you should be able to put up your current progress against your goal, then maybe you may adjust your goals accordingly. an example would be: Road-run 1km every 7.30am every Tuesday at the village park done under 10mins.
• Time bound - keeping exercise goals within a time frame ensures progression of your goals as well as your fitness levels. an example would be: Road-run 1km every 7.30am every Tuesday at the village park done under 10mins for the month of October. for Sept it should be done under 8mins.. so on and so forth..

Do you already have exercise goals in mind? Care to share in the comments?

Picture from here

My weight loss plan

I've been overweight since i was a kid, currently my weight catergory has placed me in the medical condition named obese 2! (there's overweight, obese 1 then obese 2!!)

I've experienced being the butt of every joke on the table, being denied insurance coverage because I am a potential health risk (huwaattt!!) and being stared at in disbelief because my physical appearance belies the weighing scale's truth.

I am not an expert in this area, heck my bout with the weighing scale belittles my credibily here, but here are my thoughts on how to shed off the extra pounds so spare me a few minutes and hear me out. I hope you'll be able to pick up some tips to help you lose weight too!!

Keep yourself active.
The fastest way to lose weight is to walk it off!
Jogging, walking, biking or running at least 30mins 3x a week is the best way to burn fat!!

You can get useful tips to start running here - beginners guide to running

There are a myriad of choices of physical activity to make sure you won't get bored working out - with this said, I suggest to change your type of workout every month or 2 (WARNING: your substitute physical activity should be of the same intensity or you'll just lollipop back to your old weight) A few months back, i jogged for 1 month, then core training for 1 month, then i enrolled in hiphop class for a month and then i stopped...so now i'm trying to hop back into my weight loss plan! haha!! but seriously, i was able to lose around 30lbs!! =D

I don't believe in dieting, I believe in changing your eating habits.
Eat what you want, just eat in moderation, just eat in the end in mind (food is for sustenance! there's more to life than just sitting on a table to munch on grub), and just eat slow (us humans have brains that take it 20mins for it to register that we are full).

As I lost weight before, I noticed that my eating preferences changed too, I started choosing my meat options. If there is fish I would eat fish instead. I would search the pork adobo platter for pieces with less fat. I would scrape off the fat in the lechon (roast pork) skin before munching on it (sacrilege!! hehe!!) The bottom line is that if you want to keep the weight off, you must make the conscious effort to do so (after which it just becomes part of your eating lifestyle and thus second nature).

Thus this article marks the start of putting my plan into action! Stay tuned!!

Do you have any weight loss tips you can share with me? Lets hear it in the comments!

Here's the article that inspired me to write this post - a simple 5 step weight loss plan

Picture from (HERE)

Waking up early

Its 5.30am. I just woke up. Its still dark out and I am the only one awake.
I shut of my phone's alarm. I check my phone for any messages. I play computer, watch a dvd or do my homework (when i was back in college) I clean my car. I prepare for work. I leave for work.

I enjoy the morning's quiet time. I don't have to try to kick out my brother from the computer so i can use it. I don't have to watch through my nephew's Dora, Blues Clues, and other kids' dvds. I have the house all to myself in the morning!!

I also get to avoid traffic when I wake up early. I avoid the traffic to use the only bathroom with a heater in the house, and i get to spend as much time in the bathroom as I want! haha!! By leaving for work early, I also get to avoid traffic on the road. No more rushing to work and getting stressed out by the traffic.

To get up early, I usually use my cellphone's alarm. But to make sure I get up, I take a full glass of water before I sleep so I really have to wake up to go relieve myself. Hahaha!!

Here's a short list of Pros and Cons (IMO) of waking up early

Pros

1. Quiet time
2. Enjoy household facilities without competition
3. Avoid the stress of competition (i.e. traffic, lining up to use the bathroom, etc)
4. You make sure your time is well spent (you dont waste time in traffic, lining up to load gas, finding a parking slot, etc.)

Cons

1. The joys are short lived, unless you don't wake up early enough
2. You have to make sure you sleep early in the evening
3. If you need someone to answer a question or to help you with something, they are all still asleep
4. You have to cook your own breakfast
   

Here's the amazing article from zenhabits that inspired me to write this post