Over the last five years I have lost about 70 pounds. Though I don't intend to reach an "ideal weight," (as defined by the government or some other heath organization), I have a target weight in mind. I would like to settle my weight at 155-160 pounds in a year. This is a goal that I've had for the past 24 months, but have not been able to see to fruition. Since November of 2007, I have lost about 10 more pounds, but feel that I've been seriously plateaued for several months now (if not slowly gaining).
What is more, I feel like I'm constantly hungry and always eating. My diet primarily consists of whole foods, grains, fish, and nuts and I suppose I can work even harder to cut out the little things that are bad (the occasional dessert, cheese). On the whole, however, my diet is very good. I don't like to count calories and have found that just going with body feel and hunger levels has been successful. Again, however, my weight isn't really doing anything.
Third, it seems that my body is incredibly sensitive to anything I do. If I exercise four days a week, it responds very quickly. If I have a "bad" week of eating or social eating, I gain quickly. I would like to find a way to keep my metabolism working all the time without having to slash carbs.
Finally, I find that being a graduate student seriously stifles my cash-flow in the summer. As such, I often have to cut the gym membership out until the fall. The free gym membership that comes with my student segregated fees does not include Spinning classes--something I feel might help break through a plateau. The local gym that does offer this class costs $50/month. That price is too steep, even durin the semester. I am also having problems with calf strains. Since I started running again in January, things have been going pretty well. I went out last week and ran my standard 3mi loop by the lake and restrained my right calf muscle. I think I should lay off running until I've strengthened my calf. In the meantime, Spinning seems like a good option. I wonder if I can actually cut a meal out/month to make that membership...
These are some thoughts as I start writing down and getting real with this goal. I'm tired of the extra flab and want to start backpacking regularly. These two goals seem to work well together! I figure, I've already done the work to lose the first 70; I can certainly work through the next 40 pounds!