Thursday, April 5, 2012

My fit life journey is back on track; relationship's in tact

On May 7 of last year, in a post titled "Weight restrictions begone! Time to have fun!, I reported that I weighed in at 255 pounds that morning. That low-weight point was to be the high point of my fit life journey to date, which started at more than 420 pounds. Within a few weeks of that happy day in May, I began planning a move to Boston, which caused my stress levels to rise, along with my weight.

I wasn't too upset about gaining a few pounds at that point. My plan was to allow my body to adjust to the rapid weight loss I had experienced. At that point, I had lost 165 pounds in about a year and four months.

Eventually I settled in somewhere in the mid-270s. I was hiking a lot in Boston - something like 20 miles per week - but I had to quit my gym membership for financial reasons. Then, after just a couple of months in Boston we decided we were going to be moving to Albuquerque. So, as we planned another move and thus extended our state of flux, the stress was compounded knowing it would be at least another few months before stability in my life was returned.

By the time we moved to Albuquerque in January, stress was mounting exponentially. Throughout the fall I dealt with my stress in two ways: 1) by hiking 20-miles per week, and 2) by indulging in Ben and Jerry's ice cream and sweets any time I felt like it. The exercise counteracted much of the damage that otherwise could have been done by the occasional binging, but by the end of January I was pushing 280, and I wasn't very happy about it.

At that time, my stress hit a high point. The week before I got an offer to start my new job, my partner decided he needed to strike out on his own. As a result we experienced a break in our relationship, which at that point was the one remaining bit of stability I was counting on. Not being one to sulk for too long, I decided to react to this time of transition by focusing once again on my weight goals. I signed up for a couple of 5K runs, continued to hike every chance I got, and once again cut out the indulgances of ice cream, cookies and the like.

I have been experiencing a steady weight loss since February, and as of today, I am weighing in at 259 pounds. Needless to say, I'm elated. Just four pounds to go until I'll feel I'm 100 percent back on track. And I'm just 32 pounds away from my goal of overcoming obesity once and for all!

Yesterday, I finally joined a gym, something that I've been wanting to do but haven't been able to afford. I haven't enjoyed my regular weight-lifting workouts for the past six months. But even as I hit the gym with a renewed vengance, I still plan to continue my hiking regimine. I plan to do resistance training five days per week and hike at least three. I will probably be putting on a lot of muscle, which I know will slow my weight loss. But that's fine by me. I'm working on building strength so I can do all the things I want to do in life without restriction.

In a bit of good news, too, I'm happy to report that my relationship with my former partner is transitioning nicely into a strong and supportive friendship. I have always felt that it is important to have continuity with those I care about than it is to have things turn out exactly the way I want them to. As we transition from one type of relationship to another, I know it is for the best.

I recognize that people need room to grow. He needs room, and so do I. But also, we have invested a lot into knowing each other, and we still care deeply about one another, so it is good to know that even if we choose not to continue with things the way they were, as friends I know he will still be there in my corner when I need him and I, of course, will still be there for him whenever he needs me. And that makes me feel very, very happy.

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