10 strategies I'll use to lose the next 50 pounds

Today I started my new job as an achievement coach at the local community college here in Albuquerque, and in celebration of this, I've decided it is time for me to get back on track with my weight loss goal

My first before and after, Dec. 2010

Anyone who follows this blog knows that when I started my weight loss journey some three years ago, I was tipping the scales at more than 420 pounds. My goal, which was to halve my 40th birthday (in August, 2011), was never 100 percent realized when I decided to take a break from strict calorie-counting after a full year and several months of being quite strict with it and having lost 165 pounds.

Having reached 255 pounds by May of last year, I decided to take a break so I wouldn't become completely burnt out on weight loss. I quickly put on about 20 pounds, and I settled into a healthy eating routine that allowed for fairly frequent splurges. I've maintained my current weight for nearly a year now.

So now, I'm ready to get back in the saddle and make my way to the finish line. I'm setting a new goal of losing 25 pounds in the next six months to reach 250 pounds by my birthday in August. I know I could probably be more aggressive and attempt to lose the whole 50 pounds I need to lose in order to overcome obesity once and for all. But instead I will take this process slowly and shoot to be at 225 pounds by the end of the calendar year, 2012.

How will I do it? Well, here are a few of my strategies:

1. Increase my water intake to three liters of water a day, four on days that I do heavy exercise, and more if I'm hiking for more than three hours outdoors - this is the desert after all!

2. Start each morning with a cup of oatmeal made with four or five chopped prunes, a splash of milk and some fruit, like a banana or an apple, and one soft boiled egg.

3. Ensure I eat lots of fruits and vegetables throughout the day by always having celery and carrots and a banana on hand as mid-day munchies at work.

Dinner on a small plate looks much more satisfying!

4. Set aside time and eat meals sitting at a table, using a smaller than normal plate so portion sizes look larger.

5. Eat good carbs, like quinoa or sweet potatoes for example, instead of bread at meals. Eat lean meats only occasionally, and more as a side dish (no more than 4 ounces per meal)

6. Prepare healthy staple items and pre-portion them in advance to facilitate calorie counting (1,800 calories per day).

7. Pack my lunch and lay out items I will need for breakfast the night before to avoid possible excuses to eat out.

8. Continue to avoid hazardous ingredients like hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, corn and soy based snacks, monosodium glutamate, etc.

9. Create a health-conscious culture at work by identifying a support network of accountability partners and bringing in healthy options instead of cakes and cookies to celebrate at work.

10. Use my lunch break to get in at least 30 minutes of brisk walking or medicine ball exercises.

Goal-setting always feels good; it puts my in a place where I feel confident for taking control of my future so I don't succumb to poor, destructive habits. But what's better than setting a goal is the feeling of accomplishing it! That feeling is indescribable, and it lasts forever!