So close, yet so far away

After noticing for the past week that all of my clothes were getting loose I decided yesterday to go try on clothes at Rochester Big & Tall. A year ago when I weighed 417 I was pushing 5XL, although I never bought anything at that size (I would just squeeze into the 4XL, popping a few buttons along the way). Also, my waist size was 52. But I'm glad to report that now I'm fitting comfortably into 3XL and was able to slide into Ralph Lauren jeans with a 46 waist. They were a bit snug, but it boosted my confidence as well as my committment to this weight-loss regime I'm on.

That said, when I think about my goal of reaching 220 pounds it still seems so far away. I've lost about 40, but how long will it take to lose another 150? Will I be able to do it? I'm taking it one day at a time, but I'm setting some short-term goals that I hope to achieve while making it toward the big one. If I can lose five pounds a week until I reach 310 and then three pounds a week after that, here's what I'm working toward achieving:

By March 1: 350
By April 1: 330
By May 1: 310
By June 1: 295
By July 1: 280
By August 1: 265
By September 1: 250
By October 1: 235
By November 1: 220

At this rate I'll reach my goal by Thanksgiving. This sounds impossible, and I promise not to beat myself emotionally if I don't achieve this. But I really do believe I can do it if I continue the path I'm on and steadily ramp up the exercise along the way. What do you think? Can I do it?

Feeling good as I go into week 4

Today was my third weigh-in, and while I only lost four pounds in the past week I'm not discouraged because I'm losing the weight at a healthy pace. And there are other measures to this diet than just the weight. I'm noticing my clothes are fitting better (except for my jeans, which I can't seem to keep up!), and I'm feeling a lot better, less winded when doing regular daily tasks.

In fact, this morning in the shower I noticed how much easier it was to twist to wash my back and bend (without having to hold on to the wall) to wash my feet. And while I used to take breaks between vacuuming and washing dishes or cleaning the bathroom and doing laundry, now I just go from one task to the next and get things done in half the time.

This week my goal is to increase my exercise. I plan from this point forward is to get at least 20 minutes of exercise four times per week. And by exercise, I don't mean walking the dogs...I mean biking or working out at the gym. Plus, I plan on adding more lifestyle exercise into the mix.

I've taken a part time job waiting tables, which is something that made me sweat in my 20s. So I expect this to really heighten the effects of my healthier diet. I just hope I can manage to organize the regular eating times required by the Nutrisystem diet around my new working schedule. And of course serving all of that tempting food is going to be a bit of a challenge.

My Diet and Exercise Plan

I've been paying attention to a lot of diet advice from books, magazines and afternoon talk shows lately, so I have a pretty good idea of the nutritional principles that will work for me. I plan to:

1. Eat six times per day and in smaller portions to avoid crashes that lead to cravings

2. Prepare meals ahead of time to make sure I have healthy food ready when I get hungry

3. Incorporate "power foods" like almonds, yogurt, berries, oatmeal and whole grains that will help me maximize my calorie intake for energy and stamina

4. Eat more fiber-rich foods to make me full faster

5. Eat foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients, especially antioxidants

6. Reduce my salt and sugar intake, and eat more fruit to satisfy my sweet tooth while avoiding empty calories

I also plan on adding exercise to the equation by incorporating it into my daily routine rather than tacking it onto a to-do list, which has always failed me in the past. I commute from Albuquerque to Santa Fe on the new Rail Runner Express. My home is three and a quarter miles from the downtown Albuquerque train station, and my workplace is a little over half a mile from where the train stops in Santa Fe. As a result, I'll be riding my bike about eight miles every day - four miles at 6 a.m. and another four miles at 6:30 p.m.

Because of the hours I'll be traveling, I also have to plan my diet to fit my routine. Here's a sample of my planned diet for workdays:

5:15 a.m.
¾ cup oatmeal cooked in water
2 tbsp skim milk
2 tsp brown sugar
1 banana

6:30 a.m. - to eat on the train
protein bar

10:30 a.m.
10 almonds
1 banana
1 cup flavored yogurt

12:30 p.m.
1 can of tuna
2 slices whole wheat white bread (to make a sandwich)
1 tsp olive oil
1 hard boiled egg
½ avocado, sliced
1 leaf green or red lettuce
1 apple

3 p.m.
10 almonds
1 cup flavored yogurt

5:30 p.m. - prepacked to eat on the train
6 oz chicken cutlet
1 cup broccoli, cooked
2 leaves green or red lettuce
½ cucumber
½ tomato
¼ cup beans (navy, kidney, lima)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

7:30 p.m.
Smoothie with:
½ cup nonfat plain yogurt
½ cup skim milk
¼ cup frozen blackberries
1 tbsp peanut butter or whey protein
1 packet Splenda

I'll also be taking supplements to help me be sure I'm getting all the daily nutritional requirements. For now I'm trying the Mega Men Performance and Vitality Vitapak from GNC. I'm no nutritionist, and I haven't counted the calories of this diet, but compared to the fast, fatty foods that have been the staple of my diet I think this plan will serve me well.

If you have any advice or tips for me, please leave your comments here. I'm going to need all the support and encouragement I can get!