My Journey With Weight Loss – So How is Maintenance Going?

Today I started my new interval training, 10 intervals at 5:00 minutes running and 1:00 minute walking. When my coach told me that is the new task I thought, ok. Really, even a couple months ago I would be dreading this. So off I went today and all was going well until I realized both intervals 9 and 10 would mean part of the time running up hill. Dammit! Got through it anyways with no problems though a little winded on that last interval.

I wanted to talk a bit about how weight loss maintenance is going for me. If you remember, after changing my goals a few times when I kept achieving them I kept lowering my target weight. Finally in the middle of March I had hit my final goal, 92 lbs lost. I decided at that point I was not going to do anything different and just keep on working at my goal of running a 10k. I still eat the same (though I confess this weekend I probably ate more carbs than I normally do in a month) and focused on my training.

Last week I got on the scale and was a bit shocked. I have now lost 97 lbs, 5 more than my final goal. I am at a weight I have never been in my adult life. Moreover, I’m having to donate away more of my clothes. Some lovely slacks I bought back in the fall and haven’t really worn no longer fit. I bought them at a size 10 but since then I have lost another 25 lbs. Now I am down to a very comfortable size 6 though I still have to get my head around the fact that a 6 is really the size I wear. I even went out this weekend and bought some new size 6 skinny jeans and was astounded when they fit.

Really, I am not trying to lose more weight but I do admit, if I were to lose 3 lbs more by the end of the year and hit that 100 lb milestone I would be pretty thrilled. While I am not doing anything different eating wise, I admit I am training more. Back in March I was probably doing 2:30 minutes of running with 1:30 minutes of walking. As well I have now added a day of ‘hill’ training. This week it is going to be 6 intervals of 5:00 minutes of running up Stayte Rd. My overall maintenance plan is just keep doing the same as I do now with a little more training each week.

I have long since committed to the fact that I can’t go back to the way my life was before and quite frankly, I don’t want to. I look and feel great. I am probably more respectful of my body than I have ever been. I’ve now been committed to this journey for a year and am determined that I am going to do so for the rest of my life. Bring on the increased training and I will continue to be healthier than I have ever been. Just remember, all it takes is one step at a time.