The Leap
On Saturday the 6th of September I finally made up my mind, took the leap and joined Weigh-Less. I was very anxious with all sorts of thoughts running in my head and having not been on a scale for ages but my mind was made up and I was not turning back. So there I was in my first group meeting, jumped on the scale and guess what? 11 kilos overweight! Well for those who don’t know how WL works this is what they do in brief. You join a group that meets weekly. On your first day the group leader weighs you and then according to your frame (small, medium or large) they work out what you should weigh as a range e.g. 20 – 25 kg and then you and the group leader set your goal weight. You are then given a list of what you are supposed to eat and what quantity, they also stress the need to drink 2L of water per day. Each week you meet your group for a weigh in to see what you’ve lost / gained as well as some discussions, motivation, etc.
My Plan
Of course I’ll take it one day at a time and I’ll l set myself mini targets and mini goals.
My aim is to on average lose a kilo every week.
My first milestone is 64kg i.e. 3.4 kilos lighter and 8 kilos from goal weight, then 3 kilo intervals (the least I can weight is 52 kg). I will not reward myself with food and when I am less than 60kg I’ll treat myself to a spa for a full day (if I can afford it since I also need to start saving for a new wardrobe). To avoid disappointment, my targets aren’t cast in stone and I will chop and change as I go to suit the circumstances.
Motivation
Well if things go right and I achieve my 1kg per week loss it means by November 28 I will be 11 kilos lighter. That date is significant because I am meeting friends I haven’t seen in a long time and I want to blow everyone away I even have the perfect (smaller) outfit in mind.
Secondly of course over Christmas I’m going home (yes ndiligoduka), I only hope people back home won’t see my weight loss and then go around saying “unalento” (She’s got this thing). Well if they do it’s their problem as long as I’m content with the truth.
This is for everybody wanting to lose weight using whatever method they choose. I will update my progress every week (probably Monday since I go for weigh in every Saturday morning). So if you want to join me on this journey please do so, so we can conquer together.
My Facts
Height: 1.55cm
Starting weight: 67.4kg (6/09/2008)
Goal Weight: 56kg (then 52 kg)
Weight to loose: 11.4 kg (and then a further 4kg)
BMI: 28.1 (you can go to http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmi-m.htm to calculate yours you need to know your height and weight)
Weigh in days: Saturday mornings (first one 13/09/2008)
BMI Categories
Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
If you are joining me and I hope you are please make sure your method is safe, healthy, balanced and sustainable. It is heart wrenching to see those people who lose weight quickly and gain double what they’ve lost just as quick and for some it then becomes a lose-gain cycle leading to ill health, stress and even depression.