Week 16: 4 Ways to Measure Success

We have made it to Week 16 and are now 20% of our way through the 80 Pounds in 80 Weeks challenge. I thought this would be a good time to check in and report my progress thus far. Today I want to look at 4 ways to measure success.

1. WEIGHT

In the past 15 weeks, I have lost 15 pounds. For the challenge, my goal was to lose an average of one pound per week, knowing some weeks I would lose more, and some weeks I might not lose anything.  Over the first four months of this challenge, I have lost up to 3 pounds in a week at best, and at worst, gained one pound during the week.

I am reminded that “Small actions implemented consistently create habits and result in lasting change.” I have not tried anything earth-shattering, nor have I lost a jaw-dropping amount of weight, but being persistent in the small daily efforts is paying off.

2. INCHES

I’m not sure why, but I didn’t think to take body measurements at the beginning of the challenge. However since taking initial measurements in week 7, I have lost 12 inches. The measurements include chest, waist, hips, biceps, thighs, and calves. I have lost anywhere from 1-3 inches on each of those measures.

It has been interesting to compare the weight and inches lost because they don’t always go hand-in-hand. While I check in with the scale every week, I only pull out my measuring tape every 3 to 4 weeks. One month I lost 7 pounds but only 4 inches. The next month I only lost 2 pounds but a whopping 7 inches!

3. CLOTHES

I would have liked to have improved my body enough by now to need to buy an entirely new fall wardrobe (wouldn’t that be fun!), but I’m not there yet. And that’s okay. In the last few months, I have noticed my pants going from “not as tight as they used to be” to actually being a bit loose. I was even able to fit into an old pair of jeans that were tucked in the back of my drawer when I outgrew them two years ago. I consider that a real success.

4. EXERCISE

While I still struggle through my workout everyday, I know I am making progress.  When I repeat the same exercise DVD, I am able to complete more repetitions of each exercise, and I finish it feeling a little better than the previous time.

When I began my exercise routine, I did not use any hand weights. Then I was able to start incorporating 3 pound weights, then 5 pounds, and now I am ready to increase again. Some may still consider that wimpy, but that doesn’t matter, because I know I am getting stronger.

 

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED SO FAR

In the past weeks and months, I have confirmed that true and lasting weight loss is definitely a marathon and not a sprint. While I am enticed by all the ads claiming to help you “lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks”, I know if I commit to small changes on a daily basis, I am creating a healthy lifestyle that can stand the test of time.

I have learned that even when I am discouraged by one measurement tool, namely the scale, I am still doing my body good. If I focus on being healthy (as opposed to skinny), I can still be successful without seeing a loss on the scale. Sometimes I just need to remind myself to be patient.

Additionally, I can make exercise a habit. I used to have to give myself a pep talk to get out of bed and work out. Now, while I still don’t jump out of bed right away, it is never a question of if I am going to exercise. My body just knows to immediately put on my work out clothes and get to work. If I do it right away, it is harder to make excuses, and I actually feel better about myself for the rest of the day.

While I didn’t know if I would ever accomplish this, I have learned that my body (and my mind) feel better when I make healthy food choices and drink a lot of water. When I  look for something different to drink, I think about what sounds good, and usually nothing sounds better than water. (And Diet Coke doesn’t taste nearly as good as I remembered it!) I never imagined I would say that. And while my eating habits have not been stellar, I am definitely making better choices and enjoying them.

Lastly, change became possible when I decided to be serious about the decision to lose weight. I have wanted to lose weight for years (even decades), and I knew I needed to move more and eat less (or at least eat healthier), but it was a struggle. I was frustrated that such a simple idea could be so challenging. But it all came down to what I really wanted.

So many times, I just didn’t want to work at it or give up my favorite foods. Now, I am trying to focus on what I really want (a healthy body I am proud to call “me”), and all other decisions revolve around that. If I decide I want junk food or I don’t want to exercise, I simply ask myself if I want that more than I want to be healthy. The answer is usually easy. For the times I choose poorly, I forgive myself and keep moving forward. The old me would have given up altogether, but I have made a commitment, and I am determined to see it through.

Thank you for traveling with me on this journey. I will be honest and admit that being accountable to you has helped me many times along the way. I appreciate your support. I also hope that you are gaining something in the process too. Know that if I can do this, so can you. We are in this together, and we can do it!

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What have been your successes along the way? Share them here so we can celebrate together. And keep up the good work!