Third hurdle

Well I think I'm having my first proper slump. So far I have lost 4kg, which is quite good, it's 10% of my initial weight loss goal. But I haven't done any exercise for over a week now, and I've also been taking the bus to work in the morning when I usually walk (about 15 mins a day). That started out being due to the terrible heat of last week, but now because I've been quite tired.

I've also been a bit down in the dumps. Sometimes I get a bit overwhelmed with all the small occcurances in life, where they flutter about in my head when normally I'd just deal with it and move on.

I'm even wondering if I could be a little bit sick at the moment - I've had some short term symptoms like feeling sick, feeling lightheaded, headachy, sore muscles, tired, and sometimes with a sore throat or ears, or the passageway between, or even in the glands in my neck. Not all of these problems constantly, but sort of coming on for a period and then going away. I don't seem to have had a runny nose or cough or anything though so it might just be general sort of things.

I mentioned at the start of this blog that 40kg was my initial weight loss goal. After reading some other people's blogs, and unfortunately I can't remember who wrote the one that made me realise this: the weight loss goal I had in mind puts me into the healthy weight category, but if I intend to build muscle so that I can be fitter and stronger and so that I'll find it easier to keep weight off in future (by raising my metabolism with those hungry muscles), I'm probably going to end up looking smaller but weighing more. So I was considering changing my goal to 30 0r 35kg loss instead. After all - I want to get into a decent range by the end of this year, but I'm sure my weight loss journey will also continue into next year - especially to make sure I can keep it off as well.

But then I realised that the weight goal line Spark People gives me is motivating me to work out. When I see that I'm slightly behind the weight goal tracker, it makes me think 'I'd better work out tonight and again soon to make sure I keep up'. I don't want to be left behind. So, for now, I am leaving the SP goal set to 70kg, because I can see that it's my best motivation. Obviously when I'm a lot closer than 10% I can decide what my end of year goal should be.

I am still tracking all of my food, and pleased with that - I really feel a sense of control. As long as I'm keeping to my goals, at least I won't continue putting on weight like I was pre-SP. I manage to meet them almost every day. It's the exercise I'm slacking on.

And soon I'm going to bed for an early night. Extra sleep always seems to help.