1st Things 1st: The Goals and The Plan

So I bet that most of you are wondering what my specific intentions are and exactly how I plan to accomplish them. So am I. No, no no, I'm just kidding. Of course I have goals and a plan in mind.

To begin with I am looking to lose 25lbs. According to what doctors say is a healthy weight for my age and height, 175lbs is the max that I should weigh. So to begin with, I'm setting this as my current target weight. Now what does 25lbs really coorespond to? This I do not know. They say that 10lbs is a dress size, which would put me into a size 9/10. I'm not so sure that this is right, but since 175 this is a healthy weight, then this is what I'm going to aim for. From there, I'll take a look at the physical appearance and decide if a new weight loss goal needs to be set, or if I just want to work to maintain the current weight.

I think that the 1st step to good health is a regular exercise program. Currently (for the past week - its still early folks) I've been working out 6 days a week for about 30 mins. This is what I am hoping to maintain until I can tell if any adjustments need to be made. I alternate cardio and strength training each day using a set of 10 strength exercises that I found in Fitness Magazine and an eliptical machine or treadmill. After a month I plan to re-assess and decide if I need to switch strength exercises, increase the amount of cardio, or maintain the same program. While I am out of town, I have ample access to a cardio studio. However, when I return home, then I will need to join a gym inorder to maintain this phase of my workout. I am excited about this, though, because it will open up a whole new set of cardio options like aerobics, pilates, dance, raquetball, and water aerobics.

Now for the dietary changes, the part we love to hate. Essentially I am setting aside the following: fried foods, red meat, sweets, foods w/heavy sauces & grease, refined flour (mostly, non-whole wheat breads and pasta), pop, and most alcohol (I think everyone deserves 1 drink/week). It sounds restrictive, but its not. It sounds permanent, but its not. I've found that there are quite a few food choices outside of this list, and once I have reached my weightloss goals and truly gotten in the habit of making healthy food choices, then I allow myself to indulge in small amounts (1/month for example). For right now, a typical day's meals would be the following: Breakfast - fruit and yougurt parfait w/glass of Cranberry juice (100% juice if possible); Lunch - grilled chicken sandwich w/veggies; Afternoon Snack - 100 calorie pack; Dinner - grilled salmon salad. Plus lots and lots of water. Of course it's not the same combo everyday, but you get the picture.

So there you have it folks. There's the plan. I'm going to push forward this week, and hopefully I'll be a pound or two lighter or an inch or to smaller next week.