Uphill cycling (a NSV)

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Yesterday was the first day of spring and I took the opportunity to start cycling to work again.

During the winter I walked the 1.1 mi to the office so I always get in a little exercise just by going to work but I prefer cycling as it takes less time which means I can sleep a little longer. If you know me, you know that I love sleep.

On my way home, I have to cycle up a hill, which is quite a little workout, especially when you ride an old bike without gears.

I won’t lie, 99% of the time I just got off the bike at some point and pushed it up the hill. I think there were maybe one or two times I actually cycled all the way up. I was lazy and didn’t want to work up a sweat. And it was hard.

I even still did this last fall when I was already losing weight, eating healthily, and working out a lot. And yes, I felt kind of lazy, especially when older people managed to cycle all the way up, but I also didn’t really care.

Well, yesterday was the first time I rode my bike in months, and between that and still not feeling 100% well after a cold I had last week, I thought I would just ride my bike up as far as I could and then get off and push the rest of the way uphill.

But I didn’t. I cycled all te way up the hill! After months of not even riding my bike! Yeah, I was a bit sweaty and I could tell that my heart rate had gone up, but at the same time it felt a lot easier than I remember it being.

I know this is just something small and insignificant, and it may seem silly to write an entire blog post about it. But you know what, this little feat reminded me just of how far I have come. Of how much fitter and stronger I am now. And that makes it significant to me.

New progress pictures

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I just posted new progress pictures from this morning on the Progress page. I started the picture series in August at 94.1 kg (207.5 lbs) and have taken pictures for every 5 kg I have lost – at under 90 kg, under 85 kg, under 80 kg, and this morning at under 75 kg when I weighed in at 73.8 kg (162.7 lbs).

I love that I thought of this when I first started losing weight in August; it’s great to have pictures of my body’s transformation. It really blows my mind how much smaller I have gotten. I didn’t really see how big I was until I saw how much smaller I could get – and I still have nearly 9 kg to lose.

If everything goes according to plan, I will be taking progress pictures two more times, at under 70 kg and once I hit my goal weight of 65 kg.

I always wear the same clothes for the pictures so you can see the difference, but I think I may have to invest in a new pink shirt as this one has gotten quite big and now hides my shape a little.

Click here to see my latest progress pictures.

Don’t get too skinny

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I am quite lucky in that both my family and my friends are very supportive of my weight loss. One of the best ways they do this is by choosing healthy restaurants for eating out. Or by cooking a healthy meal together when eating together at home. I don’t think that is something you can take for granted, especially as it is only natural for people to resist change, both in themselves and in others.

A few months ago, I read this article on CNN, and it rang true for me for the most part.

“People who are obese live with obese people. They find obese friends. Most (patients) don’t recognize how bad a lifestyle they have, how self-defeating a lifestyle is. They think that culture’s normal.”

As human beings we have a difficult time with change, Walz continues. So when someone we love alters his or her lifestyle, we have a problem dealing with it — even if that transformation is positive.

“Deliberately or not, the family, the friends, the other people who are part of that individual’s culture will resist the change,” Walz says. “(They) will try to change them back to what the culture tolerates.”

Luckily, I have not found this to be true for my friends. Hardly any of my friends are overweight, though, and they have been very encouraging. I never feel like they are trying to sabotage me nor have I felt any jealousy from them. But then, they already have what I want.

Today, I told my mom about how I am now at 74.7 kg, so under 75 kg (down another 0.4 kg from yesterday), and she told me not to get too skinny because she doesn’t think I am built to be real skinny. I remember getting these comments when I lost weight in 2005/06 (when my lowest weight was 73.3 kg, just a little under my current weight).

I do agree with her that I am not built to be skinny. I have a curvy figure – and I am not using curvy as an euphemism for fat – I mean, I am pear-shaped and I like the fact that I am.

But people, I am also not aiming for a goal weight of 60 kg. I do think that 65 kg is a realistic weight for me, at a height of 170 cm. I am currently still overweight at a BMI of 25.85, and I am definitely not too thin yet. I still have plenty of weight to lose from my tummy, butt, thighs and my upper arms. If I decide that I am happy with my figure at 68 kg, I am not going to force myself to lose another 3 kg just for the sake of weighing 65 kg. If I notice that my body is resisting losing another 3 kg, I won’t torture myself. I do want to be a healthy weight though, with a little buffer. And it may be my vanity talking, but I do want to weigh under 70 kg.

My mom mentioned how slim my face has gotten, and she is right that it has, but I don’t think that it’s too slim, and I also know that my face is one of the last spots I gain weight in so it only makes sense that it would be one of the first spots for me to lose weight in.

I still have about 10 kg to lose, and I don’t think that is overdoing it. I am actually eating a lot. I am working out a good amount but not too much. I eat back the calories I burn during exercise. I am not starving myself or denying myself anything. I don’t feel unhealthy or have a lack of energy. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. And my body is still readily shedding the pounds, it’s not resisting the weight loss and holding on to the weight. I am doing this the right way. It is sustainable, healthy, and consistent. So I won’t stop. I’m not at my goal yet. I don’t think I am getting too caught up in this weight loss thing, and I am not aiming for an unhealthy or unrealistic goal weight. I am doing great and I am doing the right thing.

I explained this to my mom, and I think it reassured her a little.

How do people in your surroundings react to your weight loss? Do they support you? Have they expressed worry that you might be losing too much weight?