Project Fiona: BMI

Saturday, 15 January 2011

My Ultimate Goal

Ultimate Goal: To maintain a healthy BMI (22-24) for the rest of my life.

Let me unpack what my ultimate goal actually means for me right now, today.

Wikipedia tells me that a good goal needs to be "specific, measurable, and time-targetted"... and that if it is "realistic" it is more likely to be achieved.

Specific
I am 92 kilos (202 pounds). To reach a BMI of 22.5 - exactly halfway between the "healthy" numbers 20-25 - I need to be 62 kilos.

I need to lose 30 kilos (66 pounds). hmm...

I am already feeling too much pressure just writing that number. Way too big a number, way too big a goal to start off with. No way can I lose 30 kilos. I am already feeling scared and wanting to grab a chocolate bar.

That completely FAILS the "realistic" side of a good goal.

I am going to have to break down my ultimate goal - to maintain a healthy BMI - into smaller achievable parts if I am even going to TRY to do this.

Friday, 14 January 2011

Four years obese

This blog started in 2006 when I weighed in at 85 kilos - officially obese according to the body mass index (BMI) classifications. It was my attempt to keep me accountable to lose weight. It failed. I wrote three posts.

Fast foward to January 2011. I am 92 kilos, with a BMI of 33. Well and truly obese.

I will use this blog to track my journey from obesity to a healthy me. There will be challenges and pit falls - but I am ready to help myself.

My ultimate goal? To maintain a healthy BMI for the rest of my life.

About this blog

There is no way that I can become healthy in 26 seconds. But that is what I claim in the sub-title to this blog. Who is this charletan?

Well, I did have "weeks" instead of "seconds" when I first set up the blog. From obesity to a healthy me in 26 weeks. Sounds good. It sounds achievable. It isn't.

This blog details my journey to a healthy mind and body. It is not original, and it is pretty personal. Self image and self esteem are always... pretty personal.

I document any observations and revelations that I may stumble upon through this case study of one (me), relating to health, diet, exercise, motivation, and will-power.

Goals

8 week challenge: lose my ridiculously high expectations of shedding 12 kilos by 7 March 2011
5 week challenge: add fresh fruit and nuts to the spaces where cake, biscuits, slices and chocolate currently sit. No I am not going to try and lose 5 kilos by mid April.
5 week challenge: have friends over for a healthy meal and companionship every other weekend in the months of April and May. NO - I am not going to be losing 5 kilos by 16 May 2011.
4 week challenge: by 12 July 2011 I had aimed to be in the healthy weight range - losing 20 kilos in only a few months. Instead, my new goal? By 4 July, I have jogged my first 10km fun run.
Maintain a healthy BMI for the rest of my life. This is still my ultimate goal. But how I reach it must be profoundly different to watching the scale.