My Journey from 200 lbs Back to 150 lbs: December

by Craig Ervin

You should know that I am writing this after having attended and conquered four out of the five holiday parties scheduled for this year. No cakeball was overlooked. Mother’s homemade meatloaf was devoured. I may have even seen the bottom of a bag of chips. Though I promise, I didn’t eat ALL the chips! So with that being said, how have I done with the weight loss over the past month?

Well, since November 22, I’ve lost 9 pounds!

Last time, I reported that I had been unable to shed any pounds since I started my weight loss journey in October. As soon as I aligned my eating habits with my workouts, the weight started to come off. Honestly, I’m a bit surprised with the 9 pounds of weight loss considering the dizzying amounts of amazing food I’ve had around me this holiday season. Of course, I did allow myself a few indulgences–something I haven’t always done when concentrating on weight loss. I allowed myself a few treats while maintaining the focus of my goal. I found that I was a bit more relaxed when it came to being around the temptation. I told myself that having a few “off” days would not completely destroy my efforts–and I was right!

Believe me though–the extra calories are certainly not staying around for long!

A few Fridays ago I had the “pleasure” of attending my first Kettlebell class. Talk about a workout! I don’t think “pleasure” is a word I would associate with this over-the-top workout. I thought I knew what I was in for. Never underestimate the power of a hunk of metal with a handle attached to it! The instructor, Kara Nefouse, was aware that it was my first class and was very helpful in making sure I was maintaining the proper form. Kara really threw me a curve ball when she stopped at the end of one of our sets and told us to take two laps around the track. She must have noticed the look of, “Oh no, I have to run?!” on my face and decided to take a lap with me to keep me going. The motivation definitely helped! Kettlebell is a tremendous workout and I’ll be mixing more sessions in with my routine.

I think it’s safe to say that I’m officially back in the game, and it feels great! I’m ending 2011 with an enormous sense of accomplishment and will be beginning 2012 with a refined focus. Cheers to the New Year!

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