Columns see more »

Starting Weight: 288.6 This Weeks Weight: 276.0 Down 12.6 pounds Time Spent: 6 Weeks

One of my favorite Aesop’s Fables is The Tortoise and the Hare. An abbreviated version of that story goes a little something like this:

Once upon a time there was a hare that saw a tortoise walking ever so slowly, along the road. The hare began to laugh and mock the tortoise for being so slow. So the tortoise challenged the hare to a race – but the hare, as haughty as he was – thought he was the fastest animal around, and so he accepted the challenge.

They agreed on a particular route and began racing. The hare shot way ahead of the tortoise and he ran as fast as he could for quite some time. When the hare realized what kind of lead he had on the tortoise, he laughed to himself and decided to take a nap underneath an Oak tree. He quickly fell into a happy slumber.

The tortoise kept his pace and although he couldn’t see the hare, he thought to himself – as long as I finish the race I’ll be happy. He eventually stumbled across the sleeping hare underneath the Oak tree, but kept plodding along committed to finishing. He thought to himself, “I may be slow – but if I stay steady, I might just win this race!”

The hare awoke with a start when he heard cheers near the finish line of the race, and a pit in his stomach grew when he realized what must have happened. He jumped to his rabbit feet and raced with all of his might to the finish line. When he arrived, all of the other animals began to laugh and mock him stating that the tortoise had already finished the race.

Here we are at the start of week six of the Johnson City Experiment – and I’m still plodding along. I’ve had a number of ups and downs in regards to how I feel about this whole lifestyle change – but I’m slowly and steadily working towards my goals. I’ve lost another four pounds since my last article – averaging about 2 pounds per week.

Admittedly, I have not been going to the gym the way I should. (Seven days a week according to the wifey). “If you’re not going to get to the gym more regularly, then I’m going to cancel your membership!” she likes to remind me.

Although I haven’t been hitting the gym like I know I should – this Thursday I will have successfully completed six weeks of the Tony Sieli boot camp in Johnson City. The boot camp will be on hiatus after Thursday until September – so it will become a test of will power and gym hours for me without that support group encouraging me.

But there are plenty of other folks watching out for me, such as Lucy Alexander from Hye, TX. She wrote me a rather encouraging email for which I’m much appreciative of. And then of course my number one fan, my mother. She’s my accountability buddy, and is also on the weight loss journey with me.

At my current pace, I should be twenty pounds lighter when I return to teach in the classroom in August and by this next New Year’s Eve – looking 232 pounds (around 50 pounds worth of weight loss!) My ultimate goal is to weigh in at approximately 180 pounds. This very well could be attainable by June or July of next year. However, the only way to achieve such huge goals is to keep focused and committed to my short term agendas. One to two pounds a week, stick to my Weight Watchers points, and exercise as regularly as possible.

An article on WebMD by Kathleen Doheny, offers a few suggestions on setting realistic goals and making sure you finish the race like the tortoise and not the hare:

(Please remember to discuss any weight loss plans with your doctor before proceeding!)

1. Resolve to lose your weight slowly. “Medically, most clinicians would say goals of losing five to ten percent [of your start weight] are achievable,” says Jennifer A. Linde, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. So if you weigh 200 pounds, a reachable target would be to lose 10 to 20 pounds.

2. Do the math. “A realistic goal is losing 1 to 2 pounds a week to stay healthy,” says Linde. That means being realistic about your time frame. If you need to lose 25 pounds, figure you are embarking on at least a three-month program. Fifty pounds? Assume a time frame of at least six months. Aim to burn 500 to 1000 calories a day either by eating less, exercising more, or both.

3. Reach for mini-milestones. Instead of focusing on just losing 25 pounds, go for – and celebrate – that first 5-pound loss.

4. Track your progress. Record your successes in a way that works for you. Take advantage of online programs, use a notebook, or keep a journal. Whatever keeps you on track.

5. Think about long-term goals. “It’s OK to think big,” Linde says, “but it may mean starting small and working towards a big goal. So if your long-term goal is losing 50 pounds in a year, for example, maybe your short-term goal is getting through the day without eating too much.” Losing weight slowly means you’ve had time to adopt new behaviors, like eating less and exercising more.

So how are you doing with your goals? Have you kept up? Have you given up? Did you even start yet? It’s not too late! Resolve to start right now. You can do it! Remember…. Slow and steady, wins the race.

Drop me a line with any thoughts, ideas, or encouragement at MrGissel@hotmail.com.