Goals

So I've set up this challenge for myself, which is a means to an end, but I've been thinking more about what I want that end to be. Not that this ever ends, per se, because ideally the steps I take toward healthy living will go on and on.

But there are a few goals in my head:

1) Lose weight. I am uncomfortable with my body right now. I'm uncomfortable in my clothes. I hate it. I put a goal down on SparkPeople to lose 37 pounds (to land on a round number) by my birthday on October 10. This is assuming I'm not pregnant by then. (Jason and I haven't really made it a secret that we're trying.) I'll reassess if a baby comes into the picture.

2) Wear a size 10. I would like to be solidly into normal women's clothes again. I've been teetering on the edge of plus size for awhile, and there are a few styles that I just can't wear in regular clothes. So I don't wear them. But I would like to be able to shop and not think about it. I don't need to be a size 0 or 2 or even a 6. 10 would be lovely.

3) Be able to hike without feeling like I'm going to die. I understand that hiking is hard and that climbing mountains is no small feat. I don't need to run up the mountain (like our crazy friend, the trail runner), but I would like to be able to complete a mountain hike in the book time rather than stop so much, and feel like my heart is going to explode out of my chest every 10 feet. I still have mixed feelings about hiking. However, Jason LOVES it and it would be awesome to hike a mountain with him next summer and not feel like the fattest, most out-of-shape girl on the mountain.

I'm not actually sure if all of the goals are feasible and will work out in the end. The weight and size I'm shooting for are numbers that I haven't seen in a long, long time. I think the hiking goal is doable. I'm mixing up my workouts right now, getting in both strength training and cardio, and I hope that I can change my body composition, increase my metabolism, and finally start losing weight again.