Weight loss Wednesday - Losing the pounds, finding the speed

So, my last triathlon of the year is done.  I completed my "a" race and transformed myself into a triathlete.  Now comes the time where I'm in danger of falling into the post race dumps.  Hmm, what does that mean?  I guess it means it's time for a new goal.

Or perhaps, it's time to refocus on an old goal.

It's time to drop the rest of the pounds so that I can get healthy and more importantly get fast.

Okay, so maybe my priorities are a bit mixed up?  Maybe...

Truthfully, my doctor is thrilled with my new level of health.  I saw her one year and I was a mostly sedentary obese woman, and the next year I had dropped 40 pounds and was training for a half marathon.  Still, the fact of the matter is, I'm not there yet.  I am still carrying 20 pounds more then I should be in order to be at the top end of the healthy weight range for my height.  I am in the best shape of my life, but lugging around that extra fat isn't helping any of my internal organs.

Then comes the speed side of it.  I am convinced that the extra weight I am carrying slows me way down.  It may not make a big difference on the swim, but it definitely does on the run.  Then, when it comes to the bike, there are people that spend thousands of dollars to upgrade their bikes to make them lighter.  I can lighten my load for free, and then I can climb those hills a heck of a lot better.

So, in a way my blog has come full circle and is going to return a bit to it's start.  Now, don't fear, I'm still training for a half marathon, and I'm signing up for a half ironman next season.  Most of my blog posts will still be training related, but I've decided Wednesday is the day I'll focus on the weight loss.

Since hitting onederland back in January, my weight hasn't changed much.  I'm the queen of maintaining my weight after all.  I've basically stayed between 198 and 201 pounds.  I did buy a new scale recently, which caused me to gain a pound.  Regardless, I'll still be using the new one.  My current weight (as of this morning) is 198.4.  My initial goal is to get that down to 179, which is the top end of healthy for my height.  I'm quite certain I'll be shooting for a lower weight once I'm there, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

And since no weight loss post is complete without pictures, here are mine.

Before, 244 pounds

Today, 198 pounds

(One of these pictures is taken by my husband, the other by Spud, my four year old.  I'll let you guess which is which.)

As far as I'm concerned, weight loss is about food.  I usually spend more then 10 hours a week swimming, biking, or running, and I maintain my weight.  For me, it seems the combination of a high level of training and mainly clean eating is the perfect formula to maintain my weight.  By adding in tracking and counting my food, I plan to lose some of it instead.