Fat Ass: Reflections

This is my last column for this year. Since we have reached the end of the year, I thought it might be important to reflect on where I started, how far I have come, and where I plan to go. When I began writing "Fat Ass" in August, I weighed 230 pounds.

My body mass index was 34. In case you have forgotten, body mass index is a "snapshot" of how healthy a person's weight is. It is actually a ratio of your body's weight to your body's height. A healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. Any number above 25 is "overweight." Any number above 30 is considered "obese" and any number above 40 is considered "morbidly obese." In the interest of full disclosure, I will say that there are several criticisms of using a person's BMI as a measure of how healthy a person's weight is. In most cases though, this number provides a decent picture of how overweight or underweight a person is.

My goal was to lose 2 pounds each week, except for the weeks of fall break and final exams. I planned to do this by adding a "reasonable" amount of exercise to my daily routine. This included walking, jogging, and a small degree of weight lifting. Finally, I did not want to starve or deprive myself the pleasures of "cheating" on occasion. With that in mind, I kept a standing date with my boyfriend each Friday night. On our date, I was able to eat and drink anything I wanted, including appetizers, alcohol, desserts, and after dinner drinks.

Between August 18, and December 1, I lost 22 pounds. That is an incredible number, and something of which I am very proud. I had the flu this semester, and I sustained a leg injury that caused me to drop my jogging class. Despite these setbacks, I currently weigh 208 pounds, and my BMI is 30.7. This number means that with a few more pounds, I will move from the "obese category" to the mere "overweight" category.

Throughout the semester, I allowed myself to cheat, overeat, skip exercising, beat myself up, and be lazy. However, I never gave in to the temptation to completely give up. I always looked at the process as a slow one. I accepted the fact that in life, we are going to sometimes cheat, overeat, skip exercising, beat ourselves up, be lazy, be sick, be stressed, and sustain injuries. I always told myself that if my diet could not sustain these things, then my maintenance program certainly could not.

You may be asking yourself what is next for me. My goal is to weigh 155 pounds and have a BMI of 22.9 by the beginning of May. I have 53 pounds that I still need to lose. I am often uncertain of whether or not I will prevail by the time I conclude this column next May. I do plan to exercise a little more over the holiday break. Also, I will be less tempted to "stress eat," as I plan on spending my days at home. On the first day of 2010, my goal is to weigh 195 pounds. I really will need to hit the gym hard each day of our holiday break.

This semester, I took advantage of everything that UNCG has to offer a student who is overweight and wants to change. I visited student health and talked with a counselor. I utilized our school's menu planning tools to make healthy choices, and I accepted failure when I needed to. I believe that when I return from the holiday break, I will be even better prepared for the rest of my weight loss journey. While I cannot say with absolute certainty that I will reach 155 pounds by next May, I do believe that I will be very close to my ideal weight. Only time will tell.