Fitness goals:

Weight: Starting at 171.5, I would like to be 135 pounds by June, but will be happy with 149. That works out to losing between one and two pounds per week. Obviously that is not my ultimate goal, which will likely range from 110lbs to 130lbs; I will be reassessing frequently at that range until I feel my body is at its healthiest. Here are my thoughts on the scale.

Water: 1oz per 2lbs of body weight, plus 8oz of milk. So I should drink 3 to 4 20-oz bottles of water each day. Here is my take on water.

Rest: Get up at 6am every day (sleeping in is like voluntarily giving yourself jet lag) and asleep by 10pm, with a nap around 3pm if I didn’t get 8 hours of sleep the night before. As long as Dot has no special issues, this fits in with her sleep schedule.

Exercise: 10,000 steps per day (about 30 minutes of walking), and at least 30 minutes of aerobic / weight training exercise six times a week. At minimum I want to get 20 points of exercise a week, or about 1000 calories burned. Favorite options: Treadmill, Wii Fit, Yourself! Fitness, Fluidity Bar, Kung Fu. (Links are on the sidebar.)

Nutrition: Based on my research, these foods have important nutritional benefits and should be in my diet every week: Yogurt, apples, bananas, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, grapes, kiwi, oranges, plums, beans, salmon, fish (2 additional servings), pasta, rice, artichokes, asparagus, avocado, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, tomatoes (2 servings), and winter squash. And, of course, dark chocolate! Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen (of RealAge.com) have some great info on their site about what food and vitamins do for you, and I highly recommend their books.

Vitamins: Take them every day. I put a lot of work in calculating exactly what my body needed, so I should make use of it! If I eat correctly, I should be getting the vitamins and minerals I need; however, as Zig Ziglar said regarding a multivitamin regimen: “I’m not as interested in minimum daily requirements as I am in maximum daily performance.”

Meal Plan: Weight Watchers Flex
23 points per day + 35 points for the week
Up to 4 additional points each day with an hour or more of moderate exercise (10,000 steps is only worth 1 point)
Note: 1 point is approximately 60 calories; fat content increases point value, where fiber content decreases point value.

Menu Plan: I’m not adding any additional points for nursing, so that will be a bonus as long as I am able to continue. Obviously my menu changes every day, but this is what I tentatively allow for:
Nutritious Snack 1pt (fruit or nuts before workout)
Breakfast 3pts (trying to include some protein in breakfast)
Cheese 1oz 2pts
Salad 3pts
Chocolate 1oz 3pts (homemade with raisins, coconut, and cereal)
Dinner 8 – 13 points (meat and vegetables)
Snack 1pt (could be candy or fruit)
Milk 8oz (bedtime) 2pts

And, the most important key to success: Make it fun!

For a good overview on my weight history and the beginning of my weight loss program, see July 1st, 2007.

Off we go!