In August, it will have been two years since I started my weight loss journey on my own. I have lost 85 pounds as I have talked about in previous articles, but what I did not talk about was how I have plateaued the past four months. I did hit my initial goal of 75 pounds, but my ideal goal is 100 pounds to lose, putting me at 155 pounds and standing at 5’7”. I feel a little stuck now at 170, which is why I started this dreadful thing where I work out. However, up until now I avoided working out and just focused on what I put into my body. Now I guess I am going to have to work a little harder for these last few pounds. Gag me. The gym blows. I hate going and having everyone see me gasp for air on the elliptical for an hour. That is when I feel “fat” and discouraged because I also see a bunch of really in shape girls to compare myself to. So, I had to come up with an alternative that still did not feel like working out. In an essence, trying to find something I am comfortable with, but still burning those calories.
And that is how I ended up in Adventure Club going on hikes every chance I can the past few weeks. We go to Pine Grove State Park near Shippensburg and I have been on about four out of dozens of trails to hike on, (tumbling run and white rock are my favorites so far). Why did I pick hiking? Well, it was simple, I hate running. I enjoy walking and after a five-mile hike burning over 500 calories, I feel pretty darn good about myself. Plus, the nice weather has been an added perk and reasoning for me to venture outside my house. If you have a busy schedule, like I do, a hike is relaxing. Just be in the middle of the woods and get away from everything for a little while. Especially not having service on your phone forces you to focus on the scenery. I forget I am working out, which is all I wanted.
I have only been doing this about 2 weeks so far. Unfortunately, I do not know if I have lost weight from it yet because I have not stepped on a scale. I do not want to discourage myself. I know that I may end up building muscle and not see it on the scale the way I would like so I am waiting for a little to give my body a chance to accustom to this new habit. As always, I will keep ya’ll posted if it works and if it does not!