Exercise Room

New Year’s resolutions aren’t really my thing. Sure, like most people, I make them from time to time; but, that’s not typically me. When I want to set a goal I set it, not really caring what the calendar says. That’s where things land with my fitness goals for this year. We’re nearly a quarter of the way through 2019, but I’m just now finalizing my goals.

As I look at my fitness goals for this year, I’m keeping it simple, while simultaneously setting the bar quite high. My goals for 2019 are twofold: 1) lose weight, and 2) achieve overall fitness. Let’s break these down in detail.

Weight Loss Goals

Weight Gurus App

I started the year with a mildly ambitious goal of losing 40 pounds. With my weight sitting at 285, I figured if I could get back into the 240’s that would be quite the accomplishment. But, after switching to a plant-based diet in mid-January, I’ve already lost 20 pounds to date, putting me halfway to that goal. So, with so much of the year left, I decided to step it up a notch.

What is my goal now? My overly ambitious goal is to now reach my goal weight of 215. That means, as of the time of writing this post, I must lose another 48 pounds. With about 42 weeks left in the year, that requires me to lose a little more than a pound a week.

Now, a goal is great; but, what’s my plan to achieve this goal? In the vein of keeping things simple, my plan is as follows: continue my plant-based diet (which has become a lifestyle change), exercise regularly, and take It Works weight loss and fat burning supplements, along with their greens. I think this simple plan will get me there, while also helping me with the next goal.

I will track most of my weight loss journey in MyFitnessPal.

Weight loss goal: Reach goal weight of 215 pounds (must lose 48 pounds).

Fitness Goals

My fitness goals and weight loss are inseparable, as the two help one another. My exercise & fitness will help me lose weight, and as I lose weight my fitness will increase. That said, my fitness goals are kind of general. I want to improve my overall fitness.

Such a vague goal, right? How will I measure it? Well, there’s this thing called VO2 max. This is a number that measures cardiorespiratory fitness based on age and fitness capacity. It’s basically a person’s maximum aerobic capacity during exercise. My plan is to use the improvement of this score as the general measurement of my fitness, along with the ability to workout longer & harder over time.

Right now, as you can see in the graphic below, my VO2 max is scored as a 33. This is in the low/poor range. For my age, I’m in the lower 10%, which means I have the aerobic fitness of someone nearly twice my age. That is not good. So, my goal is to get this number as high as I can, but definitely into the “good” range for my age (the green area).

Most recent VO2 max in Garmin Connect

How will I reach this goal? Well, I started out the year with a fairly minimal goal of logging 150 workouts in 2019. With nearly a quarter of the year gone, my plan now is to workout at least 3-4 times per week. If I did 4 workouts per week for the rest of the year that would put me at 168 workouts. I think that’s doable.

Again, the type of workouts I plan to do are simple: running (especially as the weather warms up), cycling (currently indoor, and hopefully I can afford a bike to start cycling outside), and body weight exercises. That’s it: running, cycling, and bodyweight workouts. It’s also my hope to run in at least one 5k race, and possibly a 10k if I progress that far.

At present, all workouts will be logged in Garmin Connect, unless I change platforms.

Fitness Goals: Improve VO2 max to healthy range & log at least 168 workouts for the remainder of the year.

Let’s Go!

Those are my goals for 2019: 1) lose weight, and 2) regain my aerobic fitness. I’m going to work hard & do all I can to achieve these goals. I hope you’ll follow me on this journey, and consider participating as you embark on your own journey. We are better when we work together!