Well, that took long enough....

Took me all this time to finally get my ten percent and this week I finally got my 25pounds! Whew!

That kind of takes the pressure off now. It was a long trip to get here and a long way to go yet, but I'm still making forward progress.

AND I think it might continue. I'm so excited about Weight Watchers new plan that I can hardly contain myself! Last week I lost 4.6 and this week I expected a slight gain, but no. I lost another 1.6 pounds! Woo Hoo!!!!

Yay, ME!!!!!

Allmmooossstttt there...

Didn't have a chance to update Thursday but here it is...I was DOWN 2 pounds and I'm now 1.6 pounds away from that keychain! WooHoo!!!

Unfortunately, a certain biologic function may prevent me from reaching that goal. I have been sort of out of control with my eating. Peach danish, cream donut, pizza, buffalo wings, something called a butterpuff...completely out of control!

Wish me luck on Thursday.

i REALLY Want That Keychain

If anyone knows me they know I don't like to lose. I hate admitting defeat in anything. I've joined WW so many times I can't even remember how many. I think I have at least three "Hands" charms. You know the ones. You get them when you stick with ww for 16 weeks. I have YET to earn the elusive keychain. That little token that denotes a loss of ten percent of your body weight has slipped from my grasp each and every time.

But not this time! I'm determined to get that stupid hunk of metal if it kills me. Right now I'm a little over 3 pounds away from it. I've had some major setbacks but when I get that goldtone 10 I will have overcome them! It might not be this week. But it will be soon!

How am I going to accomplish it? Well, I started running last week. Not exactly running running but interval training to get myself to the stage where I can really run. I started Week 2 of the Couch to 5k program today. So far, I'm feeling pretty good. I walked a 5k for charity yesterday and kept a respectable pace. 15:00 mile. Not bad for walking.

I'll definitely update at the end of the week! Weigh in Thursday. We'll see if I walk (or run) away victorious!

Product Review

This is my first ever product review and I absolutely love this product! The Filtrete Water Station.

Tired of spending money on spring or filtered water at the food store? Worried that your reusable water bottles may contain BPA? I saw this product on TV and decide I MUST have it. I found it online at amazon.com after visiting one of the retailers listed on the 3m website to no avail.

It cost me about fifty bucks but it truly did improve the taste and clarity of my tap water. The reusuable water bottles are clearly labeled as BPA free and it is an easy to use gadget. The thing I liked most is the rapid filtration. Other water filtration tools like pitchers and whatnot seem to take forever to filter the water. The Water Station takes only seconds to filter and fill four 16.9 ounce bottles. I put the filled bottles in the fridge and they are ready to grab and go.

Why is this being posted on a weight loss blog? Well, water is key in weight loss. I wasn't drinking enough water and now I am. The water is clean, clear and tastes better. My review is 5 stars! I would recommend this product to a firned for sure!

From Couch Potato to 5k Runner?

So, I decided that I need to "move more". I'm feeling quite motivated. So motivated that I downloaded the Couch to 5k app for my Blackberry. Yeah, it cost me $4 so you KNOW I'm gonna use it.

Yesterday was Week 1 Day 1. Guess what? I survived!!!! My breathing was rough (huffing and puffing like crazy) but I have been assured by my running expert (thanks to Colleen Kusz) that the breathing will get better after my body adjusts to the demands. I'm super thrilled that I made it through the first day. And now....drum roll, please...

I'm starting my New Year's Resolution now. I resolve that I will run my first 5k race on New Year's Day 2011. Yup, it's true. If I follow this program to the letter, I should be able to run the 5k Christmas week. So the big day is January 1, 2011.

Yay Me!!!!

Catching Up

Well, after a brief (sort of) hiatus that included a very busy life, a hard drive crash and inconsistent internet connections, I'm back!

I've been plugging away at the whole weight loss "thing" and it's paying off...slowly...

After a trip to Denver for a wedding that included a crash of it's own...my diet...I had gained over four pounds in a weekend! Ugh!

I can gladly say that I've recovered from that crash and I'm well on my way to finally losing that elusive ten percent! I've joined Weight Watchers several times and each time I quit before reaching that milestone. I'm hoping to reach it in the next couple of weeks. I've been faced with some challenges this past week and I think it will show on the scale.

Keeping my fingers crossed! Weigh in this morning!

Not Terrible...but not good either

So it's been a little while since I posted. Here's what's been going down. I was losing pretty well. Slow and steady and then a vacation got in the way.

Traveled to Denver for a wedding. I knew I was going to gain and considering the circumstances I didn't do too bad. I didn't track but I also made some decent decisions. The first thing I did when I got home was get on a scale (unofficially, of course) and it was not good. Up 4.6 pounds! Ugh!!!!!

Then I got back on track and exercised a bit and I ended up with a net gain (officially) of only 2.2 pounds! Yay Me!!!!!

Working on getting those two pounds off and getting into the negative numbers again soon!!!!!

Time to Face the Music

I haven't posted in some time. It's mostly because I had a couple of set backs. After finally losing 5% of my weight, I gained. Then I gained again. Ugh...

I'm not making excuses but we bought a boat last month and that proved to be quite challenging. We eat delicious, gourmet food when we're there and not much of it is healthy. We drink rum or beer like water...even though I drink a lot of water too! I thought I planned well and I even tracked everything I ate the first week down there. But I still made bad choices at times.

Lesson learned for next summer. Plan better. Ignore some of the bad choices (notice I said ignore and not cut out). Be strong. That's all I can do!

Weigh in is in an hour and we'll see how things turned out. Then I leave for vacation next week! Ugh...more challenges.

Oh well, life's full of them!

I Wish Someone Was Here to Stop Me!

Pizza. It's my downfall. My trigger food. And I know it.

So why, then did I order not one, but TWO medium pizzas tonight? I had to get one for me and Sean to share (sausage and black olive) and I had to get one for the others (pepperoni). Granted, "the others" aren't even here. And might not be until tomorrow.

THIS is why I don't want it in my house. I cannot control myself when there's pizza in my house.

My weigh in is tomorrow and after tonight, I don't think it's going to be good. Ugh....

Not Too Bad...

I'm thinking I didn't do terribly bad this weekend. Fortunately, my weigh in isn't until Thursday/Friday...That gives me the whole week to undo any damage!

I didn't consume too much and I only had a couple of drinks. Not bad.

Next weekend is going to be really hard and require a LOT of planning! Four days at the shore...on the boat...with food and drink... We're planning a Jimmy Buffett Concert listening party and the menu will be guess....Cheeseburgers in Paradise! I need to make sure I really, REALLY plan this well.

Anyhow, here it is. The first in a series of pictures. The subject: ME! So I'll be posting the same picture every week and hopefully each week I'll see some progress. I might consider a full body pic at some point in the future.

Hi, my name is Colleen...

...and I am a food addict.


It's true. I have finally come to the realization that I am a food addict and that's why I haven't been able to lose weight and keep it off. Like an alcoholic is always an alcoholic even when they haven't had a drink in years, I will always be addicted to food.

The last time I lost a large amount of weight (65 pounds) I felt like I could skip keeping track of my food for a day or so. That turned into a weekend, which turned into a week or more, months and finally the weight came back on.

I will ALWAYS need to track what I'm eating. Forever. I will always need to go to a meeting once a week or once a month to keep myself in check. This is my public declaration!

On the upside: I'm down 2.2 pounds for a total of 7!!!! That's an average loss of 1.8 pounds per week! WooHoo!!!!!! I think next week I'll start taking and posting pictures of my progress!

Feeling a Bit Like a Tortoise

I know. Slow and steady wins the race. But I want immediate results!

Just kidding. I'm down a pound this week. It could have been much worse, I'm sure. I can't believe some of the garbage I ate this week. Including...McD... GAG!!!!!

Never again!

I am loving having my gorgeous garden outside! I hope it can withstand the insane heat we'll be having this weekend when I'm away! I'll only be gone two days but still. A lot can happen when it's 100 degrees outside!

Tonight's dinner: a delicious salad of fresh corn, green olives, grilled chicken and baby greens. Dressing: olive oil, canola oil and balsamic vinegar.

I'll need to do some major planning with the boat arriving next week. Boating means good times with friends. Which usually means good food (too much of it and usually late at night) and good drink (usually alcoholic and late at night). Definitely need to make sure my planning is in full effect!

Whew!

Ok, so this past week has been kind of hard with three graduation parties. BUT...(drum roll)....

I LOST!!!!!!

I was really worried that I would gain, or worse stay the same. But I'm down 2.8 pounds! I guess I must be doing something right. So, here goes...another week. Only one hockey game and then we own a boat next weekend. THAT will present a challenge. I will have to be extra diligent about planning.

When's It Gonna Stop?

THREE graduation parties this week! Ugh!!!!

I'm ramping up the water and veggies (Thank God it's summer and veggies are plentiful!) AND I added some walking to my daily routine. I think it's time for me to do it.

I'll see how things work out on Friday at the weigh in!

Really?

So I think I worked hard all week at staying on the program. I had lots of fruits and veggies. I had my daily dairy. I journaled everything!

I get to my weigh in and..........1

Wha???? Only one pound!!!! That scale MUST be wrong! I started thinking of all the variables that could have been different between my first weigh in and this week. What kind of clothes was I wearing? Did I have socks on or not? Had I just drank a glass of water? Did I poo before I weighed in? WHAT COULD IT BE???????

I've lost sight of the big picture. Yes, it's only a pound. A lot of people lose WAY more than a pound in their first week. But I still lost a pound! I LOST a pound!

Hockey Night

Well, the new hockey season has begun. This is going to be a challenge.

The post game trip to the burger joint wasn't as bad as it could have been. I had a grilled chicken sandwich with cheddar cheese and a bit of honey mustard. No fries. No onion rings. No milkshake.

Great!

Love, love, LOVE Summer Dieting!

This season is just chock full of fresh fruits and vegetables, it's hard to think about eating badly! Well, except for ice cream!

Today for example, I had fruit, salad, grilled chicken and fresh corn on the cob! Yum!!!!!

Next week the tomatoes should be ready! Can't wait! We'll have just corn and tomatoes for dinner at least thrice next week. Yup, that's right, I said thrice!

Declaring My Dependence!

Appropriate considering it is July 4th. I am declaring my dependence on tracking my food in order to be mindful of what I'm actually eating. That's how I started gaining all my weight back!

I didn't have a burger or hot dog today and I didn't mind. Actually, I had a delicious omelette inspired by some Mediterranean flavors I had in my house! Eggs, tomatoes, fresh basil from the garden, reduced fat feta cheese and a little drizzle of EVOO! Yumm!!!!!!

I'm also going to declare my dependence on keeping good foods in the house. I MUST make sure I food shop, no matter how tired or busy I am. The delicious fresh foods I have in my house right now are running low already. Mainly because I only buy enough for a couple of days. Waste not, want not!

Let Freedom Ring!!!! Even though I'm making myself less free by making this declaration! It still feels good!

That Was Then, This Is Now

Well, we've all been there. The struggle with weight loss is ongoing for nearly everyone I know. My mom, my sister, myself, people I work with, other family and friends. We've all been there.

I have decided to join a weight loss program again. This very weight loss program (which shall remain nameless since I'm not sure I'm allowed to post that here) helped me lose 65 pounds back about 4 years ago. But I fell into the "I'm almost to my goal, I can back off the tracking" trap and the weight crept back on. I kept going to meetings but wouldn't lose or I would (gasp) gain! So I quit.

Now here I am 17 pounds shy of my heaviest weight. The weight that forced me to change my ways. And I'm back to the weight loss program. But this time there's a difference...I have support close to home. I think it may have been the trip to the uniform store that shocked my wonderful husband into it, but he joined the weight loss program too! Now that we're doing it together, I think we have a chance! I feel like I'm more motivated this time. I think I can really do it!

Or can I? My first day on the program, we went to the shore to meet up with some friends from the docks. I drank 2 light beers, 2 glasses of wine and we ate cheese and deli meat and meatballs and sausage...I went over my points for the day BUT I counted each and every one of them! THAT made me proud! I could have just said, "eh, I'll start tracking tomorrow." But I didn't! THAT'S the reason I feel like I can really do it this time! I just have to stay motivated.

I hope that losing this weight will make me feel better physically. It will make my back hurt less and reduce the stress on my joints. That should be motivation enough, right? I also want to go shopping! I had to buy a size 20 dress to wear to my daughter's high school graduation. I wasn't too happy about that.

So this is my story! I weighed in yesterday at 220.6 pounds. Yuck! My first goal will be 5% of it. I hope it will only take me about 4 weeks to lose it. That's 11 pounds in 4 weeks. I think I can do it. We'll give it a try.

Wish me luck.

Weight Loss Haitus?

Have been trying to eat healthy still but the pain in my back has really halted my exercise attempts. I'm hoping when the weather turns warm I can get outside and walk or ride my bike. It's going to rain for a few days this week so maybe next week will be my week to get out and get active!

I really do like to ride my bike. Especially since I can share it with my little guy. I got a little half-bike that attaches to my bike for Mother's Day last year. My son loves riding with me! I'm hoping enough warm weather, allergy medicine and ibuprofen will help me get there!

No Longer a Loser

Well, at least not in the contest at work. I was so busy on Monday that I forgot to get weighed and Tuesday when I was off, I didn't make it to work for the weigh in. Too bad. I knew I wasn't going to win the $500 anyway. I mean, when a big fat buy in IT loses 12 pounds in a week, well, my little 2 pounds wasn't going to get me a prize.

I'm going to continue to monitor my weight and hopefully head off the inevitable. by inevitable I mean, my future cause of death. Yes, I already know how it's going to happen. Well, not the details but I'm sure it'll be one of these things: heart disease, hypertension or diabetes. Both my parents have them. So, chances are pretty good that I'll have them too. I really just want to avoid having to take a fistful of pills in the few years (or sooner, God forbid).

So far, weight has remained the same. Just had an MRI of my back to find out why it hurts me so badly. Hopefully next week I'll have some answers when I go back to the ortho guy. THEN maybe I can get some treatment that will help me get back to exercising.

My eating plan includes being vegetarian throughout the day and only having meat at dinnertime. There are very few exceptions to that. This week we did go out to lunch but I started off with a protein packed vegetarian dish of edamame salad. It was tasty and healthy too! I may have to seek out some edamame recipes.

I'll get on the scale tomorrow and then I'll have some idea of where I stand.

Change Is Good

So why doesn't the scale change for me?

Two weeks my weight has stayed the same. I suppose it could have been worse. I know what the problem is most likely. Lack of exercise. Due to a back injury almost five months ago I now have chronic back pain. Lately it's been very painful. I do everything I'm supposed to do: stretches, anti-inflammatory meds, heat, ice, you name it, it doesn't work for me.

I had an appointment and the doctor finally wants to do an MRI. I'll be glad to get some answers about my pain.

In the meantime, I've tightened up my food and increased my water intake to offset my lack of exercise. We'll see what happens on Monday when I weigh in.

It's Amazing What a Little Willpower Can Do!

I've been mostly good all week. Unofficially between Monday and Friday, I was down a pound. Officially, I won't know anything until Monday or Tuesday. I feel great (aside from my chronic back pain).

Today, I maintained a vegetarian diet. Unfortunately it did include some chocolate. Not a lot. Just a few single bit chocolates that I bought for Valentine's Day. C'mon, a girl's gotta have chocolate for VDay!!!!! I made a little deal with myself. Each time I want a piece of chocolate, I eat something healthy first! I can be a piece of fruit, a cup of applesauce, a fiber bar, etc. This worked for me all day!

Breakfast was a handful of grapes out the door to karate (my son's, not mine). It wasn't the best breakfast in the world but it held me over until I got home. Lunch was a delicious salad. OMG! I LOVE salad!!!! Today's variety consisted of spinach, broccoli, caramelized pecans, olives and honey mustard dressing. I've also consumed a fiber bar and a banana. I think I've made my quota for fruits and veggies for the day. Dinner for me was a delicious Target brand pizza. The crust was just crisp enough. It was topped with spinach, tomatoes and goat cheese. I added some sliced olives. A third of the pie was 370 calories. A little high in fat but since I've eaten mostly veggies today and no meat I figured it would be ok!

I need to really work on the whole working out thing. I did some Wii Fit this morning but I'm really lacking motivation to keep it up. My back pain has been almost daily so I have been really limited on days that I feel like I can do it. I'm hoping a trip to the ortho doc this week will help!

I used to really love working out. I loved how it may me feel. How it made me look. How it helped me lose weight! Now, I dread it because after about 7 minutes my back is tied up like a pretzel. I hope I can get back to it soon!

Success! (sort of)

Well, even after spending the weekend (almost) at the rink and eating out, the chocolates that I bought myself (which I am rationing out and should last until July), and the traditional Valentine's Eve pizza dinner, I still managed to lose 1.5 pounds!

So, to celebrate, Jack and I enjoyed a Mardi Gras style lunch. It involved fried oysters with a horseradish cream sauce, Andouille and white bean soup, a BBQ duck sandwich WITH fries (my first taste of duck) and a sweet potato cheesecake (we shared that). No dinner will be cooked at my house tonight and for the next two days I will consume only fiber bars and salads. Maybe...

Truly though, fiber is a key ingredient. As is baby spinach! I eat it in everything! Pasta, soups, salads, you name it I toss in a handful! And lots of water!

I'm PMS-ing right now (hence the chocolate impulse purchase) so I'm trying to workout extra this week and up my water drinking. I'm hoping to see bigger results on Tuesday!

Tip of the Week

Don't let an occasional glass of wine sabotage your diet. You can have your wine and drink it too!

A "serving" of wine (red or white) is 4 ounces. A typical wine glass is 6 ounces or more. Sip your vino in a champagne flute. A champagne flute filled to the tippy top is only 6 ounces but I've never seen anyone drinking from a flute that full.

Of course too much of a good thing is NEVER a good thing so moderation is key.

Have a great week!

Some of My Favorite Things

There are so many products, foods, exercise equipment, etc out there it's enough to really make a difficult task (losing weight) that much harder! So here is a list of some of my favorite things in this category.

Favorite Exercises
I seriously <3 my Wii Fit: I sweat and with the WiiFit Plus I never get bored. I have many different (and fun) exercises and activities at my disposal. I also have a few other "games" (if that's what you can call them) for it like Jillian Michael's Fitness Ultimatum 2009 (which I love) and My Fitness Coach (which I just like)
(**Note: I am not a spokesperson for Nintendo Game Systems or any company that makes games for that system)

I also like Fitness and Shape Magazines. While I don't necessarily care for the exercise pages too much since they feature already skinny models doing the exercises, I do LOVE the recommendations for equipment and recipes.

Favorite Foods
This is a very sensitive subject for me since A.) I LOVE food and 2.) I HATE diet food!!!! However there are several commercial "diet" foods that I always try to keep on hand. Fiber One Caramel Delight cereal is one of my favorite breakfast foods. I also love Jimmy Dean D-lights Turkey Sausage muffin sandwiches. I've tried generic brands of the same thing but they really don't measure up.

For snacks, I LOVE fiber bars of any flavor. The Target equivalent of the Fiber One bars are super delicious!

Fruit, fruit, fruit! I have a strange allergy to some fruits. Whenever I eat fresh fruits I have a reaction that equates to hives but inside my mouth, ears and throat. While not life-threatening it IS quite annoying. So I avoid fresh fruits at all cost. PLEASE do NOT avoid fresh fruits! I would advise you to eat fresh fruits and I prefer locally grown produce over imported! I usually only eat strawberries in June because I can readily get them a few blocks from my house. And since it's one of the few fruits that are grown locally that I'm not allergic to I eat them by the bushel! Last summer my step-daughter and I polished off a whole quart in ten minutes standing at the counter. They weren't even washed because they were so fresh. Picked that morning. We brushed off the dirt and ate them. That's the best way to have fruit!

So to avoid having an annoying allergic reaction while still getting in my fruits I usually eat canned fruit packed in juice or cooked fruit like apple and other fruit sauces. I try to have at least three fruit servings a day...on a good day...

Other Products
Some of the most important fitness equipment we use/need isn't even all that visible in most cases. C'mon ladies, we all know what that is...the sports bra. Yes, the good ol' over the shoulder boulder holder. We've all been there. Running on a treadmill or down the street and by the time you got home you had two black eyes. Either that or you had to move them out of the way to tie your gym shoes! My favorite sports bra EVER is from Target (yes, I shop there regularly; no, I don't work for them either). It's the C9 by Champion Seamless sports bra racerback style. It gives my DD's enough support for low impact exercise but it it's very comfortable with it's thin straps. For more high impact exercises (which I avoid at all costs) I recommend the Icon by Marika Magical Uplifting sports bra, also available at Target. It has wider straps and padded cups.

Some people would say that you have to spend a lot of money to get quality equipment. I'm not so certain. Did you know that a gallon of water weighs 8 pounds? So one of those 20 ounce water bottles filled with water weighs roughly 1.3 pounds. Cheap weights and something that most of us have on hand already. However, if you want "real" hand weights there are a variety of styles and materials available including one that claims to be ergonomically designed for a woman. Like we hold 2 pound dumbells different than a man...whatever. By the way, they DO cost more than the non-gender specific ones.

Well, that's my list for now. I'll keep posting when I think of more. Have a great day!

Damn You, Sodium!!!!!!!

Oh, sodium, why do I love you? You make me bloated. You make me thirsty. But yet, I can't get enough of you.

I would take salty snacks over chocolate almost any day of the week. (Note: I said "almost". There are still certain days that I would tear off my left arm for a piece of chocolate.) This weekend was no exception.

I did so well on Saturday. I even had some vegetables. Squash. Yum! My favorite copy of a side dish from the food store prepared food section. I should post that recipe.

Sunday. That was my downfall. Not only did I have some of the saltiest pizza on earth I also consumed chips, tortilla chips and the cheesey queso mentioned in my previous post. I chased it all down with a quart of water but it wasn't enough. I officially weighed in today and was officially a pound heavier. Ugh!

I'll be back on track tomorrow and work out extra long.

I need to ban salty foods from my house. Seriously.

What is it About a Snow Storm?

It's a dieter's worst nightmare. The Perfect Storm of food. A Big Snow Storm and a Big Football Game in the same weekend. Not sure what it is about a snow storm that makes people want to hunker down and consume massive quanitites of calorie laden carbs.

I had decided I wasn't going to be one of those "panic shoppers" who runs out to the food store for milk, bread and eggs. I *did* need some fat free French vanilla creamer though. I wouldn't survive my weekend without coffee and French vanilla weekend, snow storm or not.

The food stores were WAY too crowded. I decided Target would be me best bet. I went into the store laughing about how I would get what I needed and get out in minutes flat! The parking lot was a little full but no doubt most of these folks were fighting each other over the last bag of bagels down the bread aisle.

I went right to the dairy aisle, not a very daring adventure since they were already sold out of milk, to get my coveted creamer. Then I strolled up and down the aisles. I thought about the Big Football Game on Sunday and decided I need something to serve my son and husband since we would undoubtedly be snowed in for at least a week judging by the scramble for the last bread crumb in Target. So I glanced down the chip aisle.

What do you know, I NEEDED these parmesan garlic kettle cooked chips AND the scooping tortilla chips to have with the salsa/queso that miraculously appeared in my cart. Then I ventured down the frozen food aisle since my wonderful 6 year old son would never allow salsa queso to pass his lips. I needed something the little guy would like.

Imagine my surprise when the taquitos and chicken fingers ended up in my cart. Couple that with the frozen pizza I already had at home and this was dangerous territory for me.

At checkout I did notice one small miracle. A box of turkey sausage and egg white reduced fat english muffin sandwiches were about to make the trip home with me. Yay!!!!

Luckily, here I sit having consumed only three cups of coffee and a few potato chips...and it's six o'clock at night! Only six hours to go!
There's a hockey game in the morning so that should help!

Here Goes...

Ok. So I decided that in order to keep myself motivated and possibly help others, I'd start blogging about my life, my weight and (hopefully) my losses!

A little background: I am a 38 year old nurse who is very happily married most of the time. We have a total of three kids; two teenage girls and our son is in kindergarten. We live in a nice quiet neighborhood and have become accustomed to a certain lifestyle that affords us the opportunity to enjoy our lives. Which includes enjoying gourmet meals!

I currently weigh 218 pounds. Wow. I can't believe I just put that out there on the internet for everyone to see. It's not the heaviest I've been but it's the first time I truly acknowledged my weight.

Weight is a problem for me. It never was when I was a kid. I was always the skinny one. My sister was always overweight even as a small child. I, on the other hand, looked like a skeleton when I was a teenager. Looking back at pictures of me I think to myself, "girl, you look sick!" Then I got pregnant when I was 19 years old. I wasn't very educated. I didn't seek out information. I thought pregnancy gave me a license to eat. I consumed whatever I wanted because "I was eating for two." As a result, I gained 50 pounds with my first child. I never lost it. In fact I gained more when I was in nursing school and at my first nursing job. Then I met my wonderful husband! We got pregnant, got married (in that order) and lived a happy, happy life. Fat and happy. I hadn't gained a lot of weight with my seond child but shortly after he was born I reached my heaviest weight. 237 pounds. Ugh!

I had an epiphany. I was getting older. After 35 it's harder to lose weight and keep it off. I was determined to lose it. I started making small changes. I switched from whites to browns and ate more fruits and veggies. I joined a gym after I lost 20 pounds. Then I joined Weight Watchers shortly after that. In the span of about 6 months, I had lost 65 pounds! I felt great! I looked great!

We had a great summer that year! A summer that included a lot of fun on our boat with our friends. It also included a lot of food. Good food. A drinks...a lot of drinks... After a few months I stopped counting. Stopped keeping track of what I ate and drank and before I knew it, by the next summer, I had gained back half of what I had lost!

Flash Forward to the Present: I'm staring down the barrel at 40 years old and I have a family history of heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. Both my parents. I don't like to take pills so I really want to try to head this off for as long as I can. I know it's going to get me eventually but for every year, every month I don't have to take medications, it's better for me!

So here I am. To impart my "wisdom" to others and keep myself motivated to keep losing. I'm hoping that I can also learn to temper my healthier eating and exercise with my love of gourmet food! Is that possible? I have no idea but maybe we'll find out here!

PLAN:
**Definitely post a picture of myself (after a haircut and color, of course!)
**Start really keeping track of my eating habits which includes eating out regularly and not always the gourmet kind of eating out
**Keep track of my exercise and post tips