Monday, February 7, 2011

It's Only the Beginning of Losing Weight, Not My Mind

1 . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . . . . . . .4.  Those were the numbers staring back at me from the scale.  When did this happen, I thought to myself?  I had never weighed more than 140 pounds!  That is, until I turned 40.  Then, as "they" say, it was like turning off the switch to my metabolism and my ability to eat whatever I wanted with no need to really diet or exercise on a regular basis left me standing in the dust of these scales.

That day, I made a decision.  I had to make some serious changes in my life.  Not just my eating habits.  I had to get serious about working out and getting fit.  So, I decided to start this blog and bring the readers along on my journey to not only lose weight, but to have a healthier lifestyle.

You might be asking yourself, why on earth would she want to blog about this?  Well, I have a number of reasons, but three are at the top of the list. 1.  I need an accountability partner.  Who better than those who read along with me to help keep me on the path to good health? 2.  I actually like to write.  It is a great way for me to express my thoughts and feelings without inflicting them on those in my immediate circle.  3.  I love to help others.  I know I am not the only one out there who suddenly realized they gained 35 pounds without even trying and now have a need to lose it.  If my journey could help someone else, anyone else, then it would be worth it to put myself out there.

So as of today, I hope you will be my accountability partner.  I have already started on a diet and exercise program, more about this later.  Before you hear about where I am going and how I am going to get there, I think you need to know where I have been.

You see, I absolutely love food.  I can hear what you are thinking.  Doesn't everyone?  But I actually heard Anne Curry say something about keeping food from being boring today.  I can honestly say I have never been bored with food.  I love food so much that when we vacation, my husband and I actually plan our restaurant choices and food selections long before we plan any other part of our trip!  I keep a food journal from these vacations.  I have an enormous collection of cookbooks.  I have actually been inspired to start this blog because I recently saw the movie Julie and Julia (I highly recommend it if you have not seen it).  I love all kinds of food - from sushi to African, fancy French cuisine to homecooked comfort food, it all sounds good to me.  And until I turned 40, I could eat whatever I wanted, and if I gained a few pounds I could watch what I ate for a week and the weight I gained would miraculously disappear.

Then, I had my 40th birthday, and my ability to lose those few extra pounds with a week of moderate dieting were gone as fast as a medium rare filet mignon sitting on my plate in a red wine reduction.  Little by little, pound by pound, I went from weighing 140 to the 174 now staring back at me. I was no longer comfortable in my 47 year old skin.  The time had come for me to make some changes, but I had some rules.  First and foremost, whatever diet plan I used had to be healthy.  Second, it had to be economical.  And thirdly, it needed to taste good!

So tomorrow, I will reveal my plan and the time frame I have given myself to get there. 

No comments:

Post a Comment