And So It Begins

                My jeans are too tight. My blouses gap at my chest, and my bras aren’t cute enough to show off anymore. The other day I stooped down to hook a leash onto one of my dogs’ collars and I made a chubby noise because I felt so uncomfortable. I look matronly. Again. 

I’ve been riding the weight-loss merry-go-round for too long now, and I’m starting to hear the carousel animals groan when I settle into the saddle. I want off.

The last time I had a successful weight loss plan I paid $11 a week to attend Weight Watchers. It’s a great program, but I’m not an idiot; I know how I succeeded last time. I ate less, made better choices, and moved more. Simple. And so stinkin’ hard. 

I came to this conclusion a while ago: I shouldn’t have to pay for self-discipline. If I know how to lose weight, I should be able to do it. For free. The conclusion came first; now it’s time to apply what I’ve learned.

So here’s my thinking. Weight Watchers worked for me for a few reasons beyond adhering to the eat less, choose better, move more mantra. Reason 1: I felt as though I wasted money any week I didn’t lose at least an ounce. Reason 2: I knew I had to face someone who knew I had failed that week (although no one at Weight Watchers ever labeled a gain or net zero “a failure”). Reason 3: I religiously wrote down everything I ate. Every day. And it worked. I lost about 40 pounds.

I found them again. 

This blog will be my daily weigh-in. It will keep me honest (You shouldn’t lie to your doctor, your lawyer, or your blog), and it will serve as my record – what I ate, what I thought, what I did, what I didn’t do. I will not be posting a Before picture (No one needs to see me in spandex and a sports bra), but I will list my weight and height, and you can let your imagination do the rest. At 5’7” I weighed 170.9 this morning. Instead of tracking points ala WW, I’ll be tracking what I eat on SparkPeople because I know that writing it all down is crucial. And regardless of how I do on a daily basis – the good, the bad, and the ugly – I’ll be sharing it here. The time I spend posting my daily efforts will be the “money” I’d waste if I lose my resolve. 

And so tomorrow it begins.