A New Beginning

Well! I've decided to start my own blog. Who knows how long this is going to last, but I'm going to try!

In this blog I'm going to showcase my weight loss journey.

When I first joined Weight Watchers June 21, 2006 I weighed 284.2 pounds. At 5'9'' tall my goal weight is approximately 150 pounds. I'm presently sitting at 223.4 pounds.

My first 7 months or so on the program were great. I lost alot of weight. I hit my 75 pound loss in January of 2007. After that, I seemed to have lost my determination, and gained and lost the same 5 pounds countless times until the middle of July, 2007. At this point I quit going to the Weight Watchers meetings, which is probably one of the biggest mistakes I could have made. I thought I could do it on my own, if it only meant that I'd be maintaining the loss I'd already achieved. Boy, was I wrong! I believe in July I was at about 207 or 208 pounds, when I finally went back to meetings on September 27, 2007 I weighed in at 238 pounds. I'd GAINED 30 POUNDS in 2 1/2 months. That's disgusting - nearly a pound a day! (Well, not quite, but gross none the less.)

When I re-joined in September I lost about 10 pounds right away, then as Christmas approached I did the gain 5 - lose 5 thing again, then gained 10 pounds over the week and a half of Christmas.

I made a conscious decision to make 2008 my year - the year that I would hit my goal, and start to maintain my healthy weight loss. January 2nd was the day I chose as day one. I weighed myself at home (it wasn't my regular weigh in day) and I weighed 236.2 pounds and had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 35 - grossly overweight. I took all my measurements (Calves, Thighs, Hips, Waist, Bust & Arms) and decided that I would re-take them the first of every month thereafter.

I decided to set goals for myself, and rewards for when I reached those goals. My short term goal is to get under 200 pounds. I honestly cannot remember a time in my life when I actually weighed under 200 pounds. My goal is to get to this point by May 19th (It's really, just a random date I chose, nothing special) and when I get there I'm going to purchase a pair of black shoes with white polka dots that I saw in the Sears Catalogue.

I had purchased a dress early last summer that I had intended to wear to a friend's wedding in August. I bought the dress with the intention of losing 20 pounds and it looking fabulous, however, that never happened. It's a cute black with white polka dots halter top dress, and it is my intention to wear it and actually look great this August 16, 2009, when different friends get married. My Fiance, Don is standing up in the wedding. I don't have an actual weight goal to wear this dress, I just know that if I don't feel 100% comfortable in it, I won't wear it. But WHEN I do, I'll have the shoes to match!

February 1st, I weighed myself. In January I'd lost 12.2 pounds, and my BMI had gone down 2 points. I didn't have a single week where I gained, in a matter of fact, I had great losses! I even lost a total of 9 1/2 inches from my entire body! On February 4, I weighed-in and lost another .6, putting me at a total YTD loss off 12.8 pounds.

My weigh-in meeting days are Mondays. I have been going in the afternoons, and am really enjoying it. This week, however I'm going to a Monday evening meeting, because of other conflicts. I will post this evening with my results!

I know that with life comes it's challenges, and for me this is one of the biggest challenges I will have to overcome. I'm getting married August 15, 2009. I'm using that as my main source of motivation right now. I would like to be at goal by November or December of this year, when I'll have to order my wedding dress.

Everyday is a new day, and I'm not going to let my actions one day affect the next. This is my beginning.





Here is a picture of me May Long Weekend 2006 and Christmas 2006.








This one is more recent. Summer 2007. More to come shortly!