A December Resolution

My weight is a sensitive issue for me. When I was growing up I never had a problem with weight. The combination of living in the county and my mom’s healthy cooking kept me on the skinny side. In college I gained some weight (who doesn’t) but not enough to become an issue.

After graduation I did a good job of maintaining a constant weight and it wasn’t until I became serious in my relationship with Jason that it became a real issue. Before our wedding I went on a serious crash diet and ran 4-5 miles every day. Looking back on it I think that the crash dieting wasn’t such a good idea.

I was so sick and tired of dieting that for an entire year after the wedding I ate whatever I wanted and I didn’t exercise at all. My body paid the price; in that year I gained 30 pounds! Yikes! In the four years since I’ve gone on many diets. I’ve done written journals, online journals, weight watchers, and I’ve even made spreadsheets for myself to track my food intake and exercise. Still – I’ve gained an additional 10 pounds. I have gone from a size 2 to a size 12, in four and a half years. Depressing, I know.

My weight isn’t enough to cause me health problems but that fact hasn’t escaped me. I know that if my weight gain continues I will start to have problems in addition to just me being unhappy with my body image.

I would like to blame this situation on something – anything – jobs, family stress, etc. The reality is that it is no one’s fault but my own. I get stressed and instead of hitting the elliptical to sweat the stress out, I bury it in a bag of powdered donuts (yes, I have done this before).

At first I was good at hiding the weight gain. No one really knew about it but its getting to the point that I can no longer hide it from the world or myself. So, instead of trying to hide it I’ve decided to do something about it.

I thought, I can make it my New Year’s Resolution. Great. Another New Year’s resolution that I can break some time at the beginning of February. Besides, why wait until the beginning of January when I know that its a problem today. So…

..right here, in front of the world, I’m going to loose weight, starting today. As I weigh myself (which I only plan on doing once a week), I will post my results here. I really have no idea how many people read this blog, possibly less than three but if you read this post and you talk to me some time in the next six months please ask me how my weight loss is going – I would like you to help hold me accountable to this commitment to myself.

A photo is in order so here it is:

My current weight is: 168 pounds – ugh! About 5 pounds more than I thought!
Body fat percentage: 36% Ugh! Again!
BMI: 28.0, clinically overweight but not obese.
Dress Size: 12
Chest: 36.5″
Waist, at smallest part: 33″
Waist, at largest part: 39.75″
Hips: 43″
Arm: 12.25″
Upper Thighs: 26″
Lower Thighs: 21″
Calves: 15.5″

I am not participating in any sort of weight loss program. Simple calories in, calories out. I will try to limit my daily calorie intake to 1,500 calories per day and do at least 300 calories worth of exercise 5 days a week. This should put me on a course to loose about a 1.5 pounds per week. I plan on lifting weights and realize that weight lifting can actually cause you to gain weight at first so though my main progress gauge will be my weight, I will also be tracking my body fat percentage and my measurements, which I will take every three weeks.

My goal weight is 125 pounds, a 43 pound weight loss, which I think I can safely reach by the end of June. So that’s it. 125 pounds by June 30. A goal that is 100% attainable. Go me! It will be nice to be that skinny again – I have entire closet full of size 4s! 🙂

Now, all I have to do is wait for Jason to get home so we can go to the gym!