About Me

I'm your typical normal girl, or at least you would think I am.
I have a full time corporate job, a boyfriend, a great family and super girlfriends. Sometimes I like to cook, sometimes I'm exhausted and grab take-out. I love to read. I over-think things my boyfriend says. Or maybe I don't. I enjoy a cocktail with friends. I'm afraid of spiders. I travel for work, I travel for fun. Depending on my mood, I might watch the history channel or a guilty-pleasure chick-flick. I like chocolate and my iPad and the beach. By most accounts, I'm pretty normal.

But I have a secret. I'm NOT normal.
This is a secret I kept from everyone, including myself. I ignored all the warning signs. I bought new clothes --loose, billowy new clothes. I stopped showing the top part of my arms. Ever. I stopped allowing myself to be photographed. My facebook profile pic is now 3 years old. I got extremely creative with my fashion choices, and excelled at finding "slimming" outfits, telling myself I was hiding the extra pounds that kept sticking to me.  A year or so ago, a very handsome male doctor told me I might want to lose some weight. I thought I would die from embarrassment. (Did I mention he was very handsome? Every woman want's a hot guy telling her to lose weight. Not.) At first I tried to lose weight, and eventually went back to convincing myself that I had weight to lose, but it was mostly for cosmetic preference. Then I gained 14 more pounds, yay me. Then I read David Kirchoff's book "Weight Loss Boss" and decided to run my BMI numbers. As I discuss in my first post here, I was fall-on-the-floor shocked to learn my weight categorized me as OBESE. I want to reach a normal BMI.

I used to be normal. Mostly, normal, anyway.
Everybody's weight loss journey has different challenges. For me, the fact that I had been fit before made accepting that I wasn't strangely difficult. Perhaps part of my identity was tied too much to how I looked (perhaps it still is) and I just couldn't accept a new identity as a chubby girl. So I avoided the issue completely. My friends are all in great shape. Most of them are lucky enough to be able to eat large quantities of food and drink without penalty. How I built  such a large circle of girlfriends with such amazing metabolic gifts, I will never know! But I love those genetic goddesses, even if their luck makes my struggles seem a bit lonely.

I had other challenges, too, like we all do. I went through a tough patch in my life a few years ago. I left an unhealthy marriage, lost a job during the recession, struggled with finances, found a job, traveled frequently for work and moved several times. (In the midst of it all my dog died, too. I'm pretty sure a few country songs were written about me.) This blog really isn't about all that. Much of that was the likely cause of my weight gain, via exhaustion and stress eating, which is why I mention it at all. But today is a new day. I've built a pretty normal life, with an average amount of stability, and I need to make reaching a normal weight a priority - both for my mental and physical health.

My plan to become normal. (It involves YOU. I need support!)

1) Follow the Weight Watchers Online program and use the Points Plus system
2) Be accountable by blogging here regularly! Gain a community of support. (That's you!)
3) Follow health conscious strategies 80% of the time. (Move towards clean eating, emphasize vegetables, fruits and lean proteins.)
4) Allow myself some vices on my journey to normal.(I usually try to tackle too much at once, then give-up in frustration. I drink too much diet soda, and occasionally rely too much on processed foods.)

What my journey to normal looks like:
I've broken down my journey into three chunks that I hope will be manageable. My weigh-in days are Tuesdays, so each week I will update you on my progress (good or bad.)  For each five pound loss, I will give myself a special reward. When I reach any of my destinations, I will definitely throw a virtual online party here!

Destination #1: “Me Minus 10%” - Distance, 16 lbs 

Destination #2: “Normal” - Distance, 28 lbs 

Final Destination: “Happy Weight” -  Distance, 39 lbs

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