AWESOMESAUCE10

So ready for a change.

I'm in my twenties! It's the prime of my life and I should be wearing ridiculous outfits and feeling really confident. Instead I find myself wearing solid colors and trying to blend in the back whenever a camera is around.

In 2008, I lived in Cleveland with my Mom while saving to move back to Chicago with my fiance. I jump-started my weight loss with a birthday gift to go to Fitness Ridge in Utah where I lost 8 pounds in one week. It was hard, but I went at it with full determination. I came back and in 8.5 months I lost 74 pounds by walking, jogging and keeping myself in check only to lose sight of it since I've been back. I have gained all the weight I lost the first time plus 10, a lot of unhealthy pounds on my 5'8 frame. It doesn't need to be this way and I want to make the changes.

I've made and broken goals in the past, like being my goal weight by my wedding date. I need a change of life, not just another diet. It's gonna be hard and sweaty and I might even look into therapy to help deal with some of the emotional reasons behind my binges, but you really only get one chance at life and I don't want to waste mine.

Heaviest weight: 293 lbs. (March 2011)
Happiest weight: 165 lbs. (2000)
Ultimate-goal weight: 180 lbs. (in one year from now).

To get there, I'm gonna need some mini goals:

Lose 8-10 pounds or so a month, with smaller weight loss goals to be re-evaluated each month after assessing progress. The primary goal is to lost body fat, but the pounds do need to come off.

Find a way go-to deal with stress that doesn't involve food.

Build a "no excuses" system for exercising. It's too cold, it's raining, it's too far away... I'm too tired of my own excuses. Need to set up a way of life to make things happen.

Build a support system - mostly, get my husband on track with me. I can't do this alone. Well, I can, but it's not much fun and it's much easier to fall down again.

Whew! Let's do this!