A New Day

You've seen those Jennifer Hudson Weight Watchers (WW) commercials.  "It's a new start...it's a new day..."

Well, I guess I've got to start somewhere.

Me, in 4th grade - 1986.

I never dealt with weight issues growing up.  I could eat anything and everything and not gain a pound.  I had a fantastic metabolism.  I was also extremely active, growing up in the years before PSPs and Internet.  Playing with friends typically involved riding bikes, playing football in the street, or, if we had enough people, playing a game of Capture the Flag in someone's yard.  I played sports throughout middle and high school and remember thinking that I was 'fat' at around 160 pounds.  I was tall and lean, but still had curves - hips, thighs and a pronounced booty. 

Me, at my college graduation party - 1998.

College, and the introduction of beer into my diet, was most certainly the beginning of my downfall.  My metabolism started to slow at that point, and even though I was playing collegiate soccer (albeit a goalie), participating in several intramural leagues and attending aerobics classes, I was starting to gain weight.  In my Senior year, I started to get self-conscious about my size.  I worked at a college-town bar as a shot-girl.  There were two of us - Carrie, the ditzy shot girl with a rockin' body and me, the fat shot girl with a personality.  Well, at least that's how I referred to myself.  When I graduated college, I weighed just under 200 lbs.

Entering the professional world put me behind a desk 8-10 hours a day.  The pounds continued to go on, year over year.

I've tried "diet" plans in the past.  Atkins probably gave me the most loss at the quickest rate - but it was also the least healthy.  After going off that plan, I put the weight right back on quickly, plus some.  Of all the plans I've tried, WW seemed the most logical and most 'normal'.  You can still eat what you want (for the most part), but you're doing a better job of portioning or making better food selections in general.  I've done the online-only WW program, where you use the web to diet and exercise.  However, I could fell off the wagon easily.  Most recently, I tried tracking food and excercise on MyFitnessPal, which was a watch-your-calories type of program.  I lost about 25 pounds...but I put back on 5.

I've determined that what I was missing one main component of a successful program: accountability.

Me, on a recent trip out West, at my starting weight.

Today I joined WW - both the online tracking and weekly meetings.  I weighed in today at a whopping 306 pounds.   I attended my first in-person meeting.  I sat in the very back row - with my WW partner-in-crime, AD - and absorbed.  Though I didn't feel like I fit in yet, it truly felt like a small community.  Everyone there was struggling with exactly the same thing I was.  I felt inspired.  I hope that inspiration continues and that the motivation from both the in-person program - and my partner-in-crime - will keep me on track to achieve my end goal.

End goal: One-derland (a three digit weight that starts with a 1) and a size 14/16.  I want to be able to shop - tops and bottoms - in the "Misses" section at a store...not in the "Womens" section.  This would put me near my end-of-college weight.

Interim, baby-Step goal: Remove that front leading "3" from my weight and never, ever see it again.