Week One

Right...so starting my week of exercise and diet/transformation on a week that would end with a birthday celebration...I could have made a better choice if I were to ease into this whole change. I did not lose or gain a single pound this week. To add to it, I'm working my way through the monthly bloatfest. As a result, it could be worse..I could have gained a great deal and NOT exercised at all during the week. Which I did manage to work out three days out of the week. This week I'm shooting for four. I have one under my belt and I'm raring to go for a run tomorrow! Which means I have to go to bed now if I'm going to get a run in before my mom gets here to spend "quality time" with me for the day.
Which means...until next week....good-bye.

Here are the "Before" Pictures

Alas, the long awaited pictures!! This is incentive enough for me to not look like this in pictures..now that I know they are out there on the information superhighway. Well, here it goes...I will be updating my progress pictures monthly.
And, I am happy to report that I have finished two projects since Sunday!! Wahoo! I might actually get all of my holiday knitting accomplished!! The mittens for my brother's girlfriend are done..AND the stash buster rug only a mother could love was completed last night!!! Now I just have Dad's sweater, Shawn's sweater, Melissa's felted bag, three baby gifts, the other sock, my brother's Moc Socks.....well, at least I have TWO done!!! Yeah..it feels so good to transition a UFO to a FO!!

Ugh....Twentysomething SUCKS

Okay, I did take pictures of my day one...and the WILL be posted soon!! I just need to actually download them into the computer...so maybe tomorrow.
Since I know people do actually read this...probably more in passing than anything, I'm going to take a minute and feel sorry for myself on this blog. Not about the weight loss/exercise thing...I'm excited about that! The thing that gets me is how everything tends to build on itself.
For example, I know that with my exercise routine/weight loss I'm going to feel physically better and then I will start looking better and then, as a result I will start feeling more confident about myself and better overall about who I am as a person, and as a result I will be able to relay that to potential employers that will actually pay me to work fully within the career that I have been trained for and I will be making actual money, (not$ 10.00hr) and then I will actually be able to pay off my credit cards and not go in the hole every time I try to pay my bills and.....Yes, that DID feel good to get off my chest.
The more I live the more I truly realize that life is really something that needs to be constantly put into perspective. That helps me to enhance my outlook on life.... now to find a REAL job to start this ball rolling!!

It begins TODAY...

Okay, I have decided that enough is enough! I'm tired of being so tired all the time and I really DO like form-fitting clothes which, in all honesty don't look great when you have a belly and back flab. But more than cosmetically, I really enjoyed the way I felt about myself after dropping 25lbs over a year ago. 15lbs. later I want that confidence back. AND I am going to get it!!! After my September physical, (weighed in at 207lbs.) my doctor informed me that by my next physical she would really like to see me 55 to 60lbs lighter. I haven't weighed that since EARLY high school! So, I struck a deal with my father that if I lose 45lbs by next September, he will finance a weekend retreat to Bayfield, WI. His concern is the genes he and my mother have passed on to my sister, brother and I, and as a result he is gung-ho about weight-loss and will invest in a plan at every angle.
All that said, I have set a goal for myself and anyone who reads this can join in the fun! I will be able to AND run a 5k by June 2008. My sights are set on Grandma's Marathon 5k....not the marathon..not this year at least.
I will be weighing in every Monday and blogging my progress. Here are the vital stats:
Height: 5'5" Weight: 203lbs

I will add a before picture later today...and post a progress picture of myself monthly.
And....I'm OFF!!!!