July 12th Entry "In The Beginning"

There I was beginning 2008 at my HEAVIEST weight ever! In past years I had been able to maintain my weight (though I was still considered obese) through Taekwon-Do, but after an injury where I had partially torn a bunch of ligaments in my foot my weight slowly started creeping higher and higher. I was eating the same, but not really moving anymore.

In January 2008 I had decided it was time to do something about my weight. I had been content ( I wouldn't say happy) with my weight and body image for a very long time but it was finally time to do something! My foot wasn't getting any better, and I was having back pain as well. Seeing a few people around me having some success with Weight Watchers I decided it was time to join up. However I was a BIG chicken, it still took me until the end of February to step foot into my first meeing. I weighed in at a whopping 207 lbs. Now for some people that might not seem that high, but on a 5ft 2 frame that's quite heavy!

Slowly as weeks and months went by the weight started dropping! Weight Watchers really works! I admit to loosing my first 20 lbs with no exercise, but that spring I decided it was time to start moving. I started with walking (my foot still wouldn't allow me to go back to Taekwon-Do), between the weight coming off and Prolotherapy treatments my foot was starting to hurt less. Walking slowly progressed to running (I was NEVER a runner before this), which in November of that year turned into a gym membership! Also that same fall I started back at Taekwon-Do once a week.

Today I'm a very active person, a person I never was prior to my weight loss.

March 2009 I seemed to hit a wall with my weight loss. I got down to roughly 145 lbs and couldn't move any lower, my goal weight was 137 lbs at my heaviest. My body just wouldn't let me get there. After trying for months, I finally gave in (with the prompting of my WW Leader) and got my Doctor's note on July 21, 2009 I declared myself at a goal weight of 145 lbs. To this day I've rarely been able to get lower than this weight, my lowest being 143 lbs but whenever I've dipped under 145 I've often bounced back up the following week.

I lost 63 lbs in 16 months, I looked great and felt great!

Fast forward to today...

Sadly I've not been able to stay within my goal weight window. I had a bit of a struggle during the Christmas season my weight going up to 150lbs but I quickly got it back down with watching my food (mostly) and running daily on my treadmill during my 2 week Christmas vacation. However each month I was able to stay within my 2 lb window.

March of 2010 between a trip to the Dominican Republic where I was eating the local foods which is a high carb diet (I was not staying on a resort but with a family), and not taking care of things right away during my March Break holiday I crept up to 151 lbs. Ever since this has happened I've not been able to get back within my "safe" weight range. I have been constantly battling down 2-3 lbs up 2-3 lbs.

So as of today I say NO MORE its time to get rid of these extra pounds. To some people out there an extra 6 lbs or so might not seem enough, but on my petite frame really, its noticeable. I feel it, and I find my positive self image is suffering because of it. Who is there to blame? No one but myself, and its up to myself to do something about it.

Today I am starting fresh, as if I'm starting WW all over again. I am going to find the motivation to turn down all the tempting foods like I did when I was seriously loosing my weight. I am also going to be more vigilant about being active and getting in at least 28 AP's a week. My ultimate goal is to be active 6/7 days a week in some form