The beginning

So now that I've written a little introduction to what I want to do, here come the stats.

Start date: May 30, 2012

• Weight: 230
• Waist: 36 in
• Hips/Stomach: 46 in
• Thighs: 32 in
• Upper middle of arm: 15 in
• Chest: 42 in
• Butt: 51 in

There is that horrible number staring back at me.  Never want to see it again!

Here is a front and side view of me.  I have my work cut out for me!

Here are the tools that I will use to lose weight:

Because I don't feel comfortable working out in public, I will use workout DVDs...

...the elliptical machine...

... exercise bike...

...and walking!

My goals are:

• To lose about 2 lbs per week...80 lbs in total.  I want my final weight to be around 150.
• Major milestone: get under 200 lbs

Besides the tools mentioned above, I will also use Self Magazine's Drop 10 Diet suggestions, which I've been reading for a few weeks now.  Through this I've sort of learned what foods are really good for you like lentils, quinoa, avocados, greek yogurt, etc.  I will also look to YouTube for motivation and possibly exercise ideas as well.

I will try to eat as healthy as possible but also allow for my favorite snacks.  I will use portion control.

I will aim at working out 4 - 5 days a week to begin with and see if I can do that.  Eventually I would like to work out a little each day while I try to lose weight.

NOTES TO SELF:

By working out I will:

• gain more energy
• wake up feeling refreshed
• relieve stress
• lose weight
• get toned
• gain confidence
• feel like I have a clearer mind

If I don't work out I will:

• feel guilty
• keep my stress/anxiety
• gain weight
• stay flabby
• feel lazy
• hurt my body/potential issues
• self consciousness
• stay unhappy

First Post!

I am going to do it this time! I NEED to do it.  I need to lose the weight!


My name is Carolyn and I am creating this blog to hopefully help motivate myself to lose weight.  I have gone on and off for years trying to lose it and usually give up within the first week.  I need to just stick with it, because I've gotten too big.


Ever since elementary school, I've always been overweight.  I was never hugely overweight or obese, but it was enough for me to worry about it.  I am a shy person to begin with, and this just made things even harder for me.  Always feeling a bit self concious about my looks. I've never walked out of a store thinking, "wow these jeans look great on me!" - it's always been "well at least I have something that fits me."  


It wasn't until I graduated from high school that I really began to gain more weight.  I am 5'7" and at the beginning of my senior year of high school I was around 175 lbs.  It sounds like a lot, and yes I obviously didn't look fit, but I didn't look or feel too horrible.  I carried my weight well.  Upon graduation (in 2007), my weight went up to 200 lbs.  200 POUNDS!  A number I thought I'd never see glare back up at me from the scale!


In September of 2007 I got a full time job at a natural grocery store.  Here is a place you'd think that you would lose weight so easily because everything around you is healthy.  Right? Well, not for me!  At first I did lose some weight, probably falling back down to the 180 lb range.  But soon enough my weight went back up again, this time not dropping down.


Currently I am at 230 lbs.  What.have.I.been.doing.with.my.life.  I still can't believe I am this heavy!  There is really no one to blame but myself for getting like this.  I never had anything really tragic happen in my life to make me gain this weight.  I've had my share of boy troubles and moved a couple of times.  I felt peer pressure in school and I've had my share of stress at work.  


I consider myself to be an over eater.  I wake up and eat something.  Go to work and eat something.  Come home and eat something. and snack.  then have dinner. then snack some more.  and of course have a bedtime snack.  All of which isn't carrot sticks and water.  I LOVE anything chocolate.  Anything sweet.  or salty.  Basically I will eat almost anything (except spicy) and it SHOWS.


I do not want to be this size anymore.  230 lbs.  Size 20 - 22 in jeans.  XL in shirts.  Almost a double chin.  No thanks.


So hopefully with the help of this blog and some other tools at my disposal, I will win my battle with weight loss once and for all.


If anyone has read this, thank you for reading, and I hope that if you are overweight too, I  may inspire you to take action with your life too!! LET'S DO THIS!