New Year New Me - Day One

This is the day where it all begins. I am pledging on this day, January 22, 2010 to put a full force effort into losing this stubborn weight I've been holding onto for way too long now. I need to lose 35 pounds to get down to my goal weight. Now, my goal weight isn't even teeny-tiny, it's a manageable, healthy, happy goal weight. It's the weight I was in my later years of college and my first year of marriage. I am still surprised sometimes to look down and see that this is my body. I guess I've half way expected to see my old, pre-baby body back without any effort on my part, like it will just return after a long vacation. That hasn't happened yet, so I've got to get a move on.

My weight has fluctuated a lot in the last few years. Here's a little history:

June 2001 - I graduated from college and am super healthy and fit from the college, outdoor lifestyle.

Our Rehearsal Dinner - March 7, 2003

March 2003 - I marry Danny and continue working out regularly, while maintaining my college weight during that first year of marriage.

March 2004 - I get pregnant with our first born Emma. I gain a total of 45 pounds over the course of this pregnancy.

Emma is 2 months old.

November 2004 - Emma is born. I nurse Emma for 8 months, the pounds slowly come off during this time period. I work hard after the nursing to get back into shape. I am 8 pounds away from my pre-baby weight when.....

August 2005 - I get pregnant with Clara. (Yes Emma was only 8 months old, what were we thinking?) I gain another 45 pounds, on top of the 8 pounds I didn't lose from the previous pregnancy.

April 2006 - Clara is born. Nursing begins, and continues for 14 months. The pounds come off very slowly for me again while nursing. After nursing, I hit the gym hardcore and sign up for Weight Watchers. I lose all the weight and then some, and get down to my high school weight.

Here I am at my amazing weight. I am also probably pregnant in this picture.

November 2007 - The exact minute I hit my amazing high school weight, I get pregnant with the twins. I gain 65 pounds, only because the doctors told me to.

Majorly preg-o. Nice little side-shot of Bob the cat.

Yowza. Here I am, one week exactly before the twins are born.

June 2008 - The twins are born two months pre-mature and spend their first 31 days of life in the NICU at Scripps. I nurse for six months. I am almost completely homebound, depressed and overwhelmed. Over the course of the 6 months or so after I finish nursing, I yo-yo from dieting and exercising to throwing in the towel. I lose 35 pounds of my baby weight.

May 2009 - I celebrate my 30th birthday and feel a drastic change in my metabolism. Even when I exercise and diet, I am not getting the results like I did way back in my 20s. I go through spurts of success, then quit.


November 2009 - From about Thanksgiving on, I spin out of control, and actually vocalize my vow to gain as much weight as possible because I don't care anymore. My poor husband attempts to motivate me, but meets complete resistance.

Today, January 22, 2010 - I started my weight loss support group with six wonderful friends. We are all different. We have different amounts of weight to lose, have different stories, and have varying issues with food. But, we all want to get lean, healthy, and more attractive so that we can enjoy our 30s! Can I get an amen?!


My group and I are going to meet once a week to weigh-in, discuss our week's progress, share recipes and exercise tips, and hold eachother accountable. That's what friends are for, right? Right. We are all on a mission, and I am so excited to get started today.