The First Step

Since I'm getting into the habit of admitting everything, let me also confess that I am an avid gamer. The Xbox 360 is my console of choice; however, I did give in and pick up a Wii so that I could get in workouts with EA Active. Last night was my first workout in -- a really long time -- and it felt amazing!

I love working up a good sweat, and I was dripping by the time I was done. My intention had been to start with a few Low Intensity workouts to start re-building my (long gone) stamina, but on a whim, I decided to really push myself and went with a Medium Intensity routine instead.

I burned 136.4 calories in 20 minutes (not counting the half-hour or so that I spent rolling around the floor in agony, gasping "Oh, God!" and whining that I couldn't do it). Okay, so the point is, I did it!

My asthma was especially bad last night, which I can blame partly on the humidity and partly on my exercise absenteeism these past few months. I do have an emergency inhaler, but it makes me quite shaky and light-headed, which is not a good workout condition. (Note to self: Discuss other asthma management options with doctor). Once those details are ironed out, and once I build up some stamina again, exercise should become more enjoyable.

So yesterday was successful! I hit my calorie target, drank nine 8-ounce glasses of water, stretched, worked out, and slept like a rock. My muscles are sore and protesting today, but the ache reminds me of the positive changes I am making in my life.

Rinse, repeat.

Weighing In

Alright, I'll admit it -- candidly. I weigh as much now as I did when I was nine months pregnant. That doesn't seem possible, especially because (back in late 2007) I was only about 15 pounds away from achieving the coveted pre-baby weight.

Thanks to an unsightly birth control faux pas, I gained back all of my hard-shed pounds, and some of their closest friends, too. Around that time, struggling through postpartum depression made the weight gain seem like too much to deal with. I felt passive -- an object that could be acted upon but could not act. It really didn't even occur to me that I could do anything about my weight gain.

I'm 5'10".

When I met my husband, I weighed 145 pounds.

When my daughter was conceived, I weighed about 160.

Presently, I weigh in at 195 pounds (BMI: 28.0).

My high weight was 199 pounds (BMI: 28.6).

My goal is to get down to 155 pounds (BMI: 22.2).

My dream is to reach 145 again (BMI: 20.8).

It might take awhile, but the work will be well worth it! Fitting into my skinny jeans again will feel so good.

Addicted to Veggies

I'm an afternoon snacker. It's my vice.
Lately, given the whole diet/lifestyle change thing, I've been aiming to improve my snacking habits. This afternoon, when the 2 o'clock hunger pangs rolled around, I headed to the cafeteria and was pretty proud of myself when I skipped the vending machine and hit the salad bar instead. I loaded up on veggies -- celery sticks, baby carrots, cauliflower, and cherry tomatoes, with a light drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.

At the checkout, the elderly cashier gazed up at me from her chair and said, "You must really be hungry for veggies today, huh?" Now, really -- commentary? On a healthy snack, no less?

There's definitely something "off" when it's perfectly acceptable to binge on large amounts of junk food each afternoon, but the purchase of vegetables raises an eyebrow.

Regardless, tiny successes like this are what keeps me going. (Another small win -- yesterday at the grocery store I bought myself Women's Health magazine instead of chocolate!)

As you will find out, I am a 23-year-old gal on a mission. To lose weight. Edit: A substantial amount of weight. I want to drop somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 pounds, and I want to look and feel better on the way.

Sure, I've been down this path before -- many times, actually. My biggest hiccup has been the detours of Mommyhood. It's hard enough to keep a sense-of-self when you're married and have a child, but have you ever tried losing weight while catering to a three-year-old's diet of macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, french fries, and ketchup? It hasn't worked so well for me.

However, it's time to start making my lifestyle work for me. That's why I've started The Mama Diet -- which isn't actually a diet, but rather a series of healthy choices that will add up to a major lifestyle change. I'm not letting work, school, or parenthood be my excuses anymore.

I'm not in this alone. I have built myself a network of supports, which includes my amazing husband, some groovy workout buddies, the Calorie King system, and the Healthy You Challenge!

Let's do this.