That other 'F' word

So, I'm fat.

I don't want to sugar coat it, or use any euphemisms, like "big boned" or "curvy" to avoid saying a word that has a negative connotation. Let's get straight to the point here.

I've always been overweight, but in the last year or two, I've really noticed how much weight I've gained and how difficult it is to lose it. I'm heavier than I've ever been in my entire life, and I'm sick of it (I think the italics and underlining really drive home my point...). It's time for me to lose this weight forever. I'm getting married in March, and I turn 30 in July, so I want to start married life/my 30s as healthy as possible. Will and I joined a gym last week, and I have been working on eating healthier foods. I'm optimistic because I have time to focus on myself now, and I have a couple of motivators that I have never had. Plus, I want to lose weight to become healthier. Diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are in my family, and I want to do everything I can to take control of these things so I will never have to deal with them.

I've always heard that the best way to stick to goals is to announce them publicly so everyone will know what you're doing and help keep you on track. I don't know if that's true or not, but I want to get it out there, so at the very least, someone who reads this can grill me about what kind of coffee drink I'm having at church or what kind of snack(s) I'm having at work. I'll go a little further and announce the details of my current state of body and where I want to be, along with smaller breakdowns of goals. I think this will help keep me in check and motivated to make this a slow and steady process, rather than getting burned out and frustrated if things don't magically work right away. I plan to post weekly updates. Hopefully, unlike the failed bedtime experiment, I'll be accountable. Hey, I might even revive that since Glamour magazine tells me that I can lose weight by sleeping more!

Without further adieu, as of Wednesday, August 8, 2012, here is my weight: 167 pounds (note: I will round up or down as needed. I don't really want to deal with tenths of pounds, unless I'm having a fluffy week and want to reassure myself that I'm on the right track...). Blah. I've topped out at 5 feet, 3 inches, which puts my BMI at 29, sticking me at far end of the overweight (almost obese) category. I know that BMI isn't always the most accurate measure of body composition, since you can have a lot of muscle and weigh more than what's considered "normal" but still be in better shape than someone in that category. However, I know that I'm overweight by the way my clothes fit, the way I feel, etc, so I'm going to use this as an indicator for now.

I want to lose 42 pounds by Valentine's Day. I believe that's completely realistic since that's around 27 weeks away, and it keeps me in the recommended guidelines of only losing 1-2 pounds per week. Plus, that's our 2 year anniversary and less than a month before the wedding, so I think it's a good time to be a brand new me! =)

Here are my tentative thoughts on goals for when I want to reach certain milestones and the rewards I want to give myself for reaching them:

5 pounds lost by 08/29/12. Reward: new nail polish (1-2 bottles) (Accomplished on 08/29!)

10 pounds lost by 09/19/12. Reward: new earrings

15 pounds lost by 10/10/12. Reward: new workout socks

20 pounds lost by 10/31/12. Reward: new Threadless t-shirt (have some designs in mind...just depends on what's available at the time)

25 pounds lost by 11/21/12. Reward: another new Threadless t-shirt because there are several I like! =)

30 pounds lost by 12/19/12. Reward: new Pandora charm

35 pounds lost by 01/16/13. Reward: new expensive-ish sports bra (I know, between this and the socks, I'm super exciting, right?)

42 pounds lost by 02/14/13. Reward: new Toms shoes!

Okay, I think that's it. I'll probably make those nifty "pounds lost/pounds to go" jar sets that are on Pinterest, and I'll post a picture when I do. Wish me luck, and if anyone wants to work out sometime, just let me know!