And So It Begins...Again...

A little background on my weight loss journey:

I've always been overweight. It's just something I've always struggled with. I think my first memories of my struggle are from kindergarten. I distinctly recall going swimming with a friend, and realizing my belly was bigger than hers. And so it continued into my childhood. I was always a child who would rather curl up with a book than do something active. My mom used you limit my reading time and FORCE me to go outside.

When I entered high school I had really gotten heavy. By the end of my freshman year I was 5'2" and 190lbs. I started Diet Workshop with my friend Megan and her Mom. I lost 30 pounds, which was a HUGE win for me, over the course of about 5 months. I remember how fat I thought I was at 160, and that continues to be the skinniest I have been since that point.

Of course, the weight came back. Slowly, but surely. When I started college and stopped playing sports, the weight came back. When I met Chris, I wasn't as heavy as I had been before, but at this point, I was refusing to step on a scale. We ate out a LOT. Appetizers at every meal, and dessert too. When I saw photos of myself at my parents 25th wedding anniversary party I broke into tears, because I had no idea how I really looked.

That began my ongoing journey with Weight Watchers. I liked it SO much better than other things i've tried, and I lost about 40 pounds doing it. I've come to terms with the fact that i'll never be skinny, but on my wedding day I felt beautiful.

Since then it's been a struggle. It's hard to learn to cook for two in a healthy way, when I was so used to cooking for one to lose weight. This time i've realized that I place far too much emphasis on food as a source of entertainment. It can be that in a social setting, but I need to shift my outlook to view eating as a source of energy, not what I do to stay occupied.

And so begins my journey. I hope this time I can maintain it. If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading along. Every ounce of interest and encouragement helps.