Well... This is it!

Tomorrow's the day to start this weight loss challenge!

All this weekend in New Orleans, Laura and I discussed how much we dread giving up all the pleasures that come with our favorite foods. We kept asking ourselves "Why are we doing this??" Still, we kept coming back to the same conclusion: this is something we have to do.

So, to all the followers (all 2 of you) and the facebook friends that have stumbled here for the link posted, be prepared for 8 weeks of intense weight loss. From playing with the weight loss calculator mentioned previously, I am going to have to eat less than 1000 calories/day while challenging myself to work out majorly.

Tomorrow I'll post the specifics of my plan... after weighing myself in the morning (with the least amount of clothes, after using the bathroom...).

Happy Halloween!!

2000 Calories a Day?? I don't think so!

While the number of calories a person needs to consume per day varies depending on the person, I've always heard that 2000 is an average. I guess I think that because that is what the nutrition labels are based on. With that being said, I looked at the Healthy Weight Forum's Calculator Required to Lose Weight. Using the calculator, I am able to determine how many calories a day I need in hopes of losing my 20 lbs in 2 months. I entered my gender, weight (not to be revealed YET), height, age, activity level, and desired weight loss during a specific time period. Gender, weight, height, and age are simple answers, but I struggled with activity level. I have currently settled on light activity, though the choices were: very light, light, moderate, and heavy:

• Very light: Sitting at home or work majority of day, minimal slow walking, and light housework
  
• Light: Mainly sedentary, but also includes about 2 hours of activity such as walking, gardening, etc 
  
• Moderate: Walking during the day instead of being confided to a desk (or in my case, the couch) and more intense exercise
  
• Heavy: High levels of activity at work and in spare time
  

I'm thinking I could consider my activity as more toward the moderate level, but I'm sticking with light for now. Based on how much you know me or what you've read in previous blog posts, what level do YOU think I should use? Try to post your response in the comment section at the end of the blog.

I've included the table of how many calories I should eat (based on my current information) during each week of my weight loss challenge.

Wow, I'm not supposed to eat much at all! This is going to be harder than I originally thought!! I'll post the actually calculator on November 1.

I have a plan for sticking to the calorie calculator: I am going to print it out and post it in several spots of the house... especially in the kitchen. It will be on the fridge, the microwave, the oven, and the pantry. The more times I see it should remind me of the path I've chosen. Sorry in advance Jason, you'll get tired of looking at it. :) I hope the calculator helps!

There's Still Time to Back Out...

Like the title of this blog states, there is still time to back out from the 20 lbs in 2 months idea... but I'm not going to do it. Why am I giving myself the opportunity to back out? Why not just decide "I'm starting a diet today" and get with the program? Laura (my partner in losing weight) and her fiancé Mike are going with Jason and I to New Orleans this weekend to celebrate Halloween. How smart would it be to start a diet and then head straight to Cafe Du Monde to devour some beignets?! Fried dough with powdered sugar?! Not the healthiest way to start your day, so I am being honest with myself. I want to enjoy NOLA on our weekend getaway and jump into the new diet on Monday morning.

Though I'm not starting this challenge until Monday, I have started preparing for it by:

•  Searching for low-calorie and potentially tasty recipes to begin trying. So far I've found several chicken recipes... I need to locate some other types, too.
• Figuring out what types of workouts are best for losing weight. In the past, I've done 1 to 2 miles on the elliptical per day while moderately watching what I eat. This time around I want to vary my types of exercise and try to do more activities outside of the gym.
• Looking at the calories amounts for my favorite foods at restaurants. I'm not going to lie... I love to eat out, so I need to pay more attention to what restaurants have healthier options that I'll actually eat.

 Like I said, I've been doing a little research with the 3 categories above. If you have any suggestions that fit into any of the categories... SHARE! I'd love to hear any input.

In the meantime, I'm consuming a lot of unhealthy, fatty foods. It just means I'll be up in my weight even higher on Monday morning. Oh well... hopefully I can see my 2 front feet soon! :)

Enough with the fat jokes... I CAN see my feet!

Hey, it's a cute blog title though... got your attention, right?

So, what's this all about? Let me give you the short version.........

I was laid off from teaching in May 2009 (budget cuts and student performance) and was miserable! After moping and feeling sorry for myself for a few weeks, I decided I had to make the best of the situation. While I had been eating my sorrows away, I realized I had to make a decision: either sit around eating all day long feeling sorry for myself or begin working out. I chose the latter, and I began working out 1 to 2 times a day, simply out of mere boredom. A few weeks later my boyfriend proposed to me... all the more reason to shed some unnecessary baggage. Over the course of the year, I dropped around 35 lbs.

Fast forward to the summer of 2010: I got married, and I got lazy. I moved away from Tuscaloosa, losing one of my best friends and gym buddy Erin. I reached Biloxi with a negative attitude... this is not home. I took up the art of cooking to give me something to do. Of course, I prepared the fattiest foods ever and loved every bit of it. So after some self medicating in comfort food, here I am: 15 lbs up.


After meeting some new friends, finding a new hobby in tennis, and starting my own eBay selling (instead of mooching off my sister's), I am now loving Biloxi. The only problem is that my weight gain continues upward and I see no end in sight. I've joined a gym and started going on a regular basis, but some drastic measures need to be taken soon. So, my new gym buddy Laura and I decided today that we are going to lose 20 lbs in 2 months.

 So why am I broadcasting such personal information throughout cyberspace?? It's simple: I want to be held accountable for my lifestyle. I want to know that the world (or my family and close friends) can look at any given time to see what I've eaten and how much I've exercised. Now the real question: Am I going to post my weight on here? I haven't decided that yet, but I'm pretty sure I will be more motivated to shed the lbs. if you know my current weight.

Please feel free to share your comments and criticisms concerning my new adventure. The big day for our challenge is November 1, so up until then I will be posting more about our experiment. After that, it should be hardcore weight loss mentality. Exercise plans, recipes, dining out... Please keep me on the skinny path!