Blogging? Me? I don't know about this.

I'm finally following my sister's advice and starting a blog about my road to getting healthy. I began this journey a month ago so I'll have to give a bit of back story. I was always the underweight, thin kid who couldn't gain weight no matter how much I ate. Boy, do I miss those days now. I gained weight after my twins were born in 2001 and never lost it all, but was not completely overweight. In 2005, my husband was injured in an offshore accident and we had a really scary, stressful couple of years. Needless to say, I gained 60 lbs that year. I've tried and tried to lose it to no avail. So, a couple of months ago, I decided that enough was enough and I made appointments with doctors to have bloodwork done, etc. Everything was great, so I decided to start a diet plan.

One month ago, I started a diet plan suggested by my doctor. I cut my calories to 1200 and ate a low-fat diet. I spent two weeks studying, writing, and planning. I made an appointment with a dietitian because I was worried about the diet plan and wanted to get some nutritional advice. She started teaching me the way to eat and what to watch. I'll get into that later. Along the way, I started sending emails to family and friends with meal plans, advice, and encouraging notes. I'm surprised about how many people wanted to know what my secret was and how I was doing it. It's great going through this with everyone and it helps to hold me accountable.

So, what is my secret? Hard work!!! I know that sounds cliche, but seriously, it's about holding yourself accountable for every bite and every exercise you do. I write out each meal including the nutritional values, like calories, protein, fat, sodium, and carbs. I've tweaked the meals over the last few weeks and still struggle with coming up with a variety. As far as exercise, I do kung fu three days a week and try to walk on the days off. It's all about having the willpower to say no to the junk that the kids and hubby want to eat. It's not easy, but it's well worth it. I feel great.

Along the way, I realized this 'Get Healthy' goal was about a lot more than weight, it's about being an entirely new person. It's about enjoying life and getting out there with the kids. Be happy, don't let life pass you by while you sit on the computer, watching television. Get out there! Explore! Be healthy! That's what I'm doing. So, month 1 results.....I've dropped 13 pounds. And, as I continue this journey, I hope that by sharing it I can help motivate others to do this, too. Believe me, it's worth it!