What Am I Weighting For?

Candace, a bloggy friend who has become quite dear to my heart with her honesty and joy and love for her daughter Anna, has made this year the year for weight loss. We're in the same sad boat, about 100 pounds to lose.

I wasn't going to make any resolutions this year. I don't, usually. If something isn't important enough to me to make a change without a calendar date change, I know I won't stick to it. When I quit smoking, my motivation was to marry Chris and get pregnant. I'm still smoke-free. When I decided that I'd start keeping a tidier house, my motivation was having a house that is always clean enough for company (or close to it).

I've tried to lose weight many times over the last ten years since I started piling it on. The most weight I've lost is 30 pounds on the Body For Life program. This program has worked well for several people in my family, including my mom who totally changed her body shape on the program and has pretty much kept it off, despite a recent gain due to her knee replacement. I'm just not feeling it anymore. It's become too much a vehicle for EAS to sell their products, all of which are too costly for my budget.

My mom has also loved Weight Watchers, which she used to get back to her goal weight a couple years ago. The concept is good, and the eating plans are solid, but I'm not keen on spending money of the privilege to go and step on a scale every week. It's like I'm just paying for the accountability. And money is something I don't have.

So how will I do it this time? Baby steps. I'll start my cooking more and cooking healthier, more balanced meals (like always including a serving of vegetables) and chopping my portion size in half. I'm picking up some workout videos tonight from a lady who responded to my Freecycle ad. And we have an appointment to meet with the YMCA lady about financial assistance, though I'm totally bummed that drop-in care for my kids will cost me 4.50 an hour. I can't really afford that more than a couple times a week. I guess I hoped it was free.

I also signed on for Discovery Health's National Body Challenge. It will help me keep track of my goals and give me good ideas for integrating wellness into my life and my family. I want to change my lifestyle first and foremost, not necessarily lose weight, though that's also a goal. The intensity of my effort will translate to weight loss.

On their website today, they challenge us to write down five reasons I want to change, in order of priority. So here are mine:

1. I want to live a healthier, more wellness-focused life.
2. I want the stamina to play with my children.
3. A healthier body means a healthier mind.
4. I need to take responsibility for my body.
5. I want to set a good example for my children.

I'll post my starting measurements and before photo when I have them ready. Wish me luck!