Any journey starts with a determined goal in mind, whether it is specific or not is the question. What specifically do I want to get out of my lifestyle change? What are my short-term and long-term goals? How and I going to get there? So many times I have started to "diet" and then quit a few days later, or I have worked out for a couple of days and then "got too tired, was too sore, had no time, etc...).

What is the difference now, and how have I determined to stay on track? The difference now is that when I look in the mirror I do not see Deidre. I see a large distortion of what I could be. I see the me underneath all of this weight and the person that is screaming to get out. The person that is tired of drowning in fat and processed foods.

My long-term goals in all of this are to 1) Get to the point where making healthy choices is no longer a choice, it's a habit 2) Be able to chase my son around without getting winded or asking for a timeout 3)Feel great in a size 8 little black dress. In the short-term range, I want to 1)get under 200lbs, 2)drink at least 8cups of water a day and 3) workout everyday.

In order to obtain these goals, I am going to have to be determined. I am going to have to workout EVERY.DAY.NO.MATTER.WHAT. I am going to have to track my calorie intake and make sure it stays under an acceptable level. This is not rocket science, but it also is not going to be easy.

What I want to pull out of this is to know without a doubt I am setting my children up to making healthy choices for the rest of their lives. That they can know that their mom WILL NOT be a statistic in the obese world.

Always remember:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

...Robert Frost


I am now halfway into my second week of diet and exercise. I can't say that I haven't cheated, and I can't say that I haven't thought about quitting. The thing that has truly kept me going is knowing that my 10 year class reunion is coming up at the end of this year!!! (EEK!!) My goal weight is only 60lbs away, and I have 9 months to achieve it.

I can do this!
I CAN do this!
I CAN DO this!
I CAN DO THIS!!

So far: 1 inch loss in my waist, 1 inch loss in my hips, and 6.8 lbs down!


Here I am 6 days into my new lifestyle change, and I feel great. Not only do I have tons more energy, but I am able to see how horribly I was eating before. I have not gotten over 1600 calories a day this week, and have worked out at least 20 minutes a day.

The deal for me was that I was wincing and anticipating the hardships that I would have to go through to get to where I wanted to be. Now that I am here and doing it, I would say that it is pretty easy! I am not hungry because I am eating just as much quantity as I was before, but it is food that is so much better in quality.

Here is what is on the menu today for Breakfast and Lunch:

Breakfast
1 cup of Frosted Shredded Wheat
1 cup fat free milk
1 medium banana
1 6oz container of Yoplait Light Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch
1 serving Oscar Myer fat free Turkey Breast
1 slice swiss cheese
1/2 cup of whole leaf spinach
1 tsp mustard
1 100% whole wheat sandwich round
10 baby carrots
1 1oz bag of Sunchips (original)

This totals only 900 calories, which leaves me 700 calories for a snack and dinner. Crazy, huh?

Now, for the best news of all. I am now 5lbs lighter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I am embarking on a new journey. Weight loss and fitness here I come! After being asked when I was due (you know...with a baby)when I am 5 months postpartum, I have decided that I am determined to lose some poundage. Though, the last time I did this I got 20 lbs lost and then some loser knocked me up...Nice eh? :)

Pretty much, I will be highlight the highs and lows right here. woot!

Today, I am sore. Mostly my back muscles and my abs (oh what! they do exist!). Jillian totally kicked my butt, but it wasn't as hard as I initially planned it to be. Though, I will definitely need to invest in a yoga mat because doing push ups on your knees on a hard wood floor is not cool.

As for my diet, I am strictly following the Sparkpeople.com menu plan. It is there and I have to follow it. It counts my calories for me and does all the hard work so I don't have to.

In the end, I want to lose 50 lbs and look great in a little black dress. Not much to ask right? We shall see...