Hi.  My name is Melissa.  I am a 25 year old wife, mother of one, prek teacher, and grad student.  My life is a little crazy right now, but it is time to get serious about weight loss.  I cannot count the times I have started this journey just to lose the battle of the bulge a few weeks later. I can however count the amount of weight I have gained over the years. The lightest I remember weighing is 175 pounds. I was in seventh grade. I only remember this because I was being weighed in front of the whole basketball team. Of course, I was the heaviest. A few weeks later, I quit the team. I quit the one thing that forced me to exercise. I wasn’t an inactive child. I played softball during the summer. I enjoyed riding my bike and walking outside. It wasn’t until I got into my teens that I really became inactive. It was then that I was allowed to come home by myself after school. I would watch tv, play on the computer, and eat.. and eat and eat. I would lie about the food that I had eaten. At the time, I thought I could lie and they would believe me. They must have known though. Where else had the whole bag of chips and the slices of cheese gone? They didn’t notice things like the mayo that I dipped my cheese in, and some times they didn’t notice the spoonful of ice cream. I became addicted to food. I was bored and alone every afternoon, so I ate. Once I was able to drive, my habit slow down a bit. I went over friends’ houses and to school events. For my senior prom, I was able to lose 20 pounds. Unfortunately, that only put me at about 190. Then off to college I went. I was determined not to gain the “freshmen 15”, but when a relationship started going bad, I started to eat more. At the end of my freshmen year I weighed 220. This is when I met my husband. Our relationship has it’s ups and downs (like any relationship), but nothing that could be a blame for my eating. Why can’t I just stop eating all this crap? I really think I have developed an addiction to food. Food is my drug, my alcohol. I’ve never smoked, and I don’t drink that much. I eat. So now, I am 25 and 255 pounds.

I am a little over 100 pounds over weight.  My goal is to weigh 150 pounds.  I don’t really have a specific time goal (I have found that a time limit is just frustrating when I don’t meet it).  My goals that are dependant on weight loss are being able to shop in regular sizes (not plus size), being able to play with my daughter without getting tired, feeling healthier, and just being more happy with who I am.  I love who I am on the inside.  I would like to feel the same about the outside.  So without hesitation, I am starting my new life today!!

As a part of my new life I will be monitoring my progress at least weekly.  I will be weighing in, keeping track of my food and calories, and recording some of my fitness achievements.