It's so nice to have a little support group for this effort.
Jcourtney -- I know what you mean about magic 199. It wasn't until I foound out I weighed more than 200 that I realized I needed to lose weight (I've since gained more), and I know that marker has grown in my mind since. I feel like at 199 I will have the success behind me to fuel the rest of this process. If I can get there, then I can really accomplish this weight loss thing. That said, I need to reward myself for the steps its going to take to get to that point. That goal is just too big to start out with. We'll get there.
Nutrition Junkie -- I feel you on bouncing around. That's a large part of why I joined this site. I've been losing and gaining the same 10-15 pounds for a year and I'm sick of it. If I'm going to put the effort into my diet and fitness, I should have the consistency to make some progress toward a healthier weight! I'm hoping this thread helps me stay more accountable. I'm also finding it helpful to give myself some fresh perspective on these particular pounds: I'm losing them for good this time.
I was happy to weigh in at 218 this morning. 8 pounds to go!