Hey Pixie...what a great idea! I will join in.
Day 1: I'm 55 years old and I weigh less and less each week....currently at 168 lbs.
Day 2: I'm 5'5". I guess I'm ok with my height, but when I was younger, I was 5'7". So, I've shrunk with age! (It's a shame I didn't shrink width-wise) I used to like being 5'7", but that's a thing of the past.
Day 3: I'm not very good at uploading photos, but my inspiration would be a photo of Tuscany, Italy...and this little story explains my username. My daughter is getting married next year and the wedding will be in Tuscany. I raised her as a single parent, and she has asked me to walk her down the aisle. So, whenever I'm tempted to cheat on my diet, I think about Tuscany and the wedding, and I ask myself: Do I want chocolate? Or do I want to look good when I'm walking my daughter down the aisle? So far, chocolate has always lost!
Day 4: Like others have said, my biggest fear of losing weight is failing to lose it...or losing it, only to gain it all back again. However, I am determined to get it off and keep it off this time. Here's hoping!
Day 5: I want to lose the weight so I am happier with the way I look. Plus I'd really like to shop for clothes and for once just buy what I LIKE, rather than having to buy only those clothes that will hide how big this is, or won't show how fat that is.
Day 6: Binge? Hmmm...not normally. There are certain things that I keep eating until they're all gone, such as potato chips. I just can't seem to see them sitting idle in the bag! But, other than that, I don't binge.
Day 7: Both of my kids and my parents know I'm trying to lose weight and they're all very supportive. My son is a personal trainer and he also gives me a lot of diet and exercise tips.
Day 8: Time/work permitting, my workout routine to date has been (1) 45-minute daily power walk outside, weather permitting, or on my treadmill otherwise, and (2) daily weight-lifting...one day upper body, next day lower body, with Friday as a rest day. As of Wednesday, I'll be off work for 2 months, and I'll be adding biking and swimming to the mix, along with a few other things!
Day 9: Fortunately, I've never experienced any negative comments about my weight, at least not that I recall.
Day 10: My weight loss journey is really a change in lifestyle journey, which involves not only eating healthy but also getting fit and living healthy. That lifestyle change included quitting smoking, which was the hardest thing I've had to give up on this journey. I quit the same day I started dieting (100 days ago today), and I'm soooo happy that I've been able to quit AND lose 24 lbs (so far) at the same time.
Day 11: My favorite thread is the daily weight loss challenge since the need to report daily helps to keep me motivated.
Day 12: My favorite food on my diet is a little treat I allow myself a couple of times a week: a small (one-stick) fudgsicle...no fat and only 40 calories.
Day 13: I'm losing in a healthy way. I'm not on any special diet. I'm just restricting my calories/carbs and eating a good amount of protein...lots of salmon, grilled chicken, salads and steamed veggies. My treats or "deserts" (I have one and only one of these every day) include Greek yoghurt, fruit, a protein bar, or my 40 calorie fudgsicle.
Day 14: My goal weight is 125, although I might change that as time goes along. I'm more interested in how I look and feel than what the scale says. So, if I get to 135 and I'm happy, then I'll stop. Alternatively, if I get to 125 and I'm not happy, then I'll keep going. I'm also not too focused on time. It will take as long as it takes (although I'll be really happy if I can get to goal by next Spring!).
Day 15: I'm neither vegan nor vegetarian, and I would never consider either. I rarely eat red meat...but I love seafood and chicken.
Day 16: I've been bouncing up and down between 160 and 190 for quite a few years. A few months ago, in March, I decided to quit smoking. I was worried that, by quitting, I would put on even more weight. So, I decided to diet at the same time. I quit smoking and started my diet on March 11, 2013...and have been doing very well with both so far. I'm also able to exercise better since I quit smoking. As a result, my eating habits and exercise have now become more of a lifestyle change than just a diet, which makes me believe I will be successful in losing the weight this time around.
Day 17: My most liked exercise is walking (outside, as opposed to on a treadmill). My most hated exercise is weight lifting. I just find it boring, but I do it anyway.
Day 18: I don't really have any particular food that is a weakness, at least not in the sense of something I can't stay away from. My "weakness" (or problem) is most often lack of time. My job is very demanding, often requiring me to work 16-to-18 hour days, 7 days a week, for weeks on end. When that happens, I turn to fast food to save time (although I don't particularly enjoy fast food). I need to break that habit.
Day 19: If I'm having a hard time with my workout, I think of my daughter's wedding next year and how happy I will be if I am at goal on that day...that motivates me to keep going.
Day 20: My favorite diet type is what I'm doing now and that is no special diet. I eat healthy...lots of protein, limit carbs (in the form of bread, pasta, etc.) and limit portions. I'm hoping that will start to establish long-term habits.
Day 21: My highest clothing size was a size 16 in pants and a size 14 (or XL) in tops. I suspect I never got any bigger than size 16 because whenever I had to start wearing my size 16 pants, I would say to myself "it's time to go on a diet"!
Day 22: My lowest weight was 6 lbs, 6 oz, which is what I weighed the day I was born. Then my mother starting feeding me, which explains why I gained weight.
On a more serious note, my lowest weight as an adult was 125 lbs. I've gained over the years mainly due to stresses of my work (see Day 18 where I speak about turning to fast food and other "time savers" when things get too hectic at work), plus not paying enough attention to eating healthy and exercising regularly.
Day 23: What excites me most about reaching goal is feeling comfortable with my body and being able to wear/shop for clothes that I truly like, rather than wearing clothes that I buy primarily to hide this or that. For example, being able to wear sleeveless tops rather than always having to wear sleeves to hide my fat upper arms.
Day 24: When I'm around tempting foods I just ignore them. I ask myself what would I rather have: A few minutes pleasure from eating the tempting food, followed by guilt for the rest of the day? Or a feeling of satisfaction all day followed by ultimate success in reaching my goal? So far the second answer has won every time.
Day 25: My favorite body part is my waist. My waist always stays small relative to the rest of me, which means I tend to have an "hourglass" figure and my relatively smaller waist makes the rest of me look smaller. Also, whenever I lose weight, my waist behaves itself...meaning I always lose from my waist first. I still have a ways to go before I'm happy with my weight, but even going from 190 to 162, I have noticed the biggest difference in my waist and I'm starting to look good in clothes again mainly because of the weight loss in my waist.
Day 26: Beauty can take many forms...physical, a kind heart, etc. But to me, many of the most beautiful things in the world are those found in nature as opposed to in people: a beautiful sunset, the way the sun glistens on water, an escarpment full of trees just changing into their fall colors, a winter wonderland scene following the first snowfall. These sights often take my breath away.
Day 27: Five facts: (1) I have 2 adult children who are the 2 loves of my life; (2) I also love my career and I'm a bit of a workaholic; (3) As important as my job/career is, my family comes first...which includes my children and my parents; (4) I'm otherwise a bit of a loner. When I'm not with my family, I prefer to spend my time with nature and animals as opposed to attending parties with lots of people; (5) I'm generally a very happy person and I rarely get angry or upset.
Day 28: Well, it's 4 weeks later and I've moved from 168 to 161.5, for a 6.5 lb loss...or an average loss of about 1.5 lbs per week. Considering that I'm 55, I can't complain about that progress!