Hi There!

Journey To A Better ME

Background – I’ve been a “big girl” all my life, with the exception of about 6 months when I was 16 (during that time, I battled anorexia/bulimia to become “thin”).   I maintained a weight of about 200lbs from the age of 20, until I had my son, in 1998.  After he was born, I started getting Depro-Provera injections for birth control.  During the next 5 ½ years, I gained almost 100 lbs.  After stopping the injections, I became pregnant with my youngest child at the end of 2003.  I actually LOST weight my entire pregnancy, through no effort.  I wasn’t sick, I ate what I wanted, yet I LOST weight (figure THAT one out!).  When I left the hospital on September 1, 2004, I weighed the exact same as I had on my first doctor’s visit of the pregnancy.  Since then, I have put on about 20 lbs here and there (keep gaining and losing the same weight).  We are a low income family – my husband is disabled, and I only work part time because I am a Full time student.  I can’t afford to join a gym, or weight watchers, or Nutri System, etc.  Honestly, I can’t afford to buy healthy food!  But, I have to. 

I am planting my 2^nd garden this year – with intentions of eating what I grow to supplement our food budget.  I also hope to make enough tomato sauce to last a year.  I am a chef – it should not be hard for me to create healthy, flavorful meals.  It really isn’t – it’s getting the rest of the family on board that is proving to be difficult.  Especially my picky son who would eat pizza every day if I’d let him.

I would love ideas from all of you, encouragement, etc.  I’m putting myself out here to hold myself accountable.  I admit that I struggle with will power and motivation, so perhaps I will have more success if I have “people” to answer to.

Don’t expect everything to be cupcakes and roses – I will have setbacks.  I am human.  Let me just get this out there - I am NOT going on a diet.  Diet, to me, indicates deprivation.  I am changing my habits.  I want to eat healthier, exercise more.  Plain and simple.  If I want dessert after dinner, I will have it, just not the ginormous portion I would have had before now.  And, I will fall.  And, I might need help getting “back on the wagon”.  BUT, that is why I am blogging my experience.  

Here’s what to expect:

While I cannot promise daily updates (I AM busy), I will try and post every couple of days, and let you know how I am doing.  Food logs, exercise logs, encouraging words, etc.  I will also post pictures, and success stories. (For me, a success story might simply be, “I only had 2 bites of cake!”)  Small successes are still successes.

There will also be pictures, and recipes.  When I create a new dish, I will post pictures and the recipe – and let you know if it was successful – for just me or the whole family!

So – here we go!