One last hoorah!

Thanksgiving is in 2 days. I certainly hope nobody expected me to start these 100 days before then. December 1st, I think. That's a nice start date, it'll give me a jump start on all those fat bastards making their New Year's resolutions.

The rules.

"Ok, Ninny, eating healthy is pretty vague. What exactly do you plan to do?"

From experience I've learned that the Weight Watchers model is one that works well for me (when I stick to it, duh). The structure, the meticulous weighing and measuring, the logging...I need it. SO, I'm going to follow the point system. Now, one thing that Weight Watchers boasts is that you can eat whatever you want as long as it's in moderation. I'm not sticking to that. I will not opt to eat a Big Mac at 9:00 am and fast for the rest of the day.

I will:

• Concentrate on lean, high protein foods. The trainer suggested myoplex lite bars and shakes. I'll give it a whirl.
• Eliminate caffeine and artificial sweeteners. Trainer says I can have one cheat day per week. That doesn't mean eat a whole chocolate cake, it means have a diet coke.
• Plan ahead! ALWAYS! I think this step might involve telling people what I'm up to. This is not something that I have done in the past, I kind of like to keep weight loss to myself because it's kind of embarrassing. By putting it out there in the open I can probably gain friends' support and quit holding tight like it's a dirty little secret.
• Cook in favor of eating out/taking out.
• Cut back significantly on carbs, especially white foods. white bread, white rice, pasta...
• Eat more vegetables. I don't love vegetables, I much prefer fruit. I think skinny people actually like vegetables...
• Drink water! And maybe even learn to like herbal tea. Unsweetened. Ick.

Exercise.

I'm ok with exercise, I really am. I've had gym memberships for years and my mother has always always always encouraged physical fitness. Until about 2 years ago I had sworn off running. It was of no interest to me. I could power walk, I could elliptical, I could aerobicize. Then, a trainer at the gym told me that if I really wanted to drop weight I needed to run. I wasn't happy about it, but with encouragement and baby steps I could run for an hour.

Problem: I have a bad back. I've had back surgery and need to constantly be attentive to the weakness. I've had some pretty awful relapses involving physical therapy and such, and luckily I'm fine. However, I had to stop running for extended periods of time to not acerbate the problem. These rest periods have totally derailed any momentum and I've had to take steps backward to regain my stamina.

I like to exercise, I don't love to exercise. (I don't believe ANYONE that says they love to exercise.) I love the results from exercise...and taking into account my new-ish (not so great) all or nothing attitude, it is an essential key to being "good".

The last time I exercised was probably 2 weeks ago. I'm in a bad period. My back was bothering me pretty profoundly and I got a monster cold that wiped me out for a solid week. The primary goal is to eat healthfully. I also want my stamina back! I hate that I once was able to physically do something that I can't do anymore. With these 2 goals working in tandem, I can undoubtedly achieve my weight loss goals also associated with this personal challenge.

The mission is what it is, and it is what it is because I want all the lovely side effects that come along with it.

My mission is conceived.

I am undeniably a yo-yo dieter and I have been for years. Through the ups and downs I think I've developed some very unhealthy habits. I'm strict at sticking to a diet if I have a great deal of control. I exercise, I feel great, I watch the numbers on the scale decrease...however, if I do not have control I SPLURGE! I am an extremist! I'm either super duper good or the lardiest fat pig imaginable. I've completely forgotten how to just be normal!

Besides the physical toll this takes, my mental state is fragile too. When I'm good, I feel happy, attractive and optimistic. When I'm bad I feel like a disgusting, ugly, obese, failure of a human. (I do have a little fun though.) I think the key is probably to control as much as I can as often as I can, and when I can't control everything don't go overboard. SELF control things instead of giving up and surrendering.

I am not that fat. I'm currently a size 12. In my adult life I can remember being as small as a size 10 and as big as a size 14. I realize that it's not that huge of a range, but I would have hoped that by this point in my life I could have hit a lower bottom and maybe as a result hit a lower high, like size 6-size 10.

I don't want to weigh myself right now...if I had to guess I would think I'm maybe 163 or so. I want to get to 135. I REALLY want to get to 135 and I'm quite certain that it's totally realistic. 100 days, that's about 14 weeks or 3.5 months...that's long enough to do some serious damage on this cellulite and short enough to not be too overwhelming.

I want to permanently adopt good eating habits, binging is pretty gross. I want to stick with it and stick with it long enough for it to stick. THIS BLOG is going to hold me accountable. I will think of you when I feel like cheating. I will not lie to you. I will commit to fighting this battle for 100 days.