In The Beginning...

My name is Libby and I have a problem. I stepped on the scale for the first time in months last Christmas - not a wise choice. I spent the rest of what should have been a great (and really was despite my findings) holiday with my family lamenting the poor diet and exercise choices I had made in my last semester as an undergrad. I weighed the most I ever had.

Since then, I have been trying without much luck to shed the unwanted bulge from my midsection and rear-end. I began the year by creating a chart of how many miles I would run per week, sit-ups per week, etc. so that I could "easily" make my weight loss goals by summer. I chose one 5k a month to participate in so that I would feel motivated to continue working out so that I wouldn't be beaten by small children and the elderly at the races. I have participated in one race so far and I am proud to say, I beat many children and almost every person over 60!

Despite my plans, I still have not lost any weight 3 months later. Discouraged doesn't begin to describe how I feel. However, at the suggestion of a more slender friend of mine, I am going to utilize the interwebs and keep up with a blog (this one) about my struggle with the pounds. Accountability is a powerful thing, and if I have to be accountable to the entire world wide web - because this is a public blog - maybe, maybe, MAYBE I can finally overcome!

This blog will not only be about exercise in mass quantities, but also about finding ways to eat healthy on a budget and when cooking for two. I live with my boyfriend of seven years who has the metabolism of a 5-year-old with ADHD. He burns more calories getting out of bed than I do huffing and puffing around a track for 15 minutes. Benny-boy eats terribly, though, so in the spirit of taking preventative action against future health problems (i.e., clogged arteries a la McDonald's) I am going to attempt to cook healthy meals for just the two of us with limited left-overs.

While eating healthy seems like the easier of the two issues keeping my waist from slimming down, exercise has always been the more enjoyable for me. I was an athlete throughout high school and the first three years of college, but after I began to invest myself more in my major (Theatre), finding time to play volleyball and basketball during the week got harder. Along with less time for exercise came less time to cook and fast food enters the equation. Taco Bell and I have a serious and long-term love/hate relationship. I LOVE to eat their soft tacos with meat and cheese only, but I HATE the amount of calories and plain fat that I ingest. So cooking healthy meals will really be a challenge for me, but I am confident that here at the end of my proverbially rope I can do it!

My Stats

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 190 lbs.

Goal Weight: 155 lbs.
(I'm not putting a date on this goal; every time I put a date, I screw it up)

Here's how my accountability will work:

- Everyday I will write down everything I eat in a journal and post it at the end of the day with the amount of calories tallied up

- I will also post my workouts for the day with pictures if I can get Ben to stop laughing at me long enough to take one (he's a terrible photographer - great pictures, not at all professional)

- I will also try to post extras, including but not limited to: great recipes, links to workout videos, etc.

Cheers to a new start for a new, healthier life-style! If you, my wonderful support group, have any suggestions PLEASE POST! I can use help of any kind!