Day the First

I'm conducting an experiment. There is too much of Weltha. Yes, that's my real name.

My weight has been up and down for years--mostly up. I know that sounds familiar.

One of my friends suggested blogging my year of getting my weight under control. I thought it was a great idea.

But first, a few disclaimers...

1. I'm not a medical doctor (teach literature), and this is not a medical advice blog. It's a blog of my journey to get this weight under control, made public.
2. I may have a few recipes at times. This is not the place to go for meal plans or recipes. It's just...my journey.
3. I'm not going to give anyone advice or ask for it myself. I'm just putting my odyssey online as a record. At times, there will be the proverbial laughter and then tears; I know there will be triumphs and moments where I am facedown in the mud while the rain pours on me. It's just the story of my journey.
4. I'm not trying to diet myself "down" to some pre-chosen weight. And I'm not a "Big Beautiful Woman." More power to the Emmes out there, but I'm not one of them. I am overweight, and I am not healthy. And not happy with it.

Today, I decided to weigh myself. I'm 5'10" tall. I am fairly fine-boned--not that you can tell with this weight hanging on me. I have high cheekbones and good skin, right along with a tendency to jowliness inherited from my dad's side of the family. (Thanks, Grandma Nellie!). I have actually been at a healthy weight as an adult once: I spent a year under a doctor's guidance on Fit for Life, which caused me to be very slender but healthy and full of energy. I liked that.

And then...a guy I was dating took too much attention, and I started eating to keep him company. Is this familiar to anyone? I caved in, and now...I am way overweight.

A Few Things I Believe:

• There is no magic key to weight loss. You eat fewer and "better" calories, you start moving, and you lose. The how fast depends on too many variables to go into at the moment.
• My body knows the best weight. All I have to do is eat well and exercise; eventually, I will "get there", drop a little below, look like DWO (death warmed over...) and then gain a few back to look good. Been there, done this.
• The surgical route is not for me. It is for some people. Just not for this one.
• I will never wear sample sizes. I don't want to. I want to fit the slender-but-normal sized wardrobe lurking in my closet.
• I'm tired of not fitting airline and movie theatre seats. I want to fit them.

This is a long post today...but I promise complete honesty. If I eat a bag of Almond M & Ms, I 'fess up.

And the info you want to know? Today, I weighed 250 lbs. This is probably about 100 lbs over where I will land--again, I have no idea where my body is going to get to. I just know it's not going to be 250 lbs.

Every Monday morning, I will--I promise--weigh myself and post the weight. Once a month, I'll change out my photos (I would have them today but I've goofed up something in the format of them)

and as always...thanks to many people: Janis (her idea), Melinda and Donna (photos), and David (for the title of the blog)