The totally shame-free, actual-life, real-time blog where I tell all, show all--without nagging or whining (all right--maybe a little whining...)--in my attempt to stop being a fat middle-aged woman who avoids mirrors and clothing stores and start being a woman at home in her body...brought to you by a real woman, the Independent Weltha Herself. I won't give any advice, and I'm not asking for any--just companionship on my journey.

Every day...a new post. Every other week...my real weight. Every month...new pictures.

For every woman who has ever tried to just lose the extra weight and feel good...overall and about herself...and who lived to tell the story.


Monday, November 8, 2010

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)

8 comments:

  1. WONDERFUL!!! I love the name, it is PERFECT! I will be following your updates and cheering you on! Thanks for including me, and we can have lunch at the D'Novo restaurant sometime where everything is 500 calories or less.

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  2. Gracious woman, you DO have cheekbones to die for! I love this, and will try to support you with comments. Rock on.

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  3. GO, TEAM, GO! You can do it! I am SO proud of you! adding this blog to my "favorites"

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  4. How about walking? When the weather is nice (Sometimes it actually is!), I like to walk, especially somewhere that you can see actual Nature. Would you be interested in an occasional walk? We'd probably have a marvelous conversation as a bonus.

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  5. JBMalcolm...yes, yes, yes! We need to walk--and you're right...it's such a good thing to do in this great weather.
    Grammy Jean...We MUST go there!
    JMWS...you SWEETIE
    mojoandkiki...thanks a big bunch and thanks for favoriting me!

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  6. Best of luck to you on your goals - don't get too bogged down on the scale because if you're excercising, you're going to build muscle and it weighs more than fat.

    I'm hoping to whittle down the spare tire - just got a couple pairs of sketchers shapeups and the kids at work make me walk with them at least once a day.

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  7. RAY-RAH! cool project, weltha. :)

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  8. You go, girl! I named my fitness plan "Move more, Eat less" and dropped from size 16 to 6 last year. Everything (especially lower back) feels better...more stamina-
    We've got to be ready to contend with horses!(Jer.12:5)

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Thanks for havin' your say! You're an INDEPENDENT WOMAN (or an INDEPENDENT MAN!), too! Just remember, this is an ADVICE-FREE ZONE...so please send the advice back to its room, and PLEASE comment about what you've done or just join in the ray-rah!

Independently,

Weltha