A Second Introduction (I've been gone for awhile)!

Hi, I am Dawn! I joined MFP in late winter 2010 and really became serious about my journey in weight loss and health in January 2011, I really stuck with it, went from 212 pounds down to 144 pounds by December 2011. My goal weight was (and is) 125 pounds. I was down 68 pounds and then I got a little too comfortable, I started slipping around the holidays, and then I kept slipping, I could "maintain" for a little before I lost the last 19 pounds, right?! Well, it didn't happen like that, instead from January 2012 to now at the end of September 2012 I am back up to 169 pounds. I gained 25 pounds back this year, in just under 9 months. So, now I am back to having a total of 44 pounds to lose to reach my goal (at least I am still down 43 pounds from my starting weight, so that is something to be thankful for).

I really want to get started with my running again, I can't even run a mile anymore. I injured my knee back in November of last year, right before I started gaining again and at that time I was running 7 miles at a time, so I am bummed about my lack of ability to run at the moment. I have to remember it takes a while to build back up and the fact that these extra 25 pounds take an extra toll on my body when I run!

I don't want to just lose the weight, I really just want to completely change my lifestyle again and be healthy. I am a married lesbian (almost five years now!) and we recently obtained custody of a beautiful baby boy and we really want to be healthy for him and so we can also teach him healthy habits as he grows up. So I am changing my eating habits, starting to go to the gym again and just lead a more active lifestyle. I am also trying to teach myself to cook and bake a little bit, healthy but simple meals. I also blog although I haven't in months, but need to get started again.

I'd really love to make some new MFP friends to help hold me accountable, encourage and support me and I would love to do the same in return, MFP friends helped with my initial success but a lot of them are either finished with their journeys, no longer using MFP or deleted me during my prolonged time on inactivity.

But I am back and ready to do this again, who is with me?