It all started with a trip to the grocery store.

About six weeks ago, I headed to the grocery store to stock up before the mother of all snowstorms. I'm walking down the aisle, thinking about what to get, and it hit me: not one of the things I was going to get was good for me. NOT ONE. I actually stopped in the middle of the aisle and said "wow" out loud. I stood there for a second, mentally running through the list again and hoping I'd missed something, but nope: it was all stuff that was gonna taste good and make me happy (for a few minutes) but do nothing whatsoever for my health. Didn't take long to realize that in fact, the opposite was true: it was all gonna hurt me, sooner or later.

That epiphany started me on this journey. For the next two weeks, I thought about my life, how I eat, what I eat, when I eat it. I thought about it A LOT. I knew that for things to change, it was gonna be a big deal. After all, we all know that lifelong habits are hard to break. I was pretty sure lapband surgery was the way to go for me (basically, I want to "lose a person" weight-wise). Then, in a meeting with a friend and business adviser a couple of weeks after the fatefeul trip to the grocer, I learned about MyFitnessPal. My friend is in great shape, so I was skeptical. But I checked it out and a few days later decided to give it a try.

I signed up and committed to lose the least amount of weight the system allows for (1/2 lb, if I recall) and NO exercise. (I know myself pretty well! I started using the system and by day three -- 2 lbs. lighter -- I was hooked. A week later, 5 lbs. lighter, I told a few people about it. They signed up and we're ALL seeing positive results. Tomorrow marks day 30 for me, and I'm happy to say I'm down 15 lbs. More importantly, I feel good, have more energy, and am proud of how I've stuck with it (historically, not one of my strong suits).

I never thought the simple act of tracking what I eat would have this effect. It's literally changed every single thing I ever thought about food and eating. If I'm going out, I now check websites for nutritional info ahead of time. I read labels. I actually exercise occasionally now, mostly walking and gardening. And I revel in a load of tiny victories every week. Thinking about the big picture -- the total number of pounds I want to lose -- is too overwhelming. But every time I drink a glass of water, or reach for an apple, or get to post that I'm under my calories AGAIN, it's a win. So -- that's why I posted this under Success Stories .... every win = success in my book.

I'm happy to report that in my trip to the grocery store today, every single thing in my shopping basket was way, way better for me. Lots of fresh fruit, almond milk, light soy, chicken for grilling, salmon. Feels good. Really, really good. Onward!