In the zone!

Hi, I'm Amy...34, divorced and I have a 6 year old daughter...and I'm in the zone. Finally. I want this so badly. Back in 2003 I did Atkins, and while it worked great for a while - I lost 50lbs - at a certain point, I hit a wall. I had a child. I got divorced. I tried to start again...it just didn't fit my lifestyle anymore.

Many times I've tried eating better...only to have a week or two pass and I slowly gave up. I never seemed to stick to it. I tried fooling myself by not calling it a diet. Didn't work. I'd have a "treat" and then that would turn into a "treat day" and then a "treat weekend" - until a week had passed and I decided that I didn't care and I'd go back to eating crap.

I'm embarrassed to say, my daily food consumption usually was a large iced coffee, a couple of donuts or a coffee roll. Then I'd get to work and have some sort of breakfast sandwich...cheese, sausage, eggs on a croissant or a bagel. Then I'd have a snack...and lunch...with a snack. Then another snack. Then a huge dinner - with a few snacks in between. I can't even guess as to what my caloric intake was. I'd be afraid to even look.

Back in October I had my cholesterol checked. 251. But even that didn't scare me enough. I tried to be scared, but it didn't work.

Well, right after my birthday this year (March), something hit me. I knew summer was coming. Not that I love summer...but I love my clothes...and I remember how last year they didn't fit right. They fit...but not properly. Try walking around in 90* weather with a spanx on. NOT fun. So I decided that I had a mini goal. I wanted my summer cloths to fit this year. I started eating better. Making choices that I thought were good. I started tracking my calories. And guess what...my food choices still weren't great. It was crazy to see that I still had NO idea what good food was. I had no idea what kind of calories were in things. So I fiddled around. Talked to friends about food options and managed to dwindle my caloric intake down from about 2500 cal a day to about 1500 cal a day. I actually find it a challenge. A fun challenge. To see how much food I can eat, but still stay within 1500 - 1700 a day. I preferably like to keep about 1500. I don't like seeing that number creep up.

Well, I then decided that although the weight was coming off...slowly. A pound or two here and there...that moving my body would probably help more.

There is a gym at work. A free one. I've never taken advantage of it. Ever. I walk by it often. I used to go to the gym. Back in 2003. I loved it. I loved that soreness I'd feel the next day. It meant I was doing something. But then I had a child...divorce, etc...and I had no way to get back. I thought about walking, but I know myself...and I know as soon as the weather starts to get warm, I won't walk. So I talked to my boss...changed my hours at work from 8-4 with no lunch and I decided I would go to the gym from 4-5.

First it was just going to be some treadmill walking. Then I decided that maybe I'd like to do weights again. Now I've decided that I want to Couch to 5K. I'm doing weights and cardio and C25K! I'm eating better. I'm eating well.

Don't get me wrong...if I want to go to the movies and have some popcorn, I do. But I do not...and will not...allow that to snowball. It won't turn into an all day thing.

While I wish the weight would come off faster...I know in the long run, slow and steady wins the race.

I've decided that my daughter is my life...and I want to live for her. I need to do this...and I am. I am IN the zone!