Spark People

Some of you have the knowledge that I am on my way to losing weight. I have told a select few people of the details of this plan, and all of the specifics that go along with it. One of them is my friend Michelle. She referred me to http://www.sparkpeople.com/. It is a great motivational website, and is 100% free. This website is great. It is a like myspace, but for weight loss. I have my own page, and graph to track my progress, and lots of forums and message boards for motivation. It is a great way to make myself accountable(which is one of the new things I'm doing this go round.) Another new thing I am doing, that I have NEVER done in the past was weigh myself. I used to only know how much I weigh by my yearly doctor's office visit. I have now purchased a scale, and have decided to weigh myself every 2 weeks. When I first started this new program(on August 10, 2008) I bought a scale, and decided I would probably weight myself every 3 weeks to a month. My first weigh-in was on August 31, 2008. Unfortunately I didn't get the results I wanted, and while talking to another friend Tina(who knows all of the details of this journey as well.) she decided that my first week doesn't really count. My first week was, well, my first week. I only went to the gym 4x's, and 2 of those workouts weren't my full 45 minute work outs with 15 minutes of toning. Plus I had a daily visit with Ice Cream! For those of you that don't know, ice cream isn't something to eat on a journey of weight loss! Everything in moderation. I've lost weight in the past, and was pretty successful without me even knowing it. I was also pretty successful at keeping it off. My major weight loss came 5 years ago during my training at Qwest and went through the first part of my relationship with Aaron. During my 2 year relationship with Aaron I surprisingly kept it off(I think, again I didn't weigh myself). The major weight gain came with my break up with Aaron. I was depressed, and eatting out just about every day, and just about every single meal. And I was eatting a lot. For the first time ever I had to go shopping for bigger clothes etc...It was very depressing. But it obviously wasn't my wake up call(this was almost 3 years ago). I have never started working out as a "New Year's Resolution". For a couple of reasons. 1. Have you ever gone to the gym in January?! It is CRAZY. Super packed, and busy, and all of your machines unavailable. Everyone goes to the gym in January, because of their New Year's Resolution. All of the times I start any weight loss is in the Summer. Mainly because I want a noticeable difference by the time I see all of my family during the Holidays, and plus that seems to be when I get the motivation. So I started this summer. Well this summer has been crazy. I've been consistently going to the gym, but only while I have been in-town. I've been out of town a lot this summer, and well if I'm on vacation somewhere, I'm not going to the gym. With the expcetion of my second trip to Florida. My friend Tina and her husband Jason 3 weeks prior had just started a 12 week program: Body For Life. (I plan to do Body For Life in January or February of next year.) And this program is strict. It isn't time consuming(it is made for the everyday life in mind), but you do have to follow it. Since Tina and Jason were doing this program, when they went to the gym, I went to gym. And had 3 work outs while I was in Florida! That was a first for ANY vacation, ever. Coming back from FL, I had a solid 3 months of no trips, and the chance to finally get a good routine going. So that is what I have done. I have set myself up with realistic goals as well as a good support group of friends and family.