And it starts...

Today is the first day of my new diet/lifestyle. I have made tons of excuses in the past, and because of those excuses I am 50lbs over weight. I love food, and therefore I eat way too much of it. Combine that with my very light exercise and you get a disaster!

I signed up on Spark People. It's a great website where you can track your daily calories as well as chat on message boards with people trying to lose weight just like you. This will give me more accountability and make me actually write down what I eat. You also get to see this little weight loss ticker that shows how much weight you have lost to date, and I really want to see that sucker move! Who knew a weight loss ticker would really be the thing to make me want to get my butt in gear?

I am also going to work on picking up a new hobby, I am thinking crocheting. Having something to do with my hands and keep me from being bored will be extremely beneficial in keeping me away from bad foods. My Grandma also crochets and I love the blankets she made us growing up. I hope to be able to make blankets for our future kiddos.
Then there are the pictures. I have a couple of pictures of me recently that make me look like a house. I can't stand it, and looking at those pictures on occasion really helps me to remember WHY I am doing what I am doing.

I have also decided to give yoga a try. I have anxiety issues, and I think that it may do a lot to help me relax more. It's also great exercise! If I pair that with more walks around the lake and more Wii Fit, I think I will do great.

Last but certainly not least, I am going to try and purchase more organic foods. I strongly believe that the hormones and pesticides we are consuming on a daily basis are making us ill. After my surgery I decided that I really wanted to do everything I could to keep from having to do that again, and I feel this is something small that might make a big difference. Yes, organic is more expensive, but it is one thing I don't mind spending a little extra money on.

My first goal is to lose 20lbs by the time we go on vacation to Austin, which is the end of June. That gives me 3 months, which is a little over 6lbs a month. I think I can do it!