Thursday, July 23, 2009

A Journey Begins

Every diet magazine contains success stories about overweight women who lose 40, 50, even hundreds of pounds. But what about those of us who have to lose 30 or 20 or 15 pounds to be a healthier weight? What about the "not fat" girls who want to be healthier, fitter, more toned? We have to work twice as hard to lose half as much.

Everyone always tells me I'm not fat, I'm "normal." Well, when the average woman in America is 5'4 and weights 165 lbs, normal isn't so great.



I recently discovered that not only had I been gaining weight consistently, but if I gained 6 more pounds I would be overweight. This was unacceptable, and I have decided it's time for a change. The task: get healthy, get fit and get slim.

History:

While I had about a year in college when I was heavy, I have been pretty slim or normal most of my life. Granted, when I was thinner I didn't eat, like ever. I lost weight in college by eating less and sleeping a lot during a semester where I had no part-time job. Then I moved to NYC after graduation. The pounds packed on.

I thought since I was walking everywhere I would lose weight: boy was I wrong. All the takeout, the cocktails, the meeting people for dinner: it packed on the pounds. At only 5'3, I went from a healthy 114 to a nasty 135 in half a year.

When I started working as an editorial intern at Shape magazine this summer, I knew it was time to change. I spent all day reading about diets and health food and have decided that it's time I started to feel better, fitter and healthier.



There will be no (or less) junk. I want to eat mostly vegetables and fruits and whole grains. I plan to throw some chicken and fish into my diet. I plan to exercise more and go to the gym at least 3 times a week to get fitter and stronger. I hope to get back to my goal weight...which will be somewhere between 108 and 112 lbs. I want to look good in a bathing suit next summer. Don't you?

Follow me on my journey (and start one of your own)...it's going to be a tough one.


(Photos: yell.com, deviantart.com, title image: Heidi Barbara)

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