The future isn’t set in stone. Things change. Edward Cullen, Twilight, Chapter 14, p.290

The future isn't set in stone, Edward was right.  Things can always change.  Sometimes those changes are out of our hands.  Sometimes, they are completely within our power.  The point is to "decide what to do with what I was given". 

I make a lot of excuses, waste a lot of time, and tend to say "I'll start tomorrow" far too frequently.  I have no one to blame for my weight gain but myself.  I am the one that chooses what to eat, how often to eat, and whether or not I will make a positive decision or a negative one. 

For instance, let's say I have to eat out tonight because of our schedules, we're going to stop at the local sub shop.  Do I get the garden salad with grilled chicken & some feta cheese on the side?  Or the italian sub, with cappicola, salami & provolone cheese, lots of veggies, and oil & seasonings (not to mention the 10 inch sub roll)? 

I KNOW that I should opt for the salad, but more often than not, I choose the sandwich instead.  Which means I'm often choosing the 600+ calorie meal versus the 250-300 calorie meal (figuring a few ounces of grilled chicken, 1/8 C feta cheese & some light blush vinaigrette salad dressing, plus all the veggies, which only equate to about 50-75 calories).

It's all about deciding what to do with what I am given.  "It all begins with a choice." (Eclipse movie tag line, June 30, 2010)


Therefore, I am choosing to put an end to the bad decisions that I allow myself to make, and am choosing to become a healthier person - for myself & for my daughter.  Here are my stats, and my goals:

July 12, 2010:  206.2 pounds, 5'5" inches tall, 38 1/2 years old

OVERALL GOAL: 

To lose 66 pounds prior to November 18, 2011 (the release date of the first installment of Breaking Dawn) - 70 weeks

Short Term Goals:

By November 19, 2010 (opening date of Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Pt 1):  To have lost 25 pounds (18 week time span = average of 1.4 pounds lost per week from 7/12/10) 

By December 29, 2010 (39th birthday):  To have lost 30 pounds (24 week time span = average of 1.25 pounds lost per week from 7/12/10)

By March 8, 2011 (3 year anniversary of joining TwilightMOMS website):  To have lost 40 pounds (34 week time span = average of 1.18 pounds lost per week from 7/12/10)

By July 15, 2011 (opening date of Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Pt 2):  To have lost 50 pounds (52 week time span = average of .97 pounds lost per week from 7/12/10)

By November 18, 2011 (release date of Breaking Dawn, Pt 1):  To have lost 66 pounds (70 week time span = average of 0.95 pounds lost per week from 7/12/10)

This all takes into effect the fact that I know I am not perfect and will make mistakes.  It gives me the time to take this weight off the RIGHT way!  And it accounts for the fact that as the body gets healthier, weight comes off at a slower rate.  By including these factors into my goals, I hope that I am giving myself the room to succeed, rather than creating unrealistic expectations that will certainly fail.