Six months before my 30th birthday I resolved to lose a significant amount of weight (somewhere in the vicinity of 30 pounds). It was by no means a spur of the moment decision. I had tried and failed several times to lose weight, coming to the conclusion that my body was not meant to be smaller and that I was destined to be the fat sister, the chubby (and funny) friend and the slightly frumpy coworker. Then came the health problems. To say I was always a sickly kid is to put things mildly; to name a few of my afflictions: allergies, asthma, ITP, endometriosis, Hashimotos disease. One day I woke up and thought "if I don't straighten up, I'm going to have a stroke and diabetes to boot" . . . that's the great thing about family history . . . it tells you what you have to look forward to. So, I joined the Weight Watchers and lost a little over 25 pounds in a little over six months. And, as I lost, I gained a self confidence and sense of control I had never before felt. A good friend started calling me "The Incredible Shrinking Tessa".It's been almost exactly 5 years since I took a look at myself and made that momentous decision to change. And, as of this morning, I weigh almost exactly what I did when I made that decision. I am certainly more stable and successful in other areas of my life . . . I suppose that is what made focusing on my health so hard to do. But it is time for me to be honest with myself and start taking control again. And if I can get the hubby to join me we will both be the better for it. Over the next few months, I will chronicle my struggles with the scale. I will share my tricks for better balance (i.e. how to expend more energy than I consume). As an avid reader, I will review books I read, letting you know what (if anything) is helpful. I will provide you with links to articles and tools. If I find a good recipe, I will post that here. Most importantly, I will share the ups and downs of my experience.
Your Chubby Friend,
Tessa
