This is the beginning of the rest of my healthy life :o)

145, 9, 40, 185. When I was a senior in high school, I weighed 145 pounds. That was 9 years ago. Since then, I've packed on 40 pounds, putting me at a hefty 185 pounds. Back in 2000, at 5 ft 8 in, with a large skeletal frame, I was of average weight. I was a cheerleader with a teenagers' horrible eating habits. Fast forward a few years and I was at the University of Tennessee trekking across a huge campus all day, everyday just to get to my classes. I was a busy student, again with horrible eating habits. December 2005 brought me to my graduation and entrance into the working world. It also brought me to a desk job where I sat for 8+ hours a day and was too "tired" to exercise when I got home. Did my eating habits change? Of course not! Throw in a healthy, loving relationship with the man of my dreams and 40 pounds found their way onto my frame VERY easily.

For the longest time, I was in denial about it, but then I really started to feel the burden that the extra weight was putting on me...not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. I've dieted and changed a lot of my eating habits, but I'm still an Italian girl who has a love of chocolate, cheese and bread (eek! I think 2 pounds just landed on my butt just thinking about it!!) and who also has a problem with emotional eating.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because I had an epiphany today and I decided to really do something about it. My real problem with all of my past attempts at weight loss was that I tried to go it alone. I've come to realize that I can't do this alone. I need support. I need encouragement. But more than anything, I need people to help keep me accountable. So with this blog, I will be keeping you up to date on my progress of getting to my goal weight of 145 by weighing myself every Saturday, logging all of the exercise I get, keeping a food diary, and even occasionally posting a fun photo or two :o) Your job is this...enjoy this blog (as if you wouldn't!) and comment as you wish (yell at me if I should be doing something that I'm not, but of course encouragement is always highly preferred!)

I'm really looking forward to this next phase in my life and I'm really excited about being able to share it with all of you!! Thank you in advance for your support and encouragement and I'll see you at 145! xoxox