Less of Me

Food is a vital part of our lives. Not only does it keep us alive, it is used to supplement celebrations. Birthday cake, Christmas treats, Halloween candy - is there any celebration that doesn't mean food?

Wisconsin is known for its love of beer, brats and cheese. The combination of frigid winters and the football season equals a battle of the waistlines, with few winners. We also are a leader in the country for alcohol consumption.

I've struggled with weight and image issues my entire life. Over the last five years the image issues are more or less gone away. The weight issue has not. While I don't mind the way my face looks, I do mind the way I look naked. Since moving to Wisconsin, I've gained thirty pounds and two clothing sizes.

I've tried various things like joining the local YMCA, biking to work (in the summer only), walking outdoors, etc. But to no effect. Those thirty pounds refuse to move. Even though my activity levels have increased, food continues to keep me in my plus size clothes.

A college friend and I have had some discussion lately has to our desire to have less of ourselves around. The problem stems from different areas for both of us even though the outcome is the same. Making matters worse are stores like Torrid who cater to plus size women - starting at size 12. I'm conflicted about the store. Their fashions do consider the differences in making clothes for a size 4 versus a size 18, but plus sizes don't start at 12. Contrary to what the fashion world would like people to believe, size 0 through 4 is a tiny person, not a normal sized person.

I know of one person who has sucessfully lost and maintained a significant weight loss. He is a very approachable, friendly, accepting sort of guy, so I asked Jason for help. I want to lose the 30 lbs I've put on since moving here.

He's excited, eager even, to help. He loves weight loss, exercising and nutrition the way I love books. I've hired him to help me. I'm already exercising 3 times a week for 30 minutes a shot. I run on an elliptical runner at the YMCA during my lunch break. I'd like to make it four times a week, but life keeps conspiring against me.

Because I'm a record keeping freak, I have all sorts of data harvested from the machine's stats concerning my distances, times and calorie burns. I'm doing good there, he says. Then he asked about my food and water intake.

Gulp.

It's bad and I know it. I love cookies. Brownies. Diet Pepsi. My list of sins is too embarrassing to recount; let's just agree that it's what's keeping those 30 lbs around.

Because he has done it, Jason knows how difficult it is. Because he knows me and my zealous nature for record keeping, he suggested that I write down everything I eat in a day, along with the calories. Even if it is a stick of gum or a piece of hard candy, count it. The only change right now is to increase my water intake from haphazard to 1 gallon a day. No Diet Pepsi.

Do you know how much you pee when you drink a gallon of water a day? I also added four pounds after doing it for one day. The next day I lost five.

I'm confident that if I listen to Jason, I will achieve my goals. He says he can help me get to what the doctor office chart consider a healthy weight for my height. I have nothing to lose. Except some extra pounds.

Less of Me
Month	Change	To Go
Jan	-	30
Feb	+1.03	31.58
Mar	-	-
Apr	-	-
May	-	-
Jun	-	-
Jul	-	-
Aug	-	-
Sep	-	-
Oct	-	-
Nov	-	-
Dec	-	-