Here I am: six months shy of the big 5-0. Overall, I’m a happy camper. My name is Mary. I’m single, I have a great job and I have many wonderful people in my life. I also love where I live, in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, which, IMHO, is one of the coolest neighborhoods in New York City.
But … I’m 5’9″ and carrying 185 pounds.
Not where I want to be, weight-wise.
Weight has not been an issue for me most of my life. But it has been a challenge on and off since my mid-30s. I’ve lost weight a number of times, only to regain it in times of stress and depression. And every time it’s harder to lose.
When I moved to Brooklyn from Washington, DC, a little over three years ago, I was under 150. The transition was not an easy one for me. I sunk into an emotional black hole. It’s remarkable how quickly I packed on the LBs after I stopped working out and started overindulging in wine, cheese, ice cream, eating out, etc. Things only got worse after I developed a persistent and painful case of plantars fasciitis, which made it difficult for me to even walk a few blocks.
Several times during the past few years I’ve vowed to take off the weight again. But I just wasn’t serious. Instead, I put on more weight!
Things are different now. I’m better — emotionally and physically — and I’m taking a stand. I hereby declare: By June 20, 2011, approximately six months from now, I will lose 30 pounds. I will reach 155.
I feel that this is an ambitious but achievable goal. I know what needs to be done; it’s not exactly rocket science. Eat less, exercise more. I’ve done it before and will do it again. And this time, I will maintain a healthy weight after reaching my goal by not falling back into bad habits.
As my guide, I’m using the Weight Watchers plan online. It’s a sensible plan with a good tracking system. I’m skipping the meetings — not really my thing. And now that the plantars fasciitis has eased up, I’m back at the gym. I’m fortunate to live right across the street from a terrific gym, at the Park Slope Armory. It has a beautiful indoor track that I use to do fast-walking. To kick it up a few notches, I use the eliptical machine. I’m thinking of adding weights at some point, but first I need to just get back into the work-out groove.
My primary reason for writing this blog is to keep myself honest and on track. I’ll do a weekly weigh-in and I’ll talk about the various challenges I encounter as I struggle to shed the LBs.

Week 1 Weigh-In
But there’s a lot more I want to do here. Eating is fundamental to staying alive, and yet few of us eat simply to stay alive. There are so many psychological, emotional, and social entanglements — even political ones. Some of the topics I want to explore:
- When food becomes our pal: eating and depression
- Meditation: a tool for weight loss?
- The new versus the old Weight Watchers plan
- Bad influences: The friends we love to overindulge with
- TV is our weight loss enemy!
- Losing weight as a singleton vs. feeding a family
And of course, favorite recipes and menus. I love to cook and entertain, and this does present a challenge for me sometimes. But there are a lot of great resources out there that I’d love to share, and I’m sure some of you will have suggestions as well.
So, here goes: I’m on the road to losing 30 by 50. Thanks for joining me along the way.
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