Hello. My name is...

Greetings, fellow dieters! My name is Dana and I am friend to a couple of people on this blog. Here's my story:

I really need to lose this baby weight. My body has never been the same. Oh, wait ...my baby is 17...

2010 was a milestone year for me, body-wise: my body turned 40 years old, and I now weigh more than I did when I was at my heaviest pregnant weight. At my doctor's appointment last March, she told me I should probably "start doing something" since I had gained more in the last 5 years than I had in the previous 10.

I am 6 feet tall. That means the number on my scale is always going to be a little higher than my friend's. It means whenever I tell people how much I weigh they say, "Yeah, but you're 6 feet tall!", like that's supposed to make me loathe myself less. It also means I'll never wear a size 10 in jeans. I am not a total cow. I weighed 150 when I got married 20 years ago, 205 at my heaviest point in pregnancy 17 years ago, and 209 last week. It's not like I need the seatbelt extenders on airplanes, but I am a little squidgy around the edges. I'm wearing a 14 in jeans and refuse to go to a 16. My next step is denim jumpers and lies (as in: "Yes, we're thrilled to be expecting at this late stage in life!").  The fact is, I hate to exercise, I hate Slimfast, I love sugar and I love salt. But, I also love a few healthy things, so I think I can do this. Because I really hate denim jumpers.

I have lost weight twice previously: 20 lbs when I had braces on 3 years ago (eating spagettiOs and water) and 25 lbs when I had neck surgery (eating Oxycontin and Vicodin). I wonder where spagettiOs and Vicodin would get me?! I have never done Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach, or Dr. Oz. I can count on one hand how many times I've 'done' Jillian Michaels. I really don't think I'll ever be back at my 150 lb Wedding Weight. Two neck surgeries have severly limited my range of motion and activity level. But that doesn't mean I have to eat Sour Cream & Onion Pringles and A&W root beer for dinner, does it?

So... I joined ZUMBA on Tuesdays and Core Fitness on Thursdays. I have a friend who is willing to see me in a swimsuit and we're doing laps 2 nights a week. I also have a treadmill in the garage, Jillian Michaels in the DVD player, and hills and trails behind my house for those days when I just have to walk. My goal is to not look like a heinous pig in shorts this summer. Oh, and maybe buy some skinny jeans. I hope I'm not aiming too high...

~Dana