First Post!

Hi, my name is Nadine and much like the rest of America, I am chasing after weight loss and a healthier lifestyle. For as long as I can remember I have been overweight, out of shape and a self-proclaimed hater of dieting and exercise. I have tried many crash diets and have failed at almost all of them. The only diet that I have ever started and stuck with was my decision to become a vegetarian. Although, I use the term diet very loosely, as I did not cut out meat as a way to lose weight, rather it was a lifestyle choice that I made 6 years ago. And with becoming a vegetarian, I did not drop any weight; in fact I slowly began to gain weight.

I have spent most of my life thinking that someday I would adopt a healthier lifestyle. Someday I would begin working out. Someday, someday….but which day? When would that day come, the day that I would decide to get in shape? Well that day started on October 31^st, 2011. I was looking at photos that had recently been taken and I didn’t even recognize the girl that I was starring at. Was that really me? Was I really that overweight? I guess I always pictured myself as just having a little extra weight to lose, but the girl in this picture was obese. I looked at myself in the mirror and it finally hit me; I needed to change my lifestyle or I was going to end up with a lifetime of health problems. I had finally experienced what I refer to as- that aha moment!

In reading about weight loss success stories, many people talk about having this moment when they know they have no other choice than to shape up their unhealthy eating habits. That moment when everything that you have been ignoring, finally just clicks. This is what I have started referring to as that aha moment! After experiencing my aha moment, my roommate and I joined the YWCA and ever since I have been going to the gym on a regular basis. In addition I have finally begun eating healthy and counting calories. I decided that starting a blog might be a helpful resource in getting feedback from others and connecting with people who are in the same place I am or those who have already lost weight. I plan to share all of my challenges, triumphs and every little aha moment that I experience on my weight loss journey!