Spring is here. Time for a change

Long ago and far away, .... no, just about 6 years ago I finally decided to lose some weight after looking at a picture of myself busting out of the jeans I was wearing. I am not going to say what size they were or how much I actually weighed. Trust me when I say, it was not pretty, but I wasn't at the point of no return. I was obese but not morbidly so. I had been looking at the South Beach diet book, and I thought for a long time that it was just a big fad. Then I started researching it. Basically, the idea is that all carbohydrates are not equal! I bought the book and read it, and decided to give it a try. 50 pounds and a year or so later, I was fitting into a size that I hadn't seen in years. This lasted for several years and I was able to maintain that weight loss. Then I got a little complacent. I went back to my old ways of eating, and before you knew it, I had gained back some of that weight. Next thing you know, I've gained at least 25 of it back! Yes, it took me a couple years to get there, but last fall, I'd had enough. It's kind of like quitting smoking, though. You need to work on one thing at a time. First, I knew part of my problem was lack of exercise. So I joined a local gym and started working on the weights and the elliptical. I have not been able to turn it into a daily habit, but I do go get some kind of workout in at least three days a week, and then try to do some other activity on two other days. Today I took the dog for a 2.5 mile brisk walk (or at least, mostly brisk. Dog decided he wanted a few minutes in the river by the path). Tomorrow is the pool, and Sunday we'll go skiing. Then, it was time to go back on the strict South Beach way of eating. This week I've shunned all white flour, most carbs except vegetables, and until tonight, no alcohol. So far, I've lost at least 5 pounds. I will weigh myself again next Tuesday and report on my progress. So, this blog for now is a journal of my progress, and a reminder to myself to keep it on track!