When to Weigh

I step on the scale each day. I have to know what the number on the scale is even though I never do anything about it other than grumbling. In an effort to break with the old, I won't weigh myself for the first week. My beginning weight is 181 pounds. On my very average frame, my BMI measures in the overweight category, waddling very close to obese.

I'm well into my second day of change. Like many on new diet and exercise regimens, I'm full of enthusiasm for my new lifestyle. I anticipate struggling with motivation as time passes, but today is good. I must avoid the temptation to overdo early on, especially with exercise. Doing too much makes the wait for nap time far too long.

I consulted with a trainer at a local gym yesterday. She suggested SparkPeople.com, an online tool to track fitness and nutrition goals while participating in a supportive community. I'm now a registered member, and SparkPeople might be a good fit for me. Points accumulate when I complete positive activities, i.e. five minutes of exercise, eight glasses of water, tracking calories. I enjoy earning even when the points lack purchasing power.

I estimate that a healthy weight loss would be forty pounds. I plan to break this down into segments. The first step will be reaching my pre-pregnancy weight by year end, a loss of nine pounds to reach 172 pounds. I'm taking the following steps to achieve this first milestone:

-Enjoy 30 minutes or more of physical fitness activity daily

-Drink 8 glasses or more of water daily

-Eat a total of 6 meals and snacks, consuming less than 2000 calories daily