Fat and 45

Ok, 44, technically, but fat, literally.  I turn 45 in September, and I'm tired of being larger than I have ever been in my entire life, including when I was pregnant!  This picture was taken at this year's Love Affair and Bridal Expo, and it's not bad, but it's not good, either.  So I'm gonna do something about it.

First the stats: I'm a size 12 in most things, but I have had to resort to 14's in other things recently.  To me, that is unacceptable - not because being a 12 or 14 is a character flaw, it's because I have no one to blame but myself.  I'm not ill, I'm not physically impaired, I'm just an eater.  A BIG eater.  I have never met a baked good I didn't like, and don't EVEN get me started about my Coke addiction.  I love to eat anything and everything and I like to eat a lot.  I also don't like to exercise.  Hate it!  All that bad behavior has added up to about 20 extra pounds that I really want to get rid of.  In order to go down a size, you have to lose 10 pounds.  I want to be a size 8!  So I have to lose 20 pounds and I want them gone by the time I blow out my candles on September 24th.  How am I going to do that?

Did I mention I like to eat?  I think that's why I would not be a good candidate for diet food.  Not that it doesn't work for other people, but I like to cook and I think by just doing my own portion control, I can cut my calories enough to avoid having to buy food that I am perfectly capable of cooking myself.  I'm also going to be serious about working out.  I don't plan on being in any bodybuilding competitions anytime soon, so I just want to tone up.  I don't want my thighs to rub together, I don't want my arms to wobble when I clap, and I am SICK of the gut I have developed!  Again, not looking to walk the Victoria's Secret catwalk, just don't want to be mistaken for a beached whale at the pool!

To keep me honest, I'm going to repost the Bridal Expo picture alongside a new picture every Friday so we can all keep track of whether I'm staying on track or not.  Hopefully, the last picture will be me in a size 8 at my birthday party!