Hey! Watch that weight.

Neil and I made it to the cabin in one piece. We got his car back the day before we headed up, with the a.c. running in full force. I picked his car up and dropped mine off in exchange. After a week of rest and relaxation and quiet time spent at the cabin we headed back to town and picked up my car on the way home. So all is well in the world of cars, and our bank account has $550 less in it. C'est la vie right?

On Friday, I did something proactive. I joined Weight Watchers. At the doctor's a couple of weeks ago I weighed in at 153 lbs, the most I have ever weighed. Granted to some people that might not seem like a lot. But on my almost 5'7" frame that has always been pretty skinny ... it IS a lot.

So with the help of Weight Watchers and counting points and learning portion control, I hope to get my weight down to my goal weight of 130lbs. My appropriate weight range for my height and age is 128-160 lbs and of course I'd rather be at the lower end of that weight range. For the last several years I've eaten whatever I wanted without paying any heed to just how much and what it was that I was shoving down my throat. Fat and calories and tons of processed foods that have done nothing but presented me with the challenge that I now face.

For me, this is so much more than weight loss. This is training. Teaching me that my body doesn't need to eat so much; that my body shouldn't have to crave sweet, fat and salt all the time; that I can fill up on liquids and nuts instead of potato chips. This really is going to be a routine change. Neil is following along with me, and that support is really helping. I've been entering every single thing I eat into my Points Tracker online. Seeing the running balance of my points allowance left for a given day is really helpful. This is also a great diet plan because you can still enjoy your favorite foods, just in smaller amounts. You can still eat sweets and fats, just in alternate forms. It's all about learning to make healthier choices.

I'm looking forward to this. I need to push myself to be healthier. Not only for my own benefit, but for Neil, for my family, and for any future family that may come along.

Luckily Neil and I LOVE Trader Joe's. We'll be shopping there quite often for our healthy meals in low-point values. Also, I can eat a ton of sashimi whenever we go out for sushi and that makes me really happy.

Thank you to my coworkers who have inspired me to finally do something about the path I was heading down at 100mph. Two of my coworkers are gym-goers and stay toned and trim. Another has been on Weight Watchers since December and has been very successful with it. She looks fantastic and she did it all without fanatical trips to the gym. That is realistic for me. I am not the type to work out like crazy for a few hours just to burn off 200 calories. But I think once I get down to my goal weight I can then maintain that weight by going to the gym and toning up my muscles at that time.

Anyway, I'm going in for my first official weight watchers meeting and weigh-in tonight. I'm hoping to meet successful women as well as women who are struggling with their love for eating like I do. Having a support group during this time is invaluable to me.