Here we go again...but for the last time!

Hello and welcome to Skinny B's Road to Success Blog!

I am Skinny B (almost) - aka Brooke - and I have been battling my weight since my early twenties.  I recently had my second baby and although I feel blessed to have already lost the weight I gained during pregnancy, I have about 40 extra lbs I'd like to get rid of.

Let me start off this thing by saying that I am absolutely terrified.  I can't believe I'm putting this out on the internet for everyone to see, but I figure that the worst thing that is going to happen is that people will make fun of me for the current state I'm in. But, if someone is going to do that, I probably don't care what they think anyway.  I hope that by tracking my progress and challenges, my feelings and the rest of my journey, I will be better able to hold myself accountable. Afterall, I would not want to disappoint my fans. :)

A brief synopsis of my journey follows:

In my early twenties I was at a very healthy weight. More than ideal per doctor/science/BMI standards. I hung out at around 135 lbs.

When I moved in with my then boyfriend Matt (now husband) the usual happened...I got comfortable, started eating what he eats, and let myself gain some weight. About 25 lbs in 6 months. I joined Weight Watchers after we got engaged and lost about 15 lbs before the wedding. We cruised for our honeymoon, and those that have ever been on a cruise know how easy it is to gain weight on one...I gained all 15 lbs back between my honeymoon and the first few weeks in my marriage.

Knowing that this was not a healthy thing, I started attending Weight Watchers again. I did great! I lost that 15 lbs fast and it felt so awesome! So, of course, I stopped going to Weight Watchers. The weight came back, and then some.

About a year and a half after Matt and I got married, we got pregnant, and I lost the baby. It was the lowest point in my whole life emotionally. I ate for comfort and kept gaining weight.

Christmas 2007 we found out I was pregnant again...this time I was blessed with my beautiful son Miles, born in August of 2008. I gained a normal, healthy amount with my pregnancy. About 35 lbs.  A lot came off after he was born, but I joined Weight Watchers again and lost 30 lbs in 4 months! Again, it felt so awesome. I got down to a size 8, and I just felt so wonderful. Then, I hit a wall. Not a plateau, but a wall. I stayed at the same weight for 12 weeks, and I just gave up. I maintained my weight for awhile, but, as should have been expected, it slowly came back. I gained back 15 lbs before I got pregnant again with my now 3-month old princess, Maggie.

Again, the pregnancy weight came off fast, but now it is time for me to work on the emotional eating/food addiction weight that has been on my body for far too long now.

Through the recommendation and guidance of my doctor, I am starting the Medi-fast diet tomorrow.  I am scared. I am excited. I am nervous.  I am mourning the loss of my old lifestyle and my old self. I will likely mourn the loss of some of my favorite clothes as well...so long as I get to trade them in for smaller favorite clothes, I should survive. :) I am excited for a new me. To have energy to play with my kids.

I am doing this for many reasons. For my health, to be a good example for my children, to see my husband's jaw drop when I wear a dress, to feel good about myself and to take advantage of the one life I've been given on this earth and make the most of it.

This blog is to help me be accountable, get support from my friends and family, and to track my journey so that WHEN, not if, I reach my destination, I can look back and see how far I've come.

Tomorrow is my first official day of my new lifestyle . I will post my "before" pictures, and my stats including my weight tomorrow morning and my measurements. My goal is to post these things weekly and blog daily about how I am feeling, what my challenges are, what is easy for me, and all that other good stuff.

I hope that through this account of the start of my new lifestyle, I can inspire others to make the changes they want to make as well. Weight-related or otherwise.

Also I should note that I chose the black blog background in the hopes that it would make me appear thinner. :)

Until tomorrow, B