Okay, so I'm writing this post late on Wednesday, January 6, 2016, because I'm afraid I'll lose my nerve if I don't commit. (Ack!)

Starting Monday, I am going to write a weekly blog about how I attempt to lose a pound a week for 50 weeks while also improving my strength and cardio.

(Ack again!)

Right now, at the beginning of January, I'm feeling pretty good about the plan and my success.

Yet I kept putting off writing this blog post.

Because, you know, if you don't tell anyone, you won't be as embarrassed if and when you quit.

But now I've told you! So…here I go!

The back story is that I've been steadily gaining weight since our life started spinning out of control in October 2011. I went for an annual (which has been more “random” than “annual”) physical last month and my blood came back with “slightly elevated cholesterol.” My doctor suggested I go on a low cholesterol diet for six months.

Since the last time I had blood work done I had perfect blood, I decided this was the authoritative push I'd been waiting for to make some long-needed changes. So I decided to start eating all of the Christmas goodies that were given to us as gifts to get ready to start a healthy diet and exercise plan by January 4 (the first work day of the New Year). Makes sense to get all of that sugary goodness out of the cupboard, right?

When I weighed myself on Monday of this week, I was (not surprisingly) five pounds heavier than before the holiday bingeing. I've been sick with a cold and bad cough for the last two weeks, so I've done zero exercise since a couple days before Christmas. In every way, I'm in nearly the worst shape I've been in my life.

This could be a great dietary rags to riches story if it all works out! 😛

When I say “nearly” the worst shape, I've been pleasantly surprised at how quickly my body can bounce back into running shape when I start up again. I was doing pretty good before I caught this awful cough. So while I'll be starting from a worse beginning weight and shape, I feel confident that I will make progress relatively quickly.

I'll weigh myself every Monday morning and write a blog post every Monday from January 11 through December 26, 2016. Part of me does not want to keep going through the next holiday season, and part of me wants to make it a 45-pound challenge instead of a 50-pound challenge.

But the very fact that this scares me makes me think it's the kind of goal that will really push me without being too much to believe I can accomplish. With any luck, I'll lose 50+ pounds by Thanksgiving, and then I'll only have to not gain any weight through Christmas rather than having to lose another 4 pounds. 😀

So there it is. I committed to dieting in public. This is terrifying. And exhilarating! I guess I better get to bed so I can get up early and start exercising. See you Monday!