"You don't need to lose weight!" and the Reasons Why I Am

A few weeks ago I signed up for MyFitnessPal to try to lose 8 pounds. I am going to be completely transparent. I am 40 years old, 5 foot 6 inches tall, and weighed 130.5 pounds when I started. When those who know me hear that I am trying to lose weight, I always hear, "You don't need to lose 8 pounds!"

That may be true, and really, it's an arbitrary number based on what I weighed a couple of summers ago when I was at my most fit. I just liked myself then. My realistic goal, however, is 125. I have always said I want to be a fit 125 pounds.

Here are the reasons why I am on this journey:

1. Hi, my name is Nicole and I am a carb addict. Although I eat fairly healthy most times, don't eat a lot of junk food, and don't really overeat that often, I can't stay away from carbs! I can (and most times do) eat them at every meal and lots of them! I dream about carbs. Carbs contribute greatly to No. 2.

2. The women in my family have a serious case of "pones". What are pones, you ask? My dad has funny names for things. He calls the 'fat back', muffin top, overhanging midsection, "pones". My mom and sister and daughter and I are all reasonably thin, but because of our carb addiction, our pones get the best of us. We always get thick in the middle first. Which leads me to No. 3.

3. As people get older, their mid-sections get bigger. Even my skinny little 80 year old grandma has gotten thick in the middle. And I don't want to be thick in the middle. That's where bad health seems to reside.

4. I don't want to gain an extra 2-3 pounds a winter and not lose it. Last winter I gained about 5-8 pounds. I usually lose it once spring hits, and definitely by summer. This year I didn't. I don't want to get in the habit of doing that every year because, before I know it, I'll be 10-15 (or more) pounds heavier than I want to be and not able to lose it.

5. Now that I am 40, my metabolism isn't as fast. I am blessed with a fast metabolism. But I have seen a definite slowing of it over the past three years. Losing even a couple of pounds is extremely difficult for me! I used to be able to just watch what I ate for a couple of weeks and lose that. Not anymore.

6. I want to look good and feel good for my own self-esteem. But, primarily, I want to feel good. Nobody feels good when they are even a little overweight. I call myself "fleshy" when I get like that. And I don't want to be fleshy.

7. I want my husband to be proud to be seen with me. I want, when we are out together, for others to think that his wife is not a lazy woman who sits around and eats all day while he works his butt off for her.

So, what am I saying? Right now I am just getting a jump on the tubby winter months of comfort foods. I want to be able to lose some weight before Christmas so that at Christmas time I can eat and afford to gain a few pounds. Then after Christmas I want to lose that weight again. Then I just want to spend the rest of the winter and spring maintaining a healthy weight.

This will require constant watching of calories, carbs, sugar intake, and exercise. MyFitnessPal is my tool for accomplishing all of that.

If you would like to join me on my journey, and maybe start a journey of your own, sign up for MyFitnessPal and add me as a friend. My username is NicoleTaulman (all one word.)