Hello everyone, I'm new here. I've been a part of the site for a few months, and I've decided that I need to do a diary, badly. I'll tell you a little about myself.

I actually began my weight loss journey back in October. Halloween was coming up, and for the past 2 years I have cosplayed as an anime character. But this time, I was tired of dressing in a full length costume just to hide my 'ugly' body. I wanted to wear a cute, short skirt, and have a slim waist. Also, I realized, I wanted to feel good about myself. There are so many things that I wanted to do, but I felt so lethargic, it seems impossible.

My family has always been on the heavy side, at least my mom's side. They love homestyle, Southern cooking, and everyone grows up the same way. They are active when they are young, but as soon as they get married, it's like their health is put on the back burner. Heck, it's put in the closet and locked away, it seems. I remember only being 13 and wearing a size 13, and none of my family bothered to tell me that I was gaining more weight than I should be. To them, it was normal. Everyone was 'husky' or 'had meat on their bones'. And that's how I saw it too.

When I was 18, I was just at 147 lbs. I have a small frame, and I'm very short, so that much weight made me look very bloated. I refused to even wear pants anymore and opted for long, flowing skirts instead. I started working the summer before I turned 19, and even though it was a desk job, I kept myself very busy and managed to drop 5 lbs.

Forward to last October, when I wanted to cosplay and wear that short skirt I always wanted. I knew nearly nothing about losing weight, so I did a dumb thing and only started working out a week before the 31st. Surely, I thought, I will at least tone up. Wrong. Either way, I sucked it up, and sucked it in, and wore the costume I bought. But that moment really motivated me.

I tried taking this to a different level. I bought a DDR pad and began playing it every day after school. I did it until my ankles were numb and my calves were cramped. I also changed my eating habits. I ate alot of fruits, veggies, protein, fiber, etc. No more sweets, sodium, or greasy foods. And definitely no more fat. I downed at least 6 bottles of water everyday.

Here were my starting stats from October:
Age: 21
Starting weight: 143
Height: 5' 2.5"
BMI:26
Measurements
Bicep: 12
Bust: 39
Waist: 30
Hip: 40.5
Thigh: 24
Calf: 15

My current stats are as follows:
Age: 21.5
Weight: 127
BMI: 23
Measurements
Bicep: 10.5
Bust: 36.5
Waist: 27
Hip: 39
Thigh: 22.25
Calf: 14

I think I got a pretty good start so far, so that makes me happy. It's far from over though. I would like to shrink a little more so I can wear that string bikini I've been saving all this time. My goal weight is around 120, or at least a size 5 in pants. If I get brave, I may post a picture or two.

Oh, almost forgot. I may not play DDR as much as I wanted, but I still work out. I have a gym/health class at my college that I go to twice a week. I lift weights for 45 minutes, then do cardio for about 15-20 minutes. I figure that muscle is alot harder to lose than fat, so it's better to do that to help with my fat loss. I... think.

Anyway, I hope having this diary can stave away my cravings for sweets, and give me motivation to do my absolute best. Also, I *love* hearing replies.