Right now I'm almost a week into fullfilling my New Years resolution - get fit in six weeks! I'm very excited for this - and I hope to see some improvements by mid-February.

Growing up, I was never concerned about my weight. I was never super skinny, but I had the childhood advantage of eating whatever I wanted and never gaining anything. When I hit fourteen, I started to gain weight, andended up being about 5'5 and 135 pounds. That's not an insane amount, but I felt very self conscious and did the whole 'I think I'll wear baggy clothes so nobody knows!'. Before grade eleven, I decided that I was going to make a change to my lifestyle, so for an entire summer I went vegan, and completely cut out refined white sugar from my diet. I never deprived myself of food, but I sure learned to appreciate a lot of things I hadn't liked before (mainly veggies!) I combined that with lots of time spent outdoors, doing yard work, going to the beach and hiking around with friends, and I ended up losing fifteen pounds.

In the following year, I starting doing dance class at school, and five days a week, I got a fantastic workout. I was in really great shape, I ate really well, and I felt great.

After I graduated, I got a job and moved out of my parents house and all my energy went to my new lifestyle. I stopped working out as much, I started snacking on all sorts of unhealthy food, and my all my hard work was lost!

Right now I'm 125 pounds - which doesn't seem like I gained much, but I'm mostly just lacking in a toned body. In the next few weeks, I want to regain an active lifestyle, and eating better.

Age: 19
Height: 5'6 1/2
Current Weight: 125
Target Weight: 115

Measurements:
Bust: 35"
Waist: 27"
Hips: 37"

I'm going to post some pictures tonight so I can really keep track of how I look in the beginning - and how I look six weeks from now!

I've never been a really big over-eater, so I'm not really going to be counting calories. Basically, what I've done is filled my cupboards with only healthy food - fruits and veggies and whole grains and soy things, so whatever I eat...it's basically a good thing!

Wish me luck!

January 4th:

Breakfast:
1 Bowl of Bran Flakes with blueberries and a teaspoon of brown sugar
2 Mugs of Green Tea

Snack:
1 Apple
Crackers and Cheese and Fakin' Meat
1 Glass of Water

Lunch:
Flax Bread with Banana and Honey
2 Glasses of Water

Snack:
Crystallized Ginger

Dinner:
3 Blueberry - Bran Whole Wheat Pancakes!
1 Big Cup of Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
1 Glass of Water

Exercise:
30 Minutes of Stretching
45 Minutes of Cardio (at gym)
15 Minutes of Weight Training

January 5th:

Breakfast:
1 Blueberry-Bran Pancake
1 Cup Lemon-Honey Tea

Snack:
Persian rice with dried cranberries
2 Glasses of Water

Lunch:
Biscuit with jam
2 Cups Tea

Snack:
1 Orange
2 Cups Water

Dinner:
1 Apple
1 Bowl Bran Flakes

Exercise:
None, but I did walk a lot, and helped tear down for a half hour after an show (lots of lifting, moving and walking things around!)

Wow! You really have stuff tracked!

What kind of show are you involved with?

I MC and help plan a monthly sort of 'talent night'. We have bands, writers and actors come in and perform. I sing and play guitar some times, but mostly I just host it. It's really fun - and I get to dress up!

Ouc! I'm terrible with guitar. I'm trying to teach myself how to read music, and therefore USE all of the books I have bought, but sadly, I'm a bass player at heart. Who reads tab. Poorly...

I didn't write down my food over the weekend, but I've been trying really hard to keep on with the health food plan. I DID have pizza on Saturday though (although spinach, pine nuts and garlic isn't terribly unhealthy!).

I went out a bought a scale, which I was sort of hestitant to do. I know weight changes so much, in little ways. I could be three pounds lighter in the morning, or suddenly drop two pounds in a day, only to gain it back again. Since my weight loss goal isn't only about weight loss (I'm hoping to work up some pounds of muscle) - I'm not too hooked up on weight.

So, since I first did my measuring on January 3rd, I'm going to measure myself again on Wednesday. I've lot two pounds max - if anything, but I'm actually starting to see a change in my body. I'm feeling more energetic and better health wise too, ever since I stopped eating processed foods and sugary stuff.

I'm hoping to go to the gym at least three times this week - and I'm heading over to the library to get a pilates dvd, and something I can do at home for yoga.

ALSO I found the battery charger to my camera, which died while I was trying to loud up my 'before' photos. I'll post pics tonight, hopefully.

Hi changeling,
Welcome to the WLF

Good luck as you reach your fitness goals!

I must be in a healthoer lifestyle mode that actually sounds yummy!!! LOL...welcom aboard and if I can help support you on your journey I will be happy to do so...

Add mushrooms and basil, and you'd have Pizza Pesto Florentine!

Glad to hear about the measuring being your key, it makes a big difference, especially at first.

Haha, yeah! I think pizza is fine as a guitly pleasure, as long as you load it with veggies.

Thanks! It's cool to know people are reading this thread.

hehe! Well, it's totally hard for me to focus on pounds, especially because I'm already in my ideal-weight - I'm just not toned at all and I want to gain muscle! I'll probably end up the exactly same weight as I am now, now, only I'll be buff! (but hopefully not TOO buff)

hey changeling, just wanted to welcome you to the forum...was wondering about how many calories you are going to eat per day... it seems like your motivation is great...one question I had was if you knew your BMI I belive that right now at 125 and 5'5" you are in the healthy BMI range...but I think 115 may be on the borderline of unhealthy. what do you think?

No such thing as "TOO buff"! I like chicks with muscles, lol.