Seven years after I first started at Sparkpeople, I am back and seven pounds heavier than when I started the first time (now 270). I am not sure I feel ready for anything "long haul" but I plan to take baby steps until my head's in the game. I don't even know where to start but my health is at stake. I need to adopt lifestyle improvements to have the future I want to live. Deirdre I'm a 52 year old mother of three (two of whom have left home). I hope the Sparkpeople program's multi-pronged approach will help me on my path to a healthier life. Natural energy kept me going until a couple of years ago. Since then I have "felt my age" -- achy joints, always tired, etc. I need to give my body a break:) I was normal weight until I had surgery 5 months after the birth of my first child. My weight skyrocketed, and it has been a seesaw battle ever since. I am on the slow to moderate weight loss program, which I am really enjoying. It is generous in terms of flexibility, and unlike other attempts at weight loss I've been on, I never feel desperate in terms of hunger or energy levels. This feels sustainable! Here is a deeply important question that BOOKWORM27S discovered. It absolutely applies to my life as well.: "Are you wanting to eat out of OPPORTUNITY or NECESSITY?" Seems obvious, I know ... Here is a quote I particularly like: "Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life." -- Golda Meir Interim goals: 250 by Christmas *DONE!* (249) 245 by husband's birthday (Feb. 9) *DONE!* (243) 240 by March Break. *DONE!* (239) 233 by June 25/11 As Sparker YOOVIE says, "I'm going to practice daily victories!" Here are a few quotes from my sparkpal Pat: Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God. "People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel!" ANON. I very much admire her kindness and attitude toward life -- you rock, Frosty99! It's official. There are at least two family weddings (both nieces) coming up. Dates are August 27, 2011 and July 12, 2012. Just two more motivations to keep working on the weight. Just added: Two more weddings! September 10 and October 2011. Here is a challenge I have to do: "The Weekend Project" "Remember truly successful, happy people all have one thing in common. They own their lives. When they make bad decisions, they face them head on, create a plan, and focus on overcoming any obstacles in their way. Owning your bad choices leaves you free to learn from your mistakes. It helps you move past them and improve your future. So I am going to leave you with a project this weekend. Make a list of five things you don’t like about your life today. Think back and ask yourself what were the past choices you made led to each of the five. Decide today on a plan to change all the items on your list. Create concrete goals, whether it is to lose weight, pay off your debt or get a better job, realize only you control your future."

I'd like to embrace a more healthy lifestyle in terms of nutrition and physical activity.

I am starting slowly by committing to walking the dog 5 days a week, and am using the Nutrition Tracker.



I love to read. Here is a short list of some books I've read and enjoyed recently: "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese, "Plainsong" by Kent Haruf, and "Burnt Shadows" by Kamila Shamsie. I used to love sports -- a ridiculous dream is to lose enough weight to find a team and sport to play for fun. I love the ocean -- we have a cottage in PEI. BTW, my Sparkpage background is the view from our cottage, and my daughter wrote the poem "Gentle Island".

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