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Introduction Text Updated 5/11/12 I'm realizing this whole thing is a journey of greater magnitude than I thought. I've watched so many stories of weight loss on YouTube, here on SparkPeople and other places, and they all have one thing in common -- Everyone struggles to keep the weight off. EVERYONE. Juicers, Weight Watchers, fitness enthusiests, WLS patients, Biggest Losers -- EVERYONE. So, what to do? Give up? Resign ourselves to being overweight the rest of our lives? No, sir. This is not the way I was meant to live. I can only go back to what has worked for me in the past. It's not the programs that have failed me. I am human, and I have fallen again and again. What's the answer to falling? Getting back up and moving forward. So, over the next 6 months, I'll be implementing a 'Best-Of' weight loss strategy, of sorts. Rather than beating myself up, and not putting forth the effort because I've stumbled in the past, I'll take all the pieces from the broken promises I've made to myself, and begin assembling something worthwhile. I'm calling it "Operation Juggernaut". It has to do with training every piece of heavy artilery on this cancerous tumor called obesity, and firing at it full-throttle until it is obliterated. Is that imagery violent enough for you? I'm channeling that fighting spirit that has never left me, and I'm aiming my sights at Private Enemy #1 in my life. I'll be doing a combination of all the things that have worked for me in the past, including: 1. Visiting SparkPeople daily. Posting on the message boards, tracking my food intake, communicating with other members, reading success stories, and utilizing all the tools that are available to us. 2. Staying active with the YouTube Weight Loss Community. Watching videos of others who are losing, and gaining inspiration from them. 3. Doing TaeBo (or other workouts) everyday for the next 6 months. 3-4 times a week thereafter. 4. Listening to the Inside Out Weight Loss Podcast 5x per week. 5. Stop eating after 6 6. Sticking to a low fat diet 5 days per week (less than 30 grams of fat daily) 7. Counting my calorie intake. Logging my meals here on Sparkpeople. Sticking to 1500 calories or less. 8. Going to Weight Watcher's meetings every week. Weighing in consistently. Will that about do it? I think so. I have made a committment to myself to prioritize my weight loss, and I intend to honor it. Daily exercise is the staple of that plan. I don't know if it's possible to manage weight loss in the long term without exercise. I've come to terms with that. So, I've found the strength to begin again. I'll be seeking ongoing strength here on Sparkpeople, and I hope you can find strength in following my journey. Updated 9/01/10 For the first time ever, I'm actually enjoying this journey. I've made a lot of revisions since I began. Firstly, I acknowledge that this is a 'grace walk' from start to finish. I've learned that this journey can be one of ease, rather than one of difficulty. That is my aim. I've discovered a wonderful weight loss podcast called "Inside Out Weight Loss" that is really helping me to gain new perspective on weight loss. I'm still counting calories, but I'm looking forward to the day when I'm able to release that. For now, I'm gleaning from the principles Renee Stephens has introduced me to, and taking things one step at a time. I hit my 25 lbs. lost mark, and I'm finally beginning to feel that I have a legitimate track record of success that I can look back on and be encouraged by. I finally set weight loss goals, which has helped me tremendously. I'm learning how to relate better to food, and self-correct rather than self-flagellate. I'm working on self-forgiveness, self-acceptance and GASP, eventually, I may get to self-love. That's a foreign term to me, but if moving towards self-love means the end of the constant weight loss struggle, I'm ready for it. I'm not focusing so much on the types of food I eat at this point. I'm working on getting my mind and body accustomed to consuming 1550 calories a day. I'm slowly but surely working healthier foods into my diet. Some weeks are better than others. I allow myself treats everyday as a way of acknowledging my humanity. I have a 'loose' weight loss goal of 113 lbs. (to lose) by February of 2012 -- which is 2 years from my start date. That seems like a long time, but if I'm enjoying the journey, I'll have no reason to complain. That's an average of about 5 lbs. a month. Any more than that, and I start to feel pressure to "achieve", and I start to falter. I've watched it happen time and time again. Slow and steady wins it for me. "The race is not given to the swift nor the strong, but to him that endureth to the end."

*Lose 10% of my desired weight -- DONE 5/17/12 * Lose 10 lbs. -- 231 lbs. -- DONE 6-7-12 * Get to "220-ville" -- 229 lbs. -- DONE 6/23/12 * Lose 15 lbs. -- 226 lbs. -- DONE 6/30/12 * Lose 20 lbs. -- 221 lbs. -- DONE 7/28/12 * *Get to "210-ville" -- 219 lbs. DONE 8-11-12 * Lose 25 lbs. -- 216 lbs. DONE 8-26-12 *HIT THE 30-lbs. LOST MARK! (An elusive milestone) -- 211 lbs. DONE 10/25/12!!! *Get to "200-ville" -- 209 lbs. DONE!!! 10/26/12 * Lose 35 lbs. -- 206 lbs. *Get to 205 lbs. (My lowest weight in recent memory) *Lose 40 lbs. -- 201 lbs. *ONEDERLAND! & "190-Ville"-- 199 lbs. * Lose 45 lbs. -- 196 lbs. * Lose half of my desired weight (46 lbs.) -- 195 lbs. * Lose 50 lbs. -- 191 lbs. * Get to "180-Ville" -- 189 lbs. * Lose 55 lbs. -- 186 lbs. * Get to my "Detroit TaeBo Weight" -- 185 lbs. * Lose 60 lbs. -- 181 lbs. * Get to "170-Ville" -- 179 lbs. * Lose 65 lbs. -- 176 lbs. * Lose 70 lbs. -- 171 lbs

Updated 9-13-12 I'm sticking to a Paleo diet these days. Eating only 'real foods' during the week, and allowing myself some indulgences on the weekends. No grains, starches, sweets or processed foods. I eat lots of meat, vegetables and some fruit. Not much dairy. It's simple eating and it works for me. Exercise is mostly walking/jogging and some weight lifting. I workout everyday.

I'm from Nashville, TN. My goals are to gain my health, accomplish something I thought was impossible, and eventually feel comfortable in my own skin.

I'm a jazz singer. I toggle between touring and temping to pay bills here and there. In the past, that has created lots of challenges with trying to develop consistency with my eating habits. I'm a huge film buff. My favorites are classics like Giant, Gone with the Wind and The Sound of Music. I also love classic TV like the Dick Van Dyke Show, Star Trek, Little House, and newer shows like Frasier, 30 Rock, The Daily Show & Modern Family.

Add a Link Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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