About Me

I grew up in a food-oriented family. My Mother is Italian-American, complete with endless food feasts that went on for hours. My Dad is in the food business and is an excellent home chef. We were the type of family to talk about what we were going to have at dinner while we were still eating breakfast. I have memories (and photographs) of delicious spreads, especially around the holidays.

I wasn’t a fat kid, but compared to my sister who was just all bones, I looked chubby. When I look back at photos now, I see just a normal kid. I always felt bigger, but I was maybe five or ten pounds more than anyone else.

My mother’s been on and off diets her whole life it seems, so I’m sure that’s affected my relationship with food.

I was never an athlete; I never did any serious sports. I did ride my bike and walk a lot. My first diet was in high school. I remember going on Slim Fast so I could fit into my prom dress. I wish I could tell my younger self that I looked just fine as I was.

In college, I think I gained the Freshman 15, (which was really 20) but I was in good shape because I was walking everywhere and riding my bike constantly. But I lost it rather quickly. I joined a gym and Weight Watchers and it seemed to come off easily.

 (Halloween at college)

My first big gain was after my first broken heart. I ate my way through heartbreak and gained 50 pounds. I joined Weight Watchers again and it took me a whole year to lose it. I kept it off for a year.

When I met my (now) husband, I was slim, and as I got comfortable (and lazy), I gained and gained and gained. He’s one of those people who eats whatever he wants. He works out a lot, and now he’s only about 5 to 10 pounds heavier than he was when we met. Don’t you hate him?

Over the years, I’ve tried a million diets. I’ve joined and quit WW, the South Beach Diet, and too many more to name here. I’ve stopped looking at the scale. I began to just gorge on whatever I wanted. Oh, and did I mention that I used to be a food writer? I got invited to every restaurant opening and interviewed some great chefs. I ate and drank my way through many complimentary meals. You can only imagine.

So here I am. I need to lose—well it’s a hell of a lot of weight---it’s a whole person. I am older. It is so much harder now than before.

This time, I am paying much more attention to exercise, and I am incorporating it into my daily life. I am reaching out (to fellow bloggers like you) for support, for advice, for inspiration and education.

This time, I can feel that “click” in my head. I am committed. It’s going to take a while. But I’m in it for the long haul. What have I got to lose?