In the beginning...

well, here goes...
I decided to start a blog about my desperate journey to lose weight. So let's start at the top.
My grandmother (mother's side) was a model in her younger days, 5'10" and beautiful! She always looked her best; clothes, jewelry, make-up, hair, even into her 80's. My father's family members were all very much overweight and very unhealthy. Most of them smoked and were high school drop outs. I was raised hearing comments about people's weight and grew to believe that a person's weight defined what kind of person they were. When my maternal grandmother began to put on weight, it was a constant struggle to lose it. She tried ever diet ever invented: Richard Simmons Deal-A-Meal, Weight Watchers, and whatever else was popular from the late 60's through the 90's. Whenever we would see someone we hadn't seen in a while, the first comment muttered under the breath was always something weight-related. So, as I began to put on weight in my late 20's to early 30's, I began to believe that I was worthless and less of a person because I couldn't control my weight. Now in my late 40's (when did that happen??) and with a new baby granddaughter, I really am worried about my health. My father died at age 54 of a heart attack related to his unhealthy lifestyle (smoking and obesity were the 2 biggest factors). My mother recently had a heart attack and is limited in what she can do. I also noticed that each generation is beginning to live a shorter life than the previous one; Great grandmother died at age 92, grandmother at age 87, and mother has already had a heart attack at 67. So, if I'd like to live to see Haylee grow into an adult, I need to get healthy.
Started on Weight Watcher again (at least the 5th time in the last 10 years). It is the only plan that has ever worked for me. I also in Appalachian clogging and want to be able to keep up, so I'm going to work out more. This morning I did the "resistance" DVD from the Kettleworx program, which I like because it is only 20 minutes. I plan to go for a walk around the mountain we live on later today.
So, here's to a new life!