100 Pounds for 100 Books

I have decided to start a weight loss and reading challenge!  I am planning to lose 100 pounds and to read 100 books.

Okay, so I need something to help motivate me to make healthy decisions, besides the health benefits.  I don't want to be the person who only gets healthy after her doctor tells her she has a disease.  I'd like to prevent disease.  One way to help do that (so I've read) is to engage in healthy behaviors like eating more whole foods, eating less junk, and exercising more.

I'm not naturally a 250 pound woman.  When I'm healthy and happy, I weigh a lot less.  So though this is a weight loss challenge, it is not just for the sake of losing weight.

It is 75% health (type II diabetes and heart problems run in my family, and I have fibromyalgia, which has very painful symptoms that get better when I weigh less), 20% cost benefits (nothing fits me, and everything that's fashionable that does fit me costs a fortune), and 5% pure vanity (I just don't like the way that I look at this size.  Period.).

I'm not going to say that I will actually lose 100 pounds.  I am actually pretty happy and healthy at 165, which is "only" 85 pounds lighter than 250.  So it's possible that this will be the "85 Pounds for 85 Books" Challenge.  And I'm totally okay with that. I just want to call it 100, okay?  Plus 150 is a perfectly acceptable weight for me.

I am also going to mainly care about my progress pictures and tape measurements, not my weight.  I plan to weight, measure, and take pictures monthly.  At that point, I will know how many books I have to add to my "to read" pile.

I am not usually okay with weight loss rewards for myself.  So instead of looking at the books as rewards, I will look at them as a second (albeit much more fun) challenge.

I am not going to officially begin this challenge until I get settled in a new home in about 5 weeks.  At that point, I will take "official" starting measurements, including weight, tape measurements, and a brand new "before" picture.

Until then, I will be working on making healthier decisions, and hoping to not gain any more weight (and of course I would be fine losing some).

And I will put together a loose program for myself to follow for the first month of "100 Pounds for 100 Books".  It will change every month, living and learning and applying what was learned, and will be a sustainable thing (junk food and rest days still encouraged, just not worshiped).

Anyway, thanks for hanging out.  I know that I've been a bad blogger lately.  Life has been busy, and I honestly just haven't felt motivated to write, or to share my life.  But I'm planning to get back to at least semi-regular blogging, so thanks for not giving up on me.  :-)

P.S.  Just as soon as I get a good post-graduation job landed, I am planning to do another book giveaway!