Throwing down the gauntlet

In December, I turn 40, which will happen a few weeks after I graduate from law school. No, I'm not planning on having a birthday party with black balloons or anything depressing like that (my birthday is very close to Christmas and I'm a twin - it sucks enough on its own).

I have decided that this is the year that I am going to stop living my life like it is going to start when X,Y,Z.

• When I graduate from law school, then I'll enjoy my life.
• When Marlo goes to college, then I'll enjoy my life.
• When Marlo graduates from college, then I'll enjoy my life.
• When I get my law practice off the ground, then I'll enjoy my life.
• When I have enough saved for retirement, then I'll enjoy my life.
• When I have enough to buy a cottage in France, then I'll enjoy my life.
  

And on and on and on - you get the drift.

One of the items I am finally going to succeed with is my weight. As my friends know, I had lost 85 lbs. from my all-time highest weight before I regained around 30 lbs. during law school, of which I have now re-lost 12. Don't worry if you feel confused, I can barely keep track of it myself. The amount of weight I have gained and lost over the past 20 years is getting so complicated that my limited math skills can barely keep up.

Anyway, I have mapped out a 2 lbs. a week weight loss (relatively aggressive, I know) from now until the Saturday before my birthday. If I keep on track, by the time I am 40, I will be the lowest weight I have been since I was 27.

I also mapped it out, continuing at 2 lbs. a week, until my planned trip to France after the bar exam. If I keep on track with that, by the time I go to France, I'll be down to the weight I was when I got pregnant.

As part of my structure to keep on track for the next 17 weeks, I am going to blog about my progress - what I'm eating, what activities I am doing, how I am faring emotionally - and my weekly weight loss (in pounds lost). As noted above, I have lost over 12 lbs. this summer so far, but will be tracking my weight loss from today's date starting at zero. Remember, the goal is an average of 2 lbs. a week over the course of each month.