Almost a year ago exactly I set on a journey to improve my health, lose weight and overall feel ‘better’. Actually, it was a pact with myself to set goals and improve everything in my life from confidence and attitude to skill sets.

After a trip to Peru a few months before I saw pictures my best friend had taken of me at Machu Picchu and  I was angry… at myself. I had somehow gotten up to almost 200 lbs and it wasn’t pretty on my 5’5″ frame. Plus, clothing never seemed to fit, I was unhappy, and climbing all those ancient pathways up mountains left me breathless. It was time for a change! So in July ’09 I started a friendly competition with someone at work to see who could lose the most weight (%) in 30 days.

I ended up winning – but not just the competition. Over a 4 month period I ended up losing over 40 lbs. I didn’t even think I had that much to lose! IT felt incredible, I wasn’t sick, I had uber energy and I was looking good. How did I do it? Well, folks, something you don’t wanna hear, but I started out eating only freshly prepared foods with very little carbs and tons of protein. On top of that I was working out up to 2 hours a day for 5 to 6 days a week. I first followed the 90 Day Rock Hard Challenge by Muscle and Fitness Magazine, and then modified to what I liked to eat and added different type of cardio workout. I also took up Ashtanga Yoga and running. The two actually seem to compliment each other, as I could get a great stretch after a long run. In fact, part of the reason I quit my first 365 project was because I was so concentrated on getting back in shape, I decided I needed to prioritize one over the other.

Well, to make a long story a little bit longer, in October I started travelling (conferences), my boss was also laid off or fired or resigned (choose whichever you want) and things got a little stressful. I was still on the program and basking in my skinny glory, but I was starting to eat out for lunch to get out of the office and picked up drinking again because I was very uneasy about my work situation. Add to that more traveling and meeting the Hubs (you know how comfy relationships go), the rules became more lax.

And so here we are, only 12 lbs heavier this time, but far from the goal I had set a year ago. At my healthiest I still felt I had 10 lbs to go and then I wanted to maintain. Add the 12 I managed to put back on, and my new goal stands at 22 lbs. [by the way, I'm shocked that you are still reading, most others have probably jumped straight to the photo by now] So my new nemesis # is 22. I’ll probably make a poster to stare at when I go to sleep at night to remind me what it was like being skinny (Re: old cheerleader photos). Maybe one day I’ll get enough courage to post the pictures from Peru- perhaps when I hit my goal I will do a before and after for you, but not right now.

So I’m back to my old routine. Grocery store on Sundays, cook all my meals for the week ahead of time and store. No snack foods allowed. Here’s the shelf I managed to fill today: (in case you’re wondering I cooked: baked chicken, grilled chicken strips, grilled zucchini & squash, sautéed spinach and mushrooms, stir fry, boiled eggs, yams, and wild rice, and I also have whole wheat bread, silk soy milk, turkey, greek yogurt, mineral water, apple sauce, and I’m sure there’s more, but that’s what I can think of. If you want any food advice or my opinion on how bad preservatives are for you, feel free to comment)