30 by 30

I will be turning 30 in a little more than 6 months. I am super excited about this. I'm looking forward to my 30's like nobody's business. I love milestones and this is a pretty significant one. I'm even already semi-planning a party for myself. I'm thinking a sleepover is going to be just what I need. Sweet time with my friends and time away from my testosterone saturated house. As a side note, any of my friends that don't happen to live in China (about 99%) that have $1500 lying around to buy a plane ticket can go ahead and purchase one. My Birthday is March 28th and the party will be that weekend.

Since I have a big milestone approaching I decided to make a goal to reach by then. So, my goal is to lose 30 pounds by my 30th birthday. That will get me back to the weight I was when we moved here. That includes the final 10 pounds of baby weight and the 20 I put on as a comfort in the first few months of moving here. I've struggled with weight for the past 20 years (the past five being the worst) and I'm determined to get to at least my wedding day weight. My ultimate goal is to lose close to 30 kilos--more like 60 pounds--but I'm being realistic with my goal. 30 pounds in 6 months breaks down to 5 pounds a month (you like that high level math there don't ya?). 5 pounds a month is a good rate to keep it off. After I had Bennett I got within 20 lbs of my ultimate goal but I'm a stress eater (another heart issue that I'm working on) and the move here put me over the edge. But from each I know I can do it. My weight gain and loss has been at a record rate since getting married. Three pregnancies later I'm wiggly and jiggly. There is very little chance that I will be pregnant during my 30's so I want to enter them a healthier me.

I've taken the first basic steps towards this goal already. I'm eating much healthier: portion control and better choices. The two 'diet' programs I've had the most success with are Weight Watchers and First Place. These are both a little difficult to do here since both require knowledge of calories. I have a little trouble calculating calories because I can't read the nutrition labels...if there even is one--not a requirement here. But I do know the basics that gave me success from each program. I know how to make good choices and control my portions while still getting enough to continue nursing. Also, I am heading back to a workout routine. Last week when I hit the magic 6 weeks post surgery mark I headed to the gym only to discover it's going to take me a while to build back up my strength and endurance. Four months of semi bed rest and surgery has left me needing to work back up slowly. Last week I experienced some pain and I don't want to over do it. I'm hoping by 30 I can be back to running 5Ks, maybe a few times a week. And not the 40 min 5K I used to run...I'm aiming for 30-35 min (still slow but good for me).

So I have my work cut out for me. Don't hesitate to ask me how it's going. Hopefully I'll be on the right track and will update every month on how it's going. If I miss one you will definitely need to check up on me. I need the accountability! I also added a count down clock as a daily reminder to myself. Anyone want to join me?