T-Minus 8 Days

Let's start with an intro. I'm Courtney. My nickname is CoCo, but that's a story for another time.

I'm a pharmacist, lover of Jesus, and Butler grad. I love food and wine and especially trying NEW food and wine, which is probably how I got myself into this mess. Let me explain.

This is a picture of me from Saturday.

This is a picture of me from 5 years ago.

In 2013, I graduated pharmacy school, and a few months later, I got out on my own and moved into my own apartment. During the last few years, I've tried diets and workout plans and accountability partners. Sometimes I was trying to lose weight, sometimes just trying to maintain, but every time I eventually fell off the wagon.

I've never been "skinny", as you can see. I'm the hungry one on the left. :)

I've always struggled a bit with my body image (haven't we all?!), but I've really never felt uncomfortable in my own skin until now. To be honest, I don't have an excuse for how I let myself get this far. I imagine it was a combination of too many unhealthy meals, too many glasses of wine, and not enough self-control. 

Starting on April 4, I'll be joining Achieve. If you don't know what Achieve is, join the club. Ok, I guess I do know a little bit about the program. I know several people that have joined and had a lot of success, including my mom! From what I understand, it's a lot like Weight Watchers or similar programs. Weekly meetings, online tools, and food logging. One of my favorite things about the program (from what I hear!) is that I'll be learning which different combinations of foods to eat and the WHY behind each of those combinations. I think it will be a good kick in the rear to get me back on track and eating healthily again.

I don't really feel comfortable sharing my weight or measurements yet, but I as I continue my journey, I might begin sharing more. Until then, I'll share my goals.

My goals:

1) Lose weight - of course. My goal is to lose 30 pounds at a reasonable rate of 1-2 pounds per week.

2) Lower my cholesterol. I've never had high cholesterol, but at my health screening for work a few weeks ago, it was on the border. 

3) Get in shape! I don't have a specific goal or timeline here. However, I would like to run a half marathon within the next year or two.

4) Gain confidence back. I've really lost a lot of confidence within the last year. I've probably gained 20 pounds in the last 2 years, and although I'm a successful, independent woman, it's made me a lot less confident in myself.

I'll be using this blog to share my ACHIEVEments (see what I did there?) as well as my failures. I'm also hoping to share and review new recipes, strategies, and workouts. I may throw in a few non-Achieve-related blog posts here and there as well, just to keep you on your toes. ;) Hopefully this will also serve as my accountability tool. 

I will NOT fall off the wagon this time!