P's Weight Loss Journey

Hi! My name is Patra (that's me in the middle), otherwise known as 'P'....I'm Royce's girlfriend, and I am addicted to food! (WOW that was really hard for me to say). Well really, I'm not addicted, I just appreciate and love food and all that it has to offer. I was given this trait by my [late] father who would eat anything under the sun, and would clean his plate every single time to show his appreciation. I remember lots of stories growing up involving my father and food: One time my mother and I died laughing because he was adamant about taking home a to-go container full of 1/4 a piece of bacon, a spoonful of eggs, and 3 squares of a pancake from IHOP. That's a food lover right there! One other time at the dinner table, my mother didn't like a certain take out dish and told my father; he asked to sample it and agreed that it was not tasty at all...5 minutes later after conversation, we noticed he had cleaned his plate...and my mother's too!!! Not tasty huh?? lol.

These stories fill my heart with laughter and happiness when I remember my father. But I do realize that some of the habits I grew up watching along with additional bad habits developed over time have led to a lifetime struggle with weight. Just recently, I gained 20+ pounds over the course of my last year in Business School and I realized I have been significantly affected by it, both physically and emotionally. So I am here to blog about my experience and journey in losing this recent weight I've gained, and also to change my eating /exercise habits for the long...LONG term. I'm hoping that you will find this blog helpful, inspiring, and if nothing else, an outlet for the challenges that you too are going through.

A few things you should know about me regarding dieting and weight loss (if you fit in at least one of these categories, you should definitely read this blog - shameless plug! :)

• I love to eat - I rarely discriminate between good and great food... as long as it tastes like what it is supposed to taste like, I don't really complain!
  
• I am not an avid exerciser in the gym - I much prefer activities outside, but since I live in Houston and value breathing, this is often not an option in the summer months!
  
• I am short - this has all sorts of downsides when dealing with weight gain.
  
• I am not really athletic - I didn't play sports as a child, but I have taken a liking to tennis - great workout!
  
• I don't like fad diets - I did the lemonade diet once, and crashed after the 3rd day, begging my co-worker for some of her leftover nachos from lunch... not good!
  
• I am a carbivore - I heard someone use this term, gave them a confused look, and began using it the next day! I love rice, pasta, bread...ahhhh the thought of it all!!
  

Given these few characteristics, it should make for an interesting combination of emotions and behaviors that I exhibit on any given day.

This will be a journey for me and so a few things you can expect to receive in my periodic blogs...a healthy dose of laughter along with honesty, humility, encouragement, inspiration, tips, and some story telling. My goal is to appeal to those who have real difficulty in committing to weight loss long term and also to receive some encouragement from those who have been where I am and are now firmly committed to living a healthy life of eating and exercising. So stay tuned for future posts. Hope you enjoy!