About.

Hi.  I'm Heather.  I've had an on-again off-again relationship with dieting and weight loss for pretty much my whole life.  I am a stress-baker, and subsequently a stress-eater.  I don't handle change very well, I cope by cooking - and therefore, eating.  I don't like to run.  Or be sweaty.  Or over-exert myself.

Clearly, I am a case-study in food and exercise issues.

About 2 years ago, in the midst of a major move and during the heat of an Iowa summer, I threw out my back.  At the time, I had a baby who wasn't yet mobile, a surly 11 year old and we were in a new town with nary a family member or friend for 200 miles.  Oh, and my husband had just started a new job (read: 50+ hour work weeks), I had just decided to be a stay-at-mom and we were valiantly trying to figure out how our new household positions worked (Do I have to do all the laundry now that I stay at home?  When do I get a day off?  How do we balance everything now that my work is home and my home is work?).  In retrospect, it was the best thing to ever happen to me and it is ultimately what catapulted me into an exercise and weight-loss routine.  You can read about some of my weight loss struggles and triumphs here and here and here.

I have since lost almost 50 pounds, but over the course of yet another major move, this time from Iowa to Northern Minnesota, and a very, very, very long and cold Minnesota winter, I've only managed to keep about 40 of those pounds off.

I have a hard time motivating myself, so this blog is my accountability tool.  My ultimate goal is to lose another 46 pounds.  And keep it off.