Day 8: Motivation

What motivates you the most when trying to lose weight? Is it a special even coming up, old pictures of yourself, etc.?


Mostly, I'm motivated just by the thought of being thin. I do have some events coming up in the next few years that I want to look good for, though. My five-year college reunion is in a year. My ten-year high school reunion is in two. All my friends are getting married, so I have scads of wedding to go to. And hopefully, before too long, I'll have a wedding of my own to plan for. Fitness-wise, I've been running, specifically training for a 5K. The Color Run is coming to Charlotte in October and I really want to run it. After that, I'm going to train for a half-marathon. The Disney Princess Half-Marathon is in February. Who knows if I'll be ready for it by then, but even if I'm not, Disney World does multiple running events every year and I'd love to do one. That's the goal, anyway.

Day 7: Insecurities

Are you insecure about your body? If yes, which area(s) in particular? If no, explain why you want to change it.


I'm very insecure about my body, especially my belly and my double chin. Everything else, my arms and legs, etc., are really skinny. It looks really weird. If I can get rid of the belly, the chin will go with it, and things will even out. I think. Also, I'm sort of hoping that improving my nutrition will help get rid of (or at least improve) my acne.

P.S. Today marks one week of this challenge. So far, so good.

Day 6: The Method Behind My Madness

Why do you want to lose weight? What is the main reason?


The main reason is just to look better: for the stage, for Wes, for everyone around me, and for me. I don't like what I see in the mirror. I know that I have been beautiful, but that beauty is buried right now. It's time to get back to that. There's no excuse for carrying around all this excess fat and ugliness.

Day 5: Forming new habits

Besides losing weight, what else do you hope to accomplish by completing The Shrinking Beauty 30 Day Challenge?

I'm hoping that following these steps will help me start to form good habits. It's always a good idea not to binge or not to eat late at night. Hopefully, if I can do these things for 30 days, I can continue to do them after the month is up. So in short, I'm hoping to start a new lifestyle.

Day 4: Easy Question

Will you be losing weight in a healthy way or in an unhealthy way? Explain why.


Of course, losing weight the healthy way is the way to go. I certainly don't want to starve myself or anything. However, if I'm a few calories under my goal for the day, I'm not going to beat myself up about it.

Day 3: You're it, you're the ultimate.

What is your ultimate goal weight that you have set for yourself? Why have you chosen that number?

The ULTIMATE for me is 120 pounds. I've looked at all the charts about appropriate body weight for different heights and body types and this seems like a reasonable number. On the thin side, but not unhealthy. It would also make a very round, even amount of weight for me to lose, and if you know me at all, you know that even numbers are kind of a big deal for me.

Day 2: Optimistic Realism

How many pounds do you HOPE to lose by the end of The Shrinking Beauty 30 Day Challenge?

Well, I HOPE to lose fifty pounds! But I know that's totally unrealistic wishful thinking. Honestly, based on how I did yesterday, and knowing how many calories you have to cut to lose a single pound, my hope is 15 pounds down this month. I expect I can do at least 10. And, you know, 10 is a good start.