Here I Go Again

As a magazine editor and freelance journalist, I've been writing about health and fitness for nearly fifteen years. Does this mean that I'm healthy and fit? That would be a big hell-to-the-no. Fact is, eating right and exercising on a consistent basis have always eluded me. I'll find a diet or workout that I love and do it for a few weeks (or, if I'm feeling really motivated, a few months). But then I'll promptly fall off the wagon and undo all my hard work. I swear, I've been losing and regaining the same 20-40 pounds for the better part of my life.

A few weeks ago, my weight was back at an all-time high (or close to it). My body mass index (BMI) put me at dangerously close to obese. (Curious to know what yours is? Check out the National Institutes of Health BMI Calculator here.) My waist measurement was also off the charts, which was sort of a shock because I always thought it was just my hips that were too big. Not only was I feeling hideous and uncomfortable in my own skin, I was worried about my health. (I mean, hello? I lost my mom to breast cancer four years ago, and I can't help but think that her obesity contributed to her mortality.)