Today, we begin.

I have decided to take part in Cat Rainwater's weight loss challenge. Starting today, for the next nine weeks, this young honey badger is going to kick ass and take names on every (well, as many as possible...) unsightly lump, bulge, and excess inch that has accumulated over the past 4 years of college.

The stats:

• Today's weight: 206 lbs. Holy fucking shit, is there an invisible child standing on the scale with me??
• Eventual goal weight: 115 lbs. That's a long fucking way to go. I probably should have stopped eating Chipotle three years ago, but that rice... oh god.
• Goal for this challenge: Let's say... 185 lbs. That's reasonable enough, if a little optimistic on a per-week basis.

So, imaginary readers (because let's face it, why would you read this when you can read Cat's blog about the same thing), how will we (yes, we, you thought I was doing this by myself while you just got to sit on your ass and watch?) make it through the next 9 weeks NOT ONLY without GAINING a pound, but LOSING 21 of them??

Let's get this straight. Moratorium on Chipotle unless it's a rice-free burrito bol. Two drink maximum on bar nights, excepting my upcoming birthday, where I think I can splurge up to... I dunno, two bottles of liquor? Sounds about right. And of course, my man-creature is a manager at my absolute favorite pizza establishment. There is always at least one pizza in our fridge because he brings them home ALL THE TIME, occasionally downing 1.5 large pizzas as a casual afternoon snack. Typical gross man behavior. This will take willpower of steel and maybe some taser shocks thrown in, but let's try to not have pizza more than once a week.

I re-started the Couch to 5k last night. I started it for the first time back in May, but promptly sprained my ankle after one week. Hopefully this attempt will turn out to be more successful. It's a 9 week program, so that fits perfectly with our challenge. If you're interested, I use the C25K app, which is a great investment (in my opinion); it tracks your progress, lets you journal after each run, and keeps a running tab on your weight also.

I'll be tracking food, exercise, and weight on Lose It! using my fab iPod touch and their free app.

Finally, my crowning motivation: I have been promised an all-new wardrobe consisting of whatever clothes I want from my mother, provided I can get back to my svelte size 5 self someday. So, maybe every post, maybe only once in a while, I'll feature a dream piece of clothing to keep the motivation coming. So I'll end on that note, leaving you with the first sample of my soon-to-be wardrobe.

This outfit is from Anthropologie - a store from which I own nothing but want everything. I really love cozy sweaters but in my current shape they look absolutely awful. A long sweater like this will be a definite addition to my new wardrobe!