Welcome!

I never know how to start the first post on a new blog.  All the information about me and about the blog is located on the rest of the page, and it seems redundant to repeat it here.

There!  Got that first awkward paragraph out of the way.

So my husband Steve and I have decided to lose some weight this year.  While discussing this plan with him I realized I wanted more than just pounds lost.  What we really need is a chance to practice making better choices.  I'm not normally one for New Year's resolutions, but I figured I could choose differently this time!

Our goals for this year include:

• * Weight loss.  I'm about 60 pounds overweight and Steve is about 40 pounds overweight.  Man, I'm 35 years old, and I was skinny all my life until I turned 22.  That's when I suddenly put on a lot of weight.  I was 110 lbs and then I was 160.  Yikes!  I'm sure it's because I never had to pay attention to what I ate.  I had a difficult time with my last pregnancy, and could barely move without a lot of pain.  I don't want to feel like this for the rest of my life, so the weight has to come off!
• * Spending and Budgeting.  I won't go into all the gory details, but Steve and I have made some spending choices that have not benefitted us.  We are also working to take care of student loans.
• * Furthering our understanding of Non-Coercive parenting (Taking Children Seriously).  Well, this is one is mostly me, but Steve generally smiles, nods, and joins me on whatever parenting style I want to implement.  Just kidding about the smiling and nodding... I think it's actually trust, and I love him for it.
• * Emancipating Kamloopsian Society... what the heck do I mean by that?  Well, to me it means helping other people realize that they can choose the more peaceful, loving path whenever they want, and just as importantly, they can allow their children more choice than they ever thought possible.  (By the way I think I can help emancipate the whole world, not just Kamloops... but then the acronym would be GEETWW, and I wouldn't be as pleased with myself for reclaiming the word "geek!")

So what do you think?  Will you join us on this journey?  Steve will be writing occasionally, too.

Here is what we look like now:

This is me now, January 1, 2010.  I have resolved to be as gentle with myself as I would like to be with other people so I will refrain from further comment.  :)

And this is Steve.  I'm so lucky to have him. 

We will be taking a photo every day this year, but won't post them everyday.  At the end of the year Steve will make a weight loss time lapse like this guy's.  Wish us luck!

STATS for January 1, 2010:

Bevin weighs 189 lbs

Steve weighs 203 lbs.

I also want to do measurements for myself (but Steve doesn't want to).

Bevin

Bust 44"
Waist 42"
Hips 43"
Neck 15"