For the love of music

This blog is currently focused on two things: my attempt to lose weight and my love of music. These things are connected for right now, since I have made a pact that if I do not lose 7 lbs. in 85 days (weigh-in day is May 17, 2009), I will return the iPod Classic that I have recently purchased.

I have been wanting an iPod for a while now, and part of my motivation for getting one is that I believe it will get me out of the house more if I can just put my tunes in my pocket and head out the door for a walk. So now I have to make good on this notion, and actually exercise more. Today I took a walk with my iPod, up a neighborhood street to Carkeek Park. I walked for an hour! See, it's working already.

Being a natural sedentary individual, I attack any new undertaking by first sitting down at my computer and researching it. So today I googled things like:

calorie agave honey sugar xylitol stevia 

(I learned that agave syrup might be bad for you ... too much fructose, and that stevia has no calories)

Well aware that I should be exercising instead of sitting at a computer, I merrily googled some more, looking for weight loss web sites. I also posted status messages on Facebook about my quest to lose weight and got advice from friends. And for dessert, I started a blog about it. 

I was aware before I made this agreement with myself (with my husband as a witness) that in order to lose 1 lb. a week, a person needs to take in 3500 calories less over the course of the week, OR burn 3500 more, OR (better yet) some combination of the two. So I can simply burn 250 extra calories a day, eat 250 less calories a day, and lose 1 lb a week. Easier said than done?

Trouble is I've never actually dieted or tried to lose weight before, so I can't be sure my body will cooperate with this. I was 105-110lbs until I was around 27 years old. Then began the slow steady upward climb toward plumpness, which peaked in 2005 when I was pregnant with my daughter. I gained 35 lbs with my pregnancy and topped the scale at 171 lbs. Four months post-partum I was back in my pre-pregnancy clothes (thanks to my daughter's enthusiastic breastfeeding).

But then what happened? Over the course of the next 3 years, ten more pounds showed up, squeezing me out of my trousers, and rendering a chunk of my wardrobe unwearable.

So over the course of the next three months, I will be chronicling my attempt to lose 7 pounds, as well as lavishing you with the music I love.