Well, now I can say I started something - ahead of time no less. So technically, this would be my pre-countdown entry - as the official countdown will begin April 1. Here's the idea. From my 39th birthday, I have one year to get myself back into my "30" shape (or even better, really). Before my kids, before my wedding, before all sorts of life excuses got in the way and got me to where I am now.

And as I am incredibly creative and handy with excuses, I have a team of people supporting me in this effort, and hope to engender even more support. It's the accountability I need to make this work.

I'm not going to start with statistics - but suffice it to say we're going to start at 100 and work my way down from there, and see where things go. I literally am too ashamed to put the true number of my own weight down in front of me - and I don't want to be that way anymore. So, to correct that - I need to get to a weight that I can mention publicly. Make sense?

For those of you who don't me (or don't know me well) I'll create the scenario. Suburban mother of two (ages 7 and 5), married, working full-time, volunteering at school, pre-school, and with other groups, who stays up too late, watches a bit too much tv, makes some poor nutritional choices (particularly AFTER 8PM), and basically prefers not to sweat. I am 5'10", and for years got away with "being tall" or "big boned". Well, I'm beyond that now.

I am a relatively active person, however - not really the couch potato you might envision having to lose 100 pounds - I enjoy hiking, walking, biking, playing outside with my kids - and I do, but probably not enough. I'm always on the go, and don't think twice about spending the day on my feet at an amusement park or outdoor festival. And I don't complain at all after a full day of family activity. Unless there's sand involved. I will bitch about sand.

The comments of "jelly belly" and "soft mommy" have lost their charm, and the annoyance of having to sit in the designated rows for "larger" people on roller coasters have finally done me in. I used to justify it in my head for my boobs (I've always been a top-heavy, but the girls and me get along okay), but when the lap strap didn't make it across my tummy - yeah, it got me thinking.

When I realized I was calcuating in my head the weight of myself, my husband, and our two growing children (who are like bean poles - thank goodness, and may they stay that way), and if that would be okay for the sky ride - that made me pause.

When I noticed that no matter how much I pump up my tires on my bicycle it looks as though they are going flat - that made me sigh.

And yes - I even had the pant splitting moment. That really just plain sucked. In public. At a trade show. On a windy day. Why mention that fact? I had to pick up a lot of materials often. So I got my deep knee bends in for sure that day!

So here I am. Ready and willing. Maybe it will be like when I finally stopped smoking. I just had to be ready. Really ready. Willing it do it for me - not for anyone else. I managed that one cold turkey. Maybe the same will apply. Too bad I don't like turkey that much.

Here we go...