Remember when I said I needed to lose weight?

Yep. I stuck with that for a whole 3 days.

So, here goes Round 2!

This is actually Round 2, Day 4 to be exact.

Here are some facts I figured out.
My BMI is 32. Wow. OBESE!
I am 5'2" and weigh 173, but that is completely unimportant. I can't change how tall I am and I don't care how much I weigh. It's how I look and feel that counts. Or maybe I really do care about how much I weigh.

I found out that if I eat 1833 calories per day and keep my current activity level, I will maintain this weight. If I just lay in bed and eat 1534 calories per day, I will maintain my current weight. I also found out that if I make sure to get certain amounts of everything, that I will become healthier. These are averages of course. I should have around 30 grams of fat per day, 25 grams of fiber per day, 60 grams of protein per day, and 150 grams of carbs per day.

I also wrote down everything I ate for a couple days. I mean EVERYTHING! I found that I was eating around 2500 calories per day. No wonder I've been gaining.

It is WAY too discouraging to count calories and figure out how many calories are being burned, but I realized that until I am used to being active and understand how much of the right kinds of food I need to eat, I HAVE to keep track of everything.

I made a goal. I have to count and keep track of everything for the next 4 weeks. I should have enough recipes in my repetoire by then to maintain the right foods.

Here is my big question. Should I:
a) Set a realistic weight goal, like 140, then see if I can maintain it, then go for more loss?
b) Work really hard to get to the size and shape I want, then try to maintain it?

As far as exercise goes, I can't afford to go to the gym, so I'm on my own. I would like to try jogging, but I definitely don't want people seeing my big ol' butt going boom-ba-ba-boom-ba-ba as I try to run down the street. So... I am walking instead. I'm only averaging 6 miles per week, but hey, it's a start.