And it all starts at the beginning.

Hello, world. My name is Ariel. I am a 19 year old acting student in baltimore. I decided to make this blog when, after losing 25lbs. on the Medifast plan, I started google searching a million different "diet" foods/cereals, etc in hopes of finding good reviews and pictures even of unwrapped nutrition bars in hopes of being able to thoroughly judge if I would enjoy the product before purchasing it. So I plan on, starting tomorrow, tracking all my meals on here, matched with pictures and reviews of certain products I try. I am hoping I can provide the help for others that I was searching for a few weeks ago. So, a bit about me and my weight loss journey:

Last year, in my Spring semester of 2008, I reached my peak weight of 179lbs. At 5''7' and only 18 years old, I was devestated. As the product of two weight-troubled adults, I knew I had to get my weight and eating patterns under control a.s.a.p to prevent the troubles my parents have encountered as adults. I reached 155lbs. but not in a healthy way whatsoever. I was hungry all the time, lightheaded, and irritable. Needless to say, I gained most of it back and at the beginning of this Spring semester of 2009, I was back up to 169lbs. My mother had recently lost 60lbs. on the Medifast program, and so I requested my parents aide in the finanical area and I went on the diet and got down to 141lbs. in 2 months, and have gone down from a 10/12 pant size to a 6/8. I went off it for financial reasons, and because of my body rebalancing and my urge to eat the things I hadn't had in 2 months, I gained back 5lbs. in one week. After half a week of vigilant Weight Watchers tracking and working out I am back down to 143lbs. My goal weight is 130lbs.

So now I am tracking myself on Weight Watchers, and am really liking the system. It is definitely teaching me a lot about portion control and smart choices. Here are some things to know about me and my eating patterns to know whether or not we might even LIKE the same types of things.

Okay, so first and foremost I can be a pretty picky eater. I am trying new things every day and working towards being a more open person food-wise. I am a sucker for anything blueberry, I love cereal/oatmeal, fruits, bread, yogurt, nutrition bars (I am seriously IN LOVE with nutrition bars - trust me you will realize that reading this), and cheese. I am not a huge veggie person or anything with an earthy taste - not really in to grainy oats or most nuts (except peanuts). The only veggies I genuinely enjoy is broccoli, romaine lettuce, iceburg lettuce, carrots, peas, and potatoes. I have recently tried mashing cauliflower to make pizza crust, which is a pretty fun recipe. I have a huge sweet tooth, so I have to have my sweet foods throughout the day, for sure.

I will continue to weigh in on this website and keep everyone updated on my weight loss, along with weekly measurements and check-ins, and daily updates on meals/reviews/and just general updates. I really encourage everyone who reads this to comment, ask questions, leave suggestions, anything! I love researching foods with points and buying new products (esp. bars) and trying them out. Thanks for reading guys, and I really hope you continue reading!