I love to eat..I love food...Sheesh!

(my infamously delicious Curry-Cayenne Wings)

Anyone who knows me also knows that I am a FOODIE!  Good lawd hammercy - I love to eat, I love the intricacies of food, the art of cuisine....*insert sigh*.

Because I love food and I love to cook - it's become like another persona for me.  All of my friends in the social media realm KNOW about my affiinity for food AND for whipping up some hella good dishes..which is one of the reasons I was motivated to write a lifestyle/entertaining/cookbook - might as well share the love :)

Now, for some folks - this loveFEST with food could be a very dangerously bad thing when you're trying to shed pounds and get fit.  Notice I said - "some folks".  Not for me - I'm thinking that because I have this propensity for working it out in the kitchen, that skill set will be of great benefit to me as I get in shape.  I already know the basics of shopping, food prep and cooking, so it's my plan to use it to my advantage during this process.

I've decided to go the low-glycemic, low carb route..also known as the South Beach Diet.  I used this way of eating back in 2006 and lost 30 pounds...watched my cholesterol go down and my blood pressure drop considerably.  I have to admit that it was, by far, the best way of eating long term - for me.  What I like about it is the fact that you can do it in phases, that it really does cut out the sugar cravings and that the repetoire of menus and meals is truly amazing.  Now..I'm not a dessert person.  I love carbs as in potatoes, pasta, chips, pretzels...that kind of thing.  South Beach doesn't eliminate those items from my eating - it just makes me rethink the "process".  So I'll be noshing on complex versus simple carbohydrates - which is a much better scenario overall.....

The other thing I like about South Beach is the fact that I can fix it for my entire family and they'll eat it.  Yep - it's just that tasty.  Back in '06, I actually served some entrees to my Nana's mid-week Bible Study Group and they TORE IT UP!  Didn't even know it was low-carb and heart-friendly :)

For all of my "kitchen fans" - don't despair.  I'm still gonna heat up the range like I always do..it's just that my personal eating is changing and evolving - for the better, I'm sure.  I'm still working on that cookbook and I'm still working on the personal cooking lessons I talked about earlier this year....you're just going to see a smaller chef walking through your door :)

P.S.  I'll be sharing websites, blogs and cookbooks as well as some of  my own South-Beach friendly recipes that I find....feel free to share yours too!!

Packing up and getting ready for the "journey"........

(yeppy - that's me at 207 lbs. last week during a television interview)

Trust me when I say that I'm not quite sure WHY I decided to blog about my journey to fitness. I don't know WHAT possessed me, but in my spirit - I feel like it's the right thing to do. I'm definitely a "vibe" kinda gal and I follow my instincts very closely.

A little background: Most people know me as "The WeddingDIVA", the no-nonsense, straight-talkin', "I can make a dolla holla" chica from Style Network's "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?". Yeah - I'm her, but I'm also Linnyette - a 49 year old woman who's been struggling with her weight for over a decade. I've been on so many "diets", I've lost count. I've had two or three instances of "clarity" where I could honestly see the light down the tunnel to fitness...but I've always lost my way somehow.

I was looking at a photo from a live television shoot I did last weekend and it really HIT me: Girl, you are fat. Not "thick", but FAT. And I decided that very moment, it had to stop. I'm 5'3...and my "fighting weight" should be around 130 - 140 lbs. Guess what? It ain't. When I got on the scale this morning - it blinked back 203.5 pounds. Ain't that some shiggety? I'm carrying aroud THAT much weight on my small frame.

It's not healthy. Period. A lot of my fat is belly fat - which is the WORSE kind to have. I was diagnosed with secondary hypertension at the age of 18 and have been battling that demon ever since..so keeping my weight down is key. Here's a good question - what's been stopping me? Here's the answer: LIFE. I lead a hectic one and I will readily admit to be SUPER-STRESSED. Stress raises the level of cortisol in your body and that has been shown to increase the amount of belly fat you have. See...I know stuff, but I block it out...{don't ask why..}.

So, today....I made a decision. Get FIT. And NOW. Stop procrastinating. Oh...and yes, I am one hell of a procrastinator. That's one of my problems and it has been a hindrance in my need to get in shape. But like any other demon - it's about to be exorcised. Gotta go...and gotta go now.

I'm one of those people who MUST exercise - it's not an option. Exercise is really the "key" to getting my metabolism revved up and burning, melting the fat and lowering my stress. But the truth is: I HATE EXERCISE. I really do. I mean..I really do. However, I have to move past that dislike and make it a part of my daily routine. I am a workaholic - everyone knows that. So just like I schedule appointments - I must make time for a date with the gym. You cannot leave me to my own devices - I need structure. Which is why I became a member of Planet Fitness TODAY. It's open 24 hours (bonus!), it's close to home and the price ($10 per month) is just right. {I'm cheap too :)}

I have a goal in mind...I want to get rid of (I don't/won't say "lose" because that assumes it's something I want to find again...um, NOT!!) at least 50 pounds by December 1st, 2011. I think that's pretty darn reasonable - roughly 7 months. You see - I'm going to be 50 years old on Christmas Day {good Lord willing} and I think that one of the best birthday gifts I can bestow upon myself is fitter, healthier, leaner me. Yeah - I like that vision. Will this be difficult? YES. Will I fall "off the wagon"? Probably. Will I get back on and keep going? You better bet I will!

So..I invite you to follow along with me. I'll be posting my weigh-ins (once a week on Sundays), my exercise "expeditions" (that should be interesting!), my thoughts, recipes and how I manage my food as well as pictures of my progress (no - I won't burn your eyes!). Feel free to comment, ask questions..but most of all, I ask that you encourage me with positivity. No negativity allowed in this space..not even from me.

Ready? I know I am