DIET BACKGROUND
This is my second diet in my lifetime. I'm in my mid-30's and I'm 5 ft. tall. The first diet was in 2002 when I competed in Figure Bodybuilding. That was a gruelling four months of my life. Had to eat 6 times a day on a specific strict diet, did cardio for 1 hour/day, pumped weights with a personal trainer 3X/week. Closer to the two competition dates, I did cardio for 2 hours (which I might add was not the most pleasant thing in my life).

Prior to training for the competition, I had always gone to the gym to do classes (step, aerobics, yoga) and ate fairly healthy, but not enough veggies. However, after my training, I got so turned off by the extreme workout that I haven't gone back to the gym regularly. So in 5 years, I've gained 15-20 lbs. -- it fluctuates depending on how healthy I eat.

WHY I'M GOING ON A SB DIET
Simple fact that my clothes no longer fit. In three years, I've had to buy several pairs of jeans since the ones I had became too tight. Since muscle weighs more than fat, the 15 lbs. weight gain (over 5 years) has taken up more space in my body. Not cool!

It's not so much a vanity thing, but I can think of better ways to spend money...like travelling to the Caribbean. Oh yeah....not to mention the health benefits ;)

SO HERE'S SOME CONSTANTS IN MY SBD:
- weigh-ins: every morning prior to eating breakfast
- fat measurements: every morning prior to eating breakfast based on the info from my weight scale
- measurements: since gaining weight, i notice fat storage in my waist, hips and thighs. so i will measure these areas at the beginning of each week.

EXERCISE ROUTINE
Used to be a gym rat, went religiously about 3-5X/week. Now I just walk our 2 toy poodles twice/day for 15 minutes. We're lucky enough that we live at a waterfront in New Westminster, BC. There's a gorgeous boardwalk filled with fragrant flowers. People from all over the Lower Mainland come down to the go to the Boardwalk.