The primary reason I signed up and pay to be a member of Calorie King is to lose weight. The side benefit, and the reason people stay members after losing the weight is the improvement in health and energy that they experience. Calorie King is not just another diet program - it is a lifestyle. I referred to it in an earlier post as the "Calorie King concept," which is misleading because the concept of "calories in - calories out" has been with us for a long, long time. Calorie King simply provides a forum where we can share, get support, and keep our nutritional needs and intakes organized. Out of all this comes the natural side effect of the weight loss that we so desperately seek. So, without further ado - - - the Envelope, Please. [drum roll and fanfare music plays in background] The loser is - - - [feel the suspense building?] - - - ME!!! Tah Dah !!!!! -8.5 pounds

Now, I am not so full of myself to believe that this is going to set a trend. As I understand it, for most people, the first week is almost always a very good week. I am motivated, I am in over-achiever mode, and, most importantly, I have managed to NOT be bored with the foods I am eating. I actually think the blogging helps because it provides a sense of accountability to others. I can really feel the support. Calorie King needs to do more to encourage blogging.

Now to move forward and shed 50% of my remaining body weight. I say "shed" not "lose" because losing is usually something we do by accident whereas shedding is an intentional act to rid oneself of something undesirable. I don't know if Webster would agree with these definitions or not, but - hey - they work for me.