Only by seeking challenges can we hope to find the best in ourselves. (Robert Rodriguez)

Last year I joined Weight Watchers, and I did really well. I stuck with the plan, even through the holidays, and by counting up the points of everything I ate I managed to lose a little over 70 pounds. It was wonderful, and I felt great.

But little by little I've lost my motivation. And although I know that Weight Watchers works wonderfully, I don't have any desire to count points or plan special meals. Most days lately, it's all I can do to put together a meal that isn't from a drive-thru lane. My jeans have become extremely tight as a result, and not in a "looking-good" way.

So when I was offered a Ten-Day Challenge yesterday, I decided to go for it. It's a simple program, which is what I need right now. No counting calories, no planned meals; just three very easy to follow changes that fit in nicely with my current lifestyle.

Day 1:


This is my "Before" picture, taken this afternoon. I debated about sharing this, since I really don't like the way I look. But I want an honest way of seeing whether the Challenge has any real effect. For that reason, I've also taken my measurements. I won't share the actual numbers, but I will let you know if there is any change.

• Weight
  
• Waist
• Hips
• Thigh

The first step is the most obvious. Eat a balanced, sensible diet. For me, that means adding breakfast (and two chocolate frosteds from Dunkin Donuts doesn't count). It also means severely limiting the amount of chocolate I snack on throughout the day. Hershey Kisses should not be taking the place of lunch. I am not going to count points, or calories, or whatever. But I will stop and think my choices through, selecting the lower-fat, higher-nutrition option whenever possible.

I'll let you know how well I'm doing on Day 5.