Double Dare Y'all

Honestly?

Losing weight started as a way to prove my brother wrong.  One of my most awesome qualities is that I'm like always right.  Unfortunately, this seems to run in the family, because my brother also happens to be always right.  Sometimes this gets us in heated discussions because our *rights* are never, ever the same.

So a while back, he decided that he needed to lose a couple of pounds.  Almost effortlessly, it seemed, the pounds just kept falling off.  It was like he was losing weight by blinking and breathing.  He would boast about his weight loss (as he should) and I would roll my eyes and say, "Ya.  But it's easier for you."

Evidently, this was the wrong thing to say.

My argument:  He is and always has been super athletic.  He has muscles.  He has the foundation.  He's a he.  These all seemed to me to be things he had going for him.  Muscle mass makes it easier to burn fat because well....I think I read it somewhere - something about your metabolism, I think.  I don't know, I kind of zone out when people start talking about cars or sports.  I'm a she.  My body, by design, stores more fat so that I may house and birth many babies and serve my purpose as a woman.  I have little to no muscle.  I have (had) little to no will power.  I'm not athletic and running to the end of the street would probably kill me.  It's harder for a woman to lose weight. 

His argument:  Bullshit.  He'd get really quite offended when I said that.  I think particularly because I was discrediting his will power and all the hard work he had put into it.  He was adament that if I cut out (unnatural, processed) sugar completely, cut my carbs down, and went for a brisk walk every day for 30 minutes, I would see a difference too.

But it seemed so easy.  There was no gimic.  There was no Jenny Craig or Weight Watcher's points or South Beach Diet.  I didn't believe him.  I was still right.  So, we made a bet (it was a win-win for me, but shhhhhh, don't tell him that...) that if I tried what he said, I would lose 15-20lbs in a month and if I didn't lose that much, he would take me out for a super yummy, high calorie dinner where ever I wanted.  Right.  So I either lose 15lbs or I get a free meal.  See?  Win-Win...

Nothing spells determination like *I'm gonna prove you wrong*.

I've lost 15lbs in 3 1/2 weeks.  In one week alone, I lost 1 1/2 inches of my waist.  One Week!!!

I know, right? 

No dinner for me.

But, wait.  What?  He was right? 

All I really needed was will power, a little (lot) support, and a meal plan.  No sugar, low carbs, and 1200 calories a day.  That's it.  No fad diet.  No weird pills.  No tapeworm.  No sugar, low carbs, and 1200 calories.  Nothing else.  Truthfully, I haven't even been doing the brisk walks every day, although I do walk around a lot more while at work and have started taking stairs instead of elevators and small things like that.  I will say I had a super embarrassing gym moment (s) when I was younger and the thought of actually paying money for torture like that goes totally against everything within me. 

My stomach is flatter, my face is thinner.  Rings I haven't been able to wear for a year or more are fitting on my fingers.  People (other than my mom!!) are starting to notice the difference.  I have more energy.  I have less bloating (this is huge for me!!!!  I seriously think I've been permanently bloated for years!!!)  The change is amazing. 

And it's addictive.  How can I eat healthier?  How can I feel better?  Can't wait to fit into my *skinny* clothes!!  In a month, I've lost a third of my weight loss goal!  Amazing!!