...and hopefully exercising more.

My brother has lost 60 lbs in recent months. He doesn't have bipolar disorder, but has inherited the family tendency to gain weight in middle-age. He's been very active physically, mostly because of his job, but he didn't lose weight until he watched his food consumption. I know that is crucial, from past experience of my own.

His weight loss is inspiring me. Like him, I've decided to use MyFitnessPal as a tracking tool. I believe in well-rounded diets, but will try to cut down on cholesterol-ridden fats and refined carbs. I have high cholesterol, so want to lower it.

I want to lose 22 lbs to get back to a normal BMI. I know from the past that I can do that. I've lost even more in attempts years ago. The main challenge is my 450 mg of Seroquel XR, plus my fairly low energy levels. As for the latter, I can exercise. It's more a matter of motivation than lethargy. As for the former, I need to concentrate more on good choices. I do get hunger and carb craving spells. I'm hoping they will ease as I work on my eating, but rather than feel deprived, I want to just choose more wisely.

I hope people don't mind me writing about this here. I find writing about it reinforces my resolve. As a means of holding myself accountable, I have created the set up for a blog post series where I'll check in with results and reflections every Friday.