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What Up?

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NOTE: This article was written by Kris, the founder and previous owner of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. 

So, what’s with this blog and all this Twilight stuff?  Okay, honestly, this blog has very little to do with Twilight, other than the fact that I needed some type of incentive.  See, I have nearly 100 pounds that I need to lose.  Yep, you read that right.  One hundred pounds.  And when I say nearly, I mean like 95 pounds to reach my goal weight.  Oh, and, no, I’m not exaggerating or setting unreasonable goals.  A 95-pound weight loss would put me right in the middle of my healthy range.

I’m not proud of that fact and I’m not going to get into the how’s and why’s in this post.  For the moment, it is what it is and, I’ll tell you, I’m tired of being overweight.  I’m tired of being tired.  I’m tired of being ashamed.  I’m tired of being unmotivated to change.  I’m tired of making excuses.

But, talking about losing weight is a whole lot easier than doing it, especially when the goal seems overwhelming to the point of being insurmountable.  Especially when the possibility of failure is more likely than the possibility of success.  Especially when you’ve tried and failed.  Surprisingly enough, lying in bed watching Biggest Loser each week doesn’t really help you lose weight.

So, why the Twilight theme?  Why the blog name “Eclipsed’?  A few reasons.  A couple of insignificant reasons are: 1) someone sent me the link to a couple of Twilight blog templates a few weeks ago and I thought that if I ever got an opportunity, I’d like to use one and 2)  I love the Twilight books and movies, so I thought it’d be fun to come up with some sort of cute play on that theme or the book titles.

The more significant reasons are: 

1)  I needed a goal.  I don’t have a class reunion on my horizons, no cruises or exotic vacations.  Heck, I’m not even going to Blissdom or BlogHer.  There is nothing especially interesting and goal-worthy in my immediate future.  However, I went to see New Moon (which was incredibly fabulous, btw) on opening night and there were lots of moms in cute Twilight t-shirts.

Now, they do sell these shirts in plus sizes, but I don’t want to buy a plus size shirt.  I want a normal-size shirt.  Medium would be nice.  And, I want to wear it to the Eclipse premiere — June 30, 2010.  It may not be much incentive — it may even sound silly — but, for cryin’ out loud, sometimes you’ve just gotta go with whatever works for you.  The truth is, it’s all psychological.  It’s all about finding what helps you stay motivated and committed to the goal of losing weight.

2)  Okay, so the cute play on the Twilight thing…well, I thought about my goal.  I’d like to be down by 52 pounds (it’s that OCD tendency making me want to land on a nice, even number) by the premiere of Eclipse…you know, that aforementioned Eclipse premiere.  So, I thought about lots of different blog names that would tie in the Twilight theme and keep me motivated.  What does an eclipse do?  It blocks the light; it casts shadows.  That’s what being obese does to my life.  It casts shadows of shame and doubt and fear.  It blocks me from being able to do so many of the things I’d like to do.

A fitting analogy, I think.

3)  I’m a blogger.  I love to blog.  I love to connect with people.  I use writing to process and order my thoughts.  I thought that maybe the accountability of blogging about my weight loss efforts would help to keep me committed.  I also thought that maybe by being really transparent, I might encourage someone — or someone might feel inclined to encourage me.  I also thought that I might hit on one of those big, pivotal Jillian moments in which I realize what it is, psychologically, that’s made me let myself get 100 pounds overweight.

So, here I am, the week of Thanksgiving, finally deciding to, once again, commit to losing weight.  Yes, it’s a terrible week to make that decision, but, you know, I told my husband, doing something is better than doing nothing.  Even if my only success this week is drinking more water and getting a bit more active, that’s still better than not drinking more water and not being more active while I eat lots of Thanksgiving food.  A step in the right direction is a step away from the wrong one, right?

I’m hoping, by the time the fourth Twilight book, Breaking Dawn, is made into a movie, I’ll be ready to change my blog title.  I’m hoping my own goal-weight dawn will be breaking by that time.  It’s something to look forward to.

If you’d care to join me — either as a fellow sojourner or as a cheerleader — I’d love to have you along for the ride.

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Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.

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55 Comments

  1. I'm on board. I have been trying to get my weight off and i think it is just easier when you know someone else who is going through it!

    P.s. So not only do we get to lose weight, i can just stare at Rob each time i come to the sight. BONUS Squeeee! lol

  2. Kris … I am right there with you. My weight loss journey began on October 1st, prompted by a cardiac incident back in August. I am in Cardiac Rehab and following Weight Watchers. Down 15 pounds so far … with 100 pounds more to go. I am taking baby steps, my first goal is 5% and my second goal is 10%. It is hard to be on this journey during the holidays but, better to have a plan than put it all aside until January 1. I have a paper plate right now on my refrigerator with my plan for Thanksgiving Day – how much I will eat and exactly how many points each of the items are. My other goal this week was to be in the gym 4 days, day 1 down. Thank you for starting this blog, I will enjoy following your journey as I continue mine!!

  3. I certainly need to lose a very similar number, so I'll be following your journey.

    Want to try to keep me accountable? 😉 I always have big plans for weight loss, but then it falls by the wayside. (I did once lose 30 lbs, but gained it all back after I stopped working at it.)

  4. Even though I haven't read any of the Twilight series, I like your reasoning for the new blog theme 🙂

    I'll be a cheerleader and can't wait to see what you have in store for yourself! And maybe you'll inspire me to lose that 25 pounds again – you know, the pounds I lost last spring and found again over the summer. Sigh.

    Good luck to you!!

  5. Hi Kris! I followed you here from your hs blog and I must admit, I've been toying with this same idea for quite some time (a weight loss blog). I just haven't had the courage to do it yet.
    And I also must admit, when I went shopping for a Twilight Moms t-shirt I had the *exact same thoughs* (that I refused to wear a plus sized one and that I WILL fit into one by the New Moon premiere!) I can't wait to follow you on your journey and maybe, someday, I'll have a (weightloss) blog of my own!

  6. Good for you for taking that first step! I'm in the same boat w/ you…I have 100+ lbs to lose. We'll journey together. You can do it!

  7. ! =D Kris, this is awesome! =D (And I'm with you – whatever incentive works!). I'm currently on Weight Watchers trying to lose 20 lbs. I'm 2 lbs. in, 18 to go. But it's a long, hard journey and I hate it. But I know I'll feel so much better (for all the reasons you mentioned wanting to lose weight) so let's go! =)

    Subscribing to this NEW blog (heh, you multiple blogger you!) to track with you.

  8. Best of luck on your weight loss journey. Love the idea of using the Eclipse movie to help too.

    I will be setting off on my own weight loss journey once our new baby arrives in January as I have just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes so have had to massively re-evaluate my diet and follow a low GI one instead. I may even lose a few lbs before baby gets here!!

    I have around 120lbs to lose.

    Emma xx

  9. Hi Kris,

    Well I have one marathon under my belt and my goal for that one was finish. I would like to run another…lighter. 80 pounds lighter. I would love to journey with you. I have successfully used WeightWatchers…and have started counting points once again. I am unable to attend meetings at this point because our finances are extremely tight. But perhaps a virtual community will be helpful. Looking forward to journeying with you and others.

  10. You ladies ROCK!!! Wow! I can't tell you how much all of your supportive comments mean to me. Maybe I should have started blogging this journey a long time ago. I might not have so far to go now if I had.

    It really, truly helps to know that there are people supporting you.

    Alicia — I love your paper plate on the fridge. What a great idea! I think planning is a vital key.

    Kari — You absolutely can join me! My goal was closer to what yours is not so long ago, but I sat around on my lazy butt, continuing to eat (and drink! Ah, sweet tea…) my calories and do nothing about it. So, now, here I am with nearly 100 pounds to lose.

    Thanks again, ladies! You're awesome!

  11. I'm with ya girlfriend! All the way!!! yaya!! I have been taking "hula hoop" classes that my friend offers in my area and absolutely LOVE the way my core is toning, slowly….but I need to lose around the same amount as you do. Soo stinking excited that we are doing this! Is there any way that you can add a "subscribe to email" button (like on your homeschool blog) so that I can be reminded by your posts please? alrighty, let's get ready, get set, GOOOOO! xoxoxoxox

  12. Go Team Weird! I wish you all the success to reach your goal and get that Tshirt! You are really making these books work for you.

  13. You know that I'll be encouraging you along the way!! I will only be at the top of my range after I lose the other 40 of the original 90 pounds. ;o)

  14. Sign me up as a cheerleader! 2, 4, 6, 8 Who's gonna lose the weight? Kris, Kris, KRIS! 🙂

    This is awesome. I loved the title but when I clicked over I totally didn't get the Twilight thing. But totally completely works from eclipse to breaking dawn. How cool is that.

  15. You GO GIRL!!! I think the name of the blog is great and I am so proud of you!!! Heck, I'd even love to see it WITH you. 🙂

    Jillian and I are going to start kicking back into gear this week…probably after Thanksgiving so that I can move and bend before then….}.

    Love you!

    Jolanthe

  16. Anything that mixes the world of Twilight with exercise has to be a good thing! I'm on board too. Time to get the baby weight off from the last 5 babies! Goal by Eclipse Premier: 40 lbs.

    I'm a points counting Weight Watchers kinda girl, though I have never attended a meeting. I have the books and just do it on my own. I even adjusted the family schedule recently to force me to exercise at 8:00am before homeschool starts in the morning. So far, so good. I've lost 4 lbs in the last two weeks.

    PS. I want the shirt too! I just may buy one in a Medium now so I can try it on every week as I get closer to the Eclipse Premier. Hmmm…. and a pair of jeans down a few sizes….

  17. @ Tristan,

    You know, I seriously thought about going ahead and buying a shirt and hanging it in my closet for incentive, BUT, they have one style for Twilight and one for New Moon, so I figure that they'll probably have a third shirt for Eclipse. I'm going to wait and see because I'd rather have that one for my goal shirt.

  18. I just wanted to say that I'm totally with you and with the same amount to lose! Hopefully reading your new blog (with the awesome Twilight theme!) will help keep me focused on my journey.

  19. Thanks for starting this blog! Amazing theme by the way. 🙂 I'll be here with you. I'm trying to walk each day, at least a mile. I have at least 40 to loose, ultimately probably 60. Right now I'm working on 15 as a mini goal. 🙂

  20. I have no idea who you are in *real* life….but you are one of my faves in the BLOG WORLD! 🙂 I am so proud of you! Just setting such a goal for yourself is HUGE! You are so inspriring! I will be in prayer for you and def. cheering you on thru your journey! (hugs)

  21. Yeyy!! I'm so happy u decided to use the templates I knew you would like them:) That is awesome that you are doing this. Good Luck!!!

  22. Congrats! I'm interested to keep up with your progress. About 6 years ago I lost close to 50 lbs and have kept if off. So I know that you can do it. The key is portion control, you can eat whatever you want, just count your calories and don't go over. The first few weeks are the hardest, but once you get over the hump, it gets easier!

  23. I followed over from your homeschool blog and think this is a great idea.

    I am in with you 🙂 I have over 50 to lose and keep struggling and just getting heavier and heavier each time I try to lose.

    Will you be doing any McLinky challanges? I am motivated to start my own weight loss blog, but not sure I will know what to write about lol.

  24. @ Khaili — I do have some ideas for some challenges and other things I'd like to do. I haven't figured out if they'll work well as a MckLinky kind of thing, though that is the way I was initially thinking of them.

    So, all that to say: Probably. 😉

  25. Kris,
    I have to admit I laughed when I saw the countdown to Eclipse because I didn't know that it was already set – although you are not the only one I know who is aware of the time until it comes out.

    I have about 70 pounds to lose – 20 of it I lost last winter and then gained back over the summer (Yay me!).

    Not only do I need to lose weight and get healthier but I need to stop eating wheat and milk. That's partly how I lost the 20 pounds, by not eating very much wheat products. I think I have a wheat sensitivity.

    I know my son has a problem with milk and so we are cutting milk products out of our diet.

    Ideally Thanksgiving would already be over but it's not. That just leaves me trying to make better choices since I won't be able to make really good choices.

    Anyway, I am on board.

  26. Kris this is just such an awesome idea! I have always found that having support during my weight loss journey has been SO important! I just had my fourth baby and am excited to be able to work off this baby weight and share this journey with you and all the other wonderful bloggers! Not to mention I LOVE the theme!! =-}

  27. Kris I think this is a great idea! I always do better when I can share my goals wih others, especially my weight loss goals. Not to mention I also ove Twlight! Hahaha

  28. Me, me, me! I wanna join, too! I love your other blog (although I don't think I've ever commented before…) and have gotten several homeschooling ideas from you. We have 5 blessings and are in our second year of homeschooling four of them (our oldest is in the Air Force). I win so far for needing to lose the most weight…210 pounds to my goal! I, too, am tired of being tired… tired of being too big to fit in an airplane seat to go visit my son… too big to run and play and keep up with everyone at the zoo. GOD brought me here to your blog tonight and has me here in tears even now. Thanks, Kris! Let's go, Team Weird (saw that in another comment–cute)!
    Jennifer in New Orleans, LA

  29. You can do it, Jennifer!! I have just been so encouraged by the contestants on this season of The Biggest Loser. They have so much to lose, but they have such huge hearts and the will and drive to succeed. I think seeing some of them and their drive and how they've succeeded is part of what made me decide that I *can* do this.

    Team Weird. I love it. I am so adopting that. Amida, you get all the credit for coining the phrase. 😉

  30. I'm here as a cheerleader and am very excited for you!!

    Blessings
    Mrs. White (Sharon) from the Crew
    in Vermont

  31. OK- I'm ready to join you, not just try, but to lose 50 by the premier date. I also need to lose about 100 pounds. I just found this blog tonight and I am ready to start this with all of you. I agree with one other lady who mentioned being more comfortable posting my pounds lost here than on my own blog which posts to my friends on Facebook. Thanks for sharing this journey towards better health.

  32. Jennifer, you are absolutely welcome to join in! I'm glad to have the extra support and accountability. I look forward to sharing this journey with you.

  33. Kris~ I hope you make your goal of the weight loss. I would love to lose another 50#. I have been steadily losing for the past year, but, being pregnant, I wasn't able to put it into action!
    I just kept busy around the house, not overdoing anything, and I lost instead of gained! Stairs are a GREAT help!

    Yahweh knows our hearts in areas that will please him, and I am praying He will help you as you attain this goal!

    be blessed~

  34. I just found your blog today. I'll admit that I found it thru your homeschool blog. And the minute I saw Eclipsed in the Twi-font I had to see what the heck.

    I'm on TM's too. (etandksmom) I've been having the issue of my weight and finding a Twilight shirt that I don't have to stretch or cover up cause it's not fitting. So, hmm, maybe it's not the shirts, lol. I totally support you and am very much encouraged by your story.

    I haven't read all of your entries yet but I'm working my way thru. What "method" are you using?

  35. Welcome, Elizabeth! I'm down 45 lbs. so far, so I'm terribly excited about that. My husband got me a bodybugg (a la Biggest Loser) for Christmas (actually a few weeks before that). I've been using it to track my calories burned each day and tracking my calories consumed on the Apex website. My goal is a 1,000 calorie deficit each day. So far, it's been very successful for me.

    So, essentially, my "method" is move more, eat less. 😉

  36. Count me in…only, I've already seen Eclipse…so maybe I can make my 52 lb goal by the 1st Breaking Dawn Movie! I'm not sure I can do it…but I'm going to try!
    I apologize in advance for various comments you'll be getting on these old posts…but….Your blog definitely MOTIVATES me! Thanks Kris!

  37. I just had to go back and see your 1st post…can you believe you're really doing it?  When I saw 100 lbs there I realized how hard it was for you to start this journey and this blog.  Can you believe that if you started a blog today it would say "I have 16.4 pounds to lose."?!  Can you believe you didn't have to come back and delete this blog because you gave up?  I mean, really.  No sunshine blowing here…it's truly amazing.  You did it the hard way.  And you liked it.  🙂  I'm going to do it, too.  And I'm going to like it.  🙂

  38. Abby, that is seriously probably one of the best comments I have ever received. I've never really thought about this whole weight-loss journey like that. Your comment really put it in perspective for me and made me realize what an amazing thing I have accomplished. I think I'm going to print this off and hang it up in my workout room. Really.

    Thank you so much!

  39. You are so welcome!  I'm all verklempt!  🙂  Seriously I was already teary just reading this post.  I have a blog (more like an online scrapbook for my own amusement) but I haven't had the courage to post anything about what I'm starting…just in case I failed.  Again.  But I've decided not to fail.  So thank YOU!  🙂  I feel like that fish in Finding Nemo at the Fish Are Friends Not Food meeting…"You're an inspiration to us all!"
     
    P.S.  If you started a blog that just said you're a runner with 16.4 lbs to lose I might not even read it…ha ha!  🙂

  40. Um, yeah, if I'd come across a blog like that when I first started, I'd have thought, "Yeah. Wah. Poor baby." Then, I'd have hit delete and kept moving. 😉 It sure feels good to be there now, though.

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