I've been carrying around a 2-year-old boy with me every day for the last year or so. Well, he's grown into a 2-year-old boy.

Yep, I've been lugging around an extra 25 pounds, the equivalent of a 2-year-old boy, and I fully intend to lose this toddler in South Cobb.

For a gal who loves to rock a pair of heels as often as possible, I’ve certainly had to invest in flats now.

So, I’ve made the same New Year’s resolutions I’ve been making for years: to lose weight, to eat healthier, to exercise regularly.

This time, more is at stake. This time, it has to be a lifestyle change.

This year is different. You all are going to be watching me, so I can’t let you down.

So, let me explain quickly where this weight all came from because you may be in the same boat.

It seemed like it came out of nowhere. My clothes started “shrinking.” I started getting winded far more easily than ever before. I have knee and back problems that probably can be attributed to my weight gain.

Constantly working in front of this here laptop, responding to emails, taking and making phone calls, running from meeting to town hall to interview to fall festival (during the day, evenings and on weekends) and making fast-food runs in between when I can for sustenance has all caught up to me.

From the time I first started working for Patch in October 2010 until now, I’ve gained a total of 25 pounds. I’m at my heaviest, and it ain't pretty. I certainly want to look good, but more than anything, I want to feel good. I want to make more responsible and conscientious decisions about what I put in my body and how I treat my body.

The (re)solution

I’m beginning a series about getting healthy in South Cobb, about meeting my own weight loss goals and about showing you how to find busy-schedule-friendly and budget-friendly ways to get moving and get healthy in our community.

Each week, I’ll go to one of the dozens of affordable Zumba classes in the area or the free Salsa classes at Mexico Lindo or join in with the Mableton Improvement Coalition’s community walking group for example. Additionally, I’ll show you how to eat healthy (on a budget) at our local grocery stores and restaurants, with the help of local nutritionists. (I’ll tell you right now that you don’t have to go to Whole Foods every week to still eat healthy.)

Cobb County residents, and maybe moreso for South Cobbers, have an array of health problems compared to the rest of the state.  In this series, I’m going to explore those and learn why that is and what can be done about certain health issues prevalent in our community.

This is a motivation-by-humiliation style of fitness as well. I must continually make progress towards my weight loss goals and if I don’t, I have to publish a photo of myself. Yes, a photo. You know the ones the contestants take at the beginning of every Biggest Loser season.

This is the Internet. Photos don’t go away. That photo of me with my gut hanging over some spandex shorts would haunt me for the rest of my life…if I don’t stick to this plan.

My first goal is to lose the toddler, 25 pounds, by March 30.

 I’ll need your help.

Each week, I’ll let you know what’s happening next week or where I’ll be and I’d love for you to join me.

Patch is an online town square– a place to connect with neighbors about local issues, but also a starting point to gather offline as well.

That’s what South Cobb Fit Club is all about.
Let’s use South Cobb Patch as a way to connect and get healthy together, with our neighbors, our friends and our families here. Here on the site and on the Facebook page, we can communicate about our struggles and victories as we all reach to keep our New Year’s resolutions and to build new and lasting bonds along the way.

This week, you can find me at the first "Discover Your Health at the Library" event on Saturday at the Cobb Central Library at 2 p.m. I'll also be attending the $4 Zumba class at the Ward Recreation Center on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. 

NOTE: The Ward Recreation Center Zumba classes are offered every Monday and Thursday, but have not yet resumed for this year. Instead, I'm going to Zumba at Lailah's Studio at 4968 Austell Road in Austell. Come out and get moving. The first class is FREE! Check out info about the instructor, Katia Longaretti.

Hope to see you there.

Keep it movin’, South Cobb!