So I’ve decided to come back and start my diet over again. I lost about ten pounds on my first try, but I’m going to just start from zero again, which will give me three months instead of one and a half.

My goals for this diet are as follows:

* Lose at least 30 pounds. I have three months to do this, so I think it’s a realistic goal.

*Exercise at least three times a week. This is definitely doable. If I can make it to the SAC at least three times a week, I’ll be in much better shape.

* Stay strong during the holiday season. This might be a toughie. Thanksgiving and Christmas bring the best food. I just have to stay focused and think about how good it will feel to be skinnier and healthier.

* Fit into and look good in a cocktail dress by February. I’m going to Vegas for my birthday and I think it would be amazing if I could pull off wearing a cute little black dress.

My goals are set; hopefully I can meet all of them over the next few months.

Day One: 11-3-08

It feels like I’ve had a million day ones. This will hopefully be the last.

It started off good with kickboxing. Most of the people who attend kickboxing are skinny and in shape. In fact, skinny people dominate the SAC every time I work out there, which I guess makes sense since exercising keeps you from gaining weight. So yes, I am one of the heavier kickboxers who takes numerous water breaks. I sometimes do half-hearted jumping jacks instead of full ones, and I silently cheer when we take a break to cool down. Kickboxing started out my week; hopefully it’ll help keep me strong and focused on my diet plan.

Day Two: 11-4-08

I heard once that obesity is considered an epidemic. I think fad diets are the epidemic’s ironic counterpart. I really wonder how many diet pills there are on the market. There have to be hundreds, all offering the same thing: significant weight loss with hardly any exercise requirements.

Those diet pill ads where the people are wearing the same exact outfit in front of the same exact background but are 50 pounds skinnier are pretty hilarious. Shouldn’t they change the background so it at least looks legit?

What’s more hilarious than that is the “after” pictures where the men have developed six packs. They give the assumption that by taking this diet pill (which is probably just a placebo), you are going to get muscular abs. The only thing funnier than that is the male enhancement commercials, but I won’t get into that.

My second day went pretty well. I ate at Subway (it worked for Jared!), worked out for 45 minutes. Day two down, 88 more to go.

Day Three: 11-5-08

I didn’t get to work out today because I forgot my ID. I think we should be given an ID separate from our school ID to use at the SAC, because I always have my ID in my backpack and sometimes forget to transfer it to my workout bag.

I tried to get in without it, and this is how the conversation went:

Me: I don’t have my card, can I go in once without it?
SAC employee: No, you need to have your campus ID.
Me: Look, I’m fat. I need to work out.
SAC employee: *awkward silence* You need your ID.

If I was that girl, I would have just let me in. The fat defense, I think, was a pretty valid argument.

Day Four: 11-6-08

The diet’s going pretty good. Nothing noteworthy about today.

Day Five: 11-7-08

I know smelliness is expected at the SAC, since it’s a place of exercise, but I swear some people do not put on deodorant when they work out; they smell like armpits. I had to move to a different machine because this one guy smelled so bad.

I think they should give out free samples of Old Spice and Dove at the desk.

Day Six: 11-8-08

I like snowboarding, and this year I wanted to buy a snowboard coat; it’ll help my snowboarding and make me look oh-so-cool. I went to this snowboard and ski shop and tried on their jackets. Apparently, snowboard coats don’t come in size XL, which makes sense since I don’t see too many plus-size snowboarders. I had to settle for a large; it fits alright, it’s just a little hard to zip up. I guess now I have yet another reason to lose some poundage.

Day Seven: 11-9-09

Weigh-in time! I lost four pounds. Not too bad, but I could do better. Good thing there are 11 more weeks to go.