The clock is ticking....tick tock!

So for those of you who have been following my blog from the very beginning, you know that Angie and I have a goal to go to Italy when we reach our final weight loss goal.  Well, we both really want to reach our goal weights.  We both also really really want to go to Italy.  The time has come to actually put an expiration date on this trip and we have found the cruise to do just that.  Tonight we both put down a deposit for a 7 night Mediterranean cruise which will be leaving on May 20th, 2012.  The cruise will leave from Rome, Italy (ROME!) and then have ports in Messina (Sicily) Italy, Ephesus Turkey (I've already been there but I am okay to visit again), Athens Greece (ATHENS!), Crete Greece, and back to Rome.  Here is just a glimpse of where we could go.......

Messina Italy!

So here's what HAS to happen before we pay our final payment in March 2012.  We both have to be down to a certain weight before we will pay for the whole cruise.  To save our spot, we had to put down a $250 deposit that is refundable.  So if we aren't to a good weight by March then we will pull out of the cruise and be super sad.  We aren't going to go on the cruise looking like this...................................

The cruise is going to be our celebration for losing the weight.  Plus it is going to be A LOT of work from here on out.  The cruise will be a great treat (better than awarding ourselves with food!).  I have officially joined Weight Watchers which includes me going to weekly meetings with a friend of mine.  Also I am having my coworker check my weight at the beginning of the week and at the end of the week.  She is super skinny and in shape and she is going to keep me on track because it will be embarrassing to not be losing weight with her checking it.  My work is also going to start giving us time to work out for a half hour on our lunch break,, this is time I would be silly not to utilize. So I have no excuses.  I have to check in to people IN PERSON which should be motivation enough to keep me on track.  Plus I really want to go on this trip.  And I want to be able to wear a cute swimming suit like this.......................................................................

In exactly eight months from now I plan to be down an overall 100 pounds.  Right now I am at 258#, which is an overall 21# weight loss since the beginning of my weight loss competition with Angie.  This means I need to lose 78# to be at my overall goal.  To make things even/fair between Angie and I with losing weight by our trip, we have figured out that I need to lose a minimum of 60#.  But I would LOVE to lose the full 78# to be down to 180# by our trip. As I have told some people about my goal, they think it's crazy to be down 78# in 8 months, but 2.3# per week (that will be my goal to acheive this) is considered a healthy weight loss.  When I started my weight loss competition on May 20th, 2010 I had lost 30# by my birthday on July 20th, 2010.  That was only 2 months!  This is doable.  This is attainable.  And I am investing a lot into it. 

Thank you all for your help and support in this endeavor.  You all are the best!  Next week I will be reporting my weight at least at 256# (hopefully more!).  See you on the skinnier side of things.