Who am I?

I started this blog with the intention on keeping it anonymous but I'm starting to lean away from that initial thought. I'll be going by Light here, though that will hardly seem an alias to people who know me, it's not totally throwing myself out there. I guess I would just appreciate that people wont just be able to search my real name and pull up this site.

With that said, who am I?

A girl -- a woman (when did that happen?) -- in my late twenties. I wear many hats under the umbrella of pet care. I am a certified veterinary technician and I work at a small animal practice, but I also own my own business in house call pet care, behavior consultation, and training.

My dog is basically my life. @RemusTheWereCollie I adopted him in December and he has been a big help in getting me to be more active. We walk together, hike together, and I recently got an attachment for the new bike I acquired so he can run along side of me while I cycle. You will be hearing much about him in the upcoming posts. I also have two cats, Potato and Sprite -- they are not as motivating to be active but they are good cuddle buddies for post-workout comas.

I live by myself, which suits me just fine for the moment, but a big part of wanting to lose this weight is the desire to be confident enough to go back out there and date. With that confidence I'd love to like the way I look, feel good in the clothes I'm wearing, and feel good about myself. I know, in theory, I should be able to do these things at my current weight, but I don't. I'm working on it, but I don't. Weight loss has helped me with my confidence issues in the past, so here's to giving it another go.

What are my other reasons?

I want to be healthy. So far being obese has not greatly impacted my health. I'm still in my 20s but my 30s are creeping up and I know it's only a matter of time. Prior to starting this whole thing I ate a diet primarily of processed foods and fast food/take out. Now I'm limiting myself to eating out twice a month -- also to save money -- and cooking almost all my meals from scratch. With that I've decided to go almost entirely plant-based. Cooking at home has been entirely vegan (which is not hard at all if you don't eat processed foods!). I will be more relaxed about those restrictions if I eat out or at someone else's home, but I am completely vegetarian.

I want to be fit. I want to be able to go up my stairs without feeling winded. I want to be able to do my very physical job without panting. I want to someday run a marathon. For now I'm working on the Couch to 5K with my second 5k ever in May (the first one was several years ago). I have a goal of getting down to 215lbs prior to the race, because that's where I was at when I ran the last one. 

These are great aspiring long term goals, but I also have a somewhat short term goal of looking great for the cruise I'm going on in November. I may not be at my goal weight by then, but I know I will have succeeded in making a significant dent in my fat and hope to be happy and confident when I lay out in the sun.