One Year huh....and why flying fish?

Well, 15-1/2 years ago, I met my husband on a blind date.  I've consistently put on a pound for each year of our relationship and I am now huffing and puffing if I have to climb 4 flights of steps.  I'm keeping the mate but planning on losing the pounds. This is my first week with an empty nest as we've launched the last of the kids from our combined family off to college and university, so now....NO MORE EXCUSES.  I'm fat.  The dog is fat.  It's time that one of us took the lead here to get the pounds off!

Now, what's up with the flying fish title?  Both my parents were born in Barbados and that island has a very high rate of people who live past 100.  My cousin's wife did a study of this for the University of the West Indies and she found that not only was the amazing Bajan diet (lots of fish, fruit and root vegetables) a big reason for the longevity, but also key was the ability of the people to handle the stresses of life (usually through being able to hand some of life's problems to a higher power).  As a stress eater and a lapsed Catholic (I prefer a more one-on-one relationship with God, but can get behind anyone whose religion is about love, not hate), I'm thinking that yoga and exercise will be the way to go....along with a lot fish, veggies and laughter.  So, here's the plan:

1. Replace meat with fish at least 2x a week
2. Reduce portion size (at least to smaller than the dog's food dish)
3. Walk further than to the computer (usually to see if Rosie has updated)
4. Walk this poor lovely old golden retriever who just wants to be loved and cherished for her final years
5. Learn how to cook healthy food
6. Make better food choices by taking photos of most of the food that I put in my mouth so that I will really look at what I'm ingesting.  If it ain't pretty, it's not going in!
7. Use all tools possible (slow cooker, tangine, etc) in order to have lovely healthy food on hand
8.  Figure out lots of ways to cook fish, especially flying fish and dolphin (not flipper seriously...flipper was a porpoise.  Mahi Mahi)
9. Elliptical 3 times a week, and not just using it to hang wet clothes on
10. Yoga and Pilates
11. Choose what to take in mentally and emotionally.  DO NOT Click on Huffington Post every 5 minutes. 
12.  Watch a good comedy or 2 each week to take the edge off (rather than endlessly watching All The President's Men and other fantastic but intense movies)
12.  Support all of the other bloggers who are making this journey together.

16 pounds and 3 inches around my waist will be lost.  Here we go....