School is back in session and our schedule as a family has returned to normal.  Now is a great time for me to really focus on improving my health and losing additional weight.

A few years ago, I managed to lose a pretty considerable amount of weight, but as happens so often, I failed to keep it off.  I’ve made start-and-stop attempts to blog about my weight loss, here at No. Calories Needed, for several years, but I never really devoted myself to this site – or to maintaining my weight loss.

I recently had a health exam – and my eyes were opened to the fact that I really do need to lose weight and live a healthier life.  I have been blessed with an awesome wife and three awesome kids, but my recent weight re-gain (is that a term?) is really keeping me from enjoying my life to the fullest.

So, that brings me to my latest idea for what to do with this site.  If I look back through the most recent 10 or 15 posts, it’s actually quite embarrassing.  Over-and-over, I promise to “lose the weight” and “blog often” – but then I go weeks and even months between posts.  I’ve actually considered closing the site down – but for some reason – I want to keep it going.

I’ve decided to tack a little note to the end of all posts, directing folks to this very post.  This post is “put-up-or-shut up”.  I’ll either lose the weight and do a great job of telling my story, or I won’t.  This will be it, the last attempt at a do-over.  Period.

I’m calling the next phase of my weight loss journey – Project 80.

Basically, my doctor told me that I need to lose 80 pounds if I want to be at a ‘healthy” weight.

At some point in the future, when I’ve lost a considerable amount, I’ll let you guys know my new “starting” weight, but for now, I’ll just keep up with total pounds lost and other measures of progress.

I want to say thank-you to those who have stuck around through the numerous attempts I’ve made to lose weight and blog about it.  Trust me, no one is more frustrated than I am – and it’s that frustration that is driving this post.

Time for the first weigh in and report –

Weight loss goal August 1 of 2012 = 80 pounds

Weight loss since last weigh in = 4 pounds

Total weight loss as of August 10 of 2012 = 4 pounds

Remaining pounds to lose = 76 pounds

There you have it.  Rock on.