The Weight of the Matter

So, I want to lose 3 pounds. Sounds feasible, right? I want to lose 3 pounds in 3 weeks. Also possible. But it probably means fewer grill cheese sandwiches. Dammit.

My weight has always fluctuated since high school, and at my tubbiest, I was 125 lbs (for being Smurf height, that's at the high end of my BMI range). Once several years ago after a depressing break up with a boyfriend, I dropped down to 107 lbs -- the weight I entered college at. I was proud of myself earlier this summer for weighing in at 115, but since then I have gained back a few pounds and this morning I was somewhere between 117 and 118 (it's hard to tell sometimes with my scale; it's not digital). My ideal weight is somewhere around that 107-110 mark, but I'm really not that concerned if I ever weigh that much again; plus, everything I've read about nutrition while training for a marathon reports that you shouldn't be trying to lose weight while training for a marathon because you need to ensure that you consume lots of calories in order to have enough energy to put in the miles.

However, I think that losing a few initial pounds would be helpful and would make me feel better. So why the three week time limit? That's when I face off with my friend Ryan for our 5K challenge, and I figure if I'm carrying 3 pounds less for that race, I just might fly through the course a little better.