starting a journey

I'm starting the process of getting in shape for summer and losing some serious weight. To be blunt, I've gotten fat. There's no nicer way to put that and before it gets too out of control I'm doing something about that.  First step, get out of denial. I realized I was denying the weight gain. I've always been heavier than I liked so I just kept telling myself it wasn't that bad but it was. I cringed at the number on the scale, which I'm not sharing. I hated every picture of me. As I'm getting closer to my 30's which is next year I finally got to the place where I feel ready to do something about it. I want to end my 20's, I have 20 months left, looking my best and healthiest.  Step two start making changes. I am a soda addict. Regular Dr. Pepper. I read somewhere that diet soda increases risk of stroke so I refuse to drink diet. Too much soda is a big part of my being overweight. So this week I stopped drinking it. I drink crystal light energy so I get some caffeine with less calories. If I cold turkey quit caffeine  I end up with horrible headaches and turn into a bitch so bad idea. Also my husband is working on becoming a personal trainer and goes to the gym so he signed me up for a membership which I will start using next week.  I have some goals in mind what I hope to weigh by summer, by my 29th birthday in October and my ultimate weight. My reasons for doing this are -be healthier - look better - be more confident - have more energy - set a good example for my daughter
What have you done to be successful at losing weight? I'm also going to figure out how I want to update my progress on here, pictures, weigh-ins, etc.