Patch Takes It Off—The Official Launch

The day is here! Today, we officially start the Patch Takes It Off Campaign.

From now through Labor Day, I am working to shed pounds, gain strength and become healthier. This will be accomplished by cutting calories within a healthy, whole-grain-focused diet that cuts out most carbs, white flour and sugar and bad fats. (No fried food!) 

Additionally, I will investigate different options for getting fit within the Parsippany area—gyms and fitness centers, martial arts studios, dance classes and what have you.

For the official launch, I spent this day hiking in the humidity—a mile around the track at Parsippany Hills High School followed by trekking up and down the island of Manhattan. As David Letterman used to say, I'm tired, but it's a good kind of tired. I reckon the same is true for Patch's Sharon Maroldi, who kicked off her PTIO adventure with a jaunt at Parsippany High.

So, outside of insults from my mother-in-law, this seems to be going well so far. I am excited to start training tomorrow at Anytime Fitness in Parsippany, and soon I will be delving into the world of Zumba, a Latin dance-based form of exercise.

I'll check in weekly with my weight loss and exercise updates, as will Sharon.

Now, this is not intended to be a solitary effort. Most of us could stand to lose a few or to get more fit. We want you to join us!  Put down that cupcake, grab a bottle of water and get active. And blog about your exploits on Patch. Just e-mail me to get started. There is power in numbers. Working together, we can cheer each other on as we focus on living healthier lifestyles.

One thing we certainly can share is our goals here: I want to run in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 5K run in New York this fall. What's yours? Join the Patch Takes It Off campaign and let's make our goals real.

Here's to a thinner and fitter us!