Our new Weight Loss Diary writer agreed to let us follow her along over the next year as she works toward her goal of losing 80 pounds.

"Growing up in a suburb of Pittsburgh, I was the youngest child in a family of slim and active people. I was never super-skinny, but I ran track in high school, so my weight was always in a healthy range. During my early adult years, the scale hovered around 150—perfectly fine for my 5'8" height. Whenever I did put on a few pounds, I always managed to lose them pretty easily.

But now, in my 30s, I rarely exercise, eat whatever's convenient, and work long, stress-filled hours as a TV writer in Los Angeles—all of which help explain why my scale now reads 235 pounds. This year, when I saw how much I weighed, I decided that enough is enough—no more excuses. I'm going to direct the same drive and motivation that I've had with my career toward improving my health and well-being. Wish me luck!"