Where to begin....

I tried a personal fitness blog before and kept it private. I currently I have one with my siblings that is also private. This one will be public because I am hoping to find the encouragement and accountability to make lasting changes. I want to feel good in my skin. I want to pass by the mirror and be ok. I don't need to be a Victoria Secret model. I have been blessed with a great healthy body...it's just not weight wise where I want it to be. I know this because I don't like to get dressed and I don't like to pass mirrors...and in addition to Remy getting up at night I awake frequently because my back hurts. I wake up and start the day in pain because of the extra weight my back is carrying and my core doesn't have the strength to support it. At this weight I can run, but I don't like it. I am not obese I just need to shred about 18lbs. Even with in 10lbs the back ache goes away...I know this because I've been there. I've never thought of myself as a yo-yo dieter but I guess when it comes to the scale I am a yo yo.. Three babies and stress have caused me to be poster child for the yo yo. November 07 I hit my low of 158 and a size 8 (I am 5'11) I loved it! I had lost 40 pounds from my previous post baby high. Slowly but surely in the past year I've put 20 of that back on. GROSS! gross gross! So if you stumble across this blog. Help me, criticize me, offer a new idea...anything to make it stick this time. So once again we begin. Currently 176...158 here I come!!!!!!