DENVER -- It's hard to believe but it's been a year .... OK, 14 months since my doctor told me I needed to lose some weight. Not much, just 5-10 pounds. The problem is, instead of losing the weight, I gained more.

I'm not massively overweight. I hike, a lot. But I also like to eat, a lot. And as I'm getting old, my metabolism is getting slower. Not a good combination.

I had grand plans last year when my doctor told me to lose weight. I went to a trainer to make sure I was lifting weights correctly. I was going to write a blog to keep me honest about sticking to my plans. "I was going to" a lot of things, but none of it happened.

Now, it's a year later. Now, I have even more weight to lose.

So, I'm getting started. How?

Two things -- the key two things -- diet and working out. I keep hearing Oprah Winfrey in my head saying if there was a magic pill to weight loss, she'd have it. If the woman who can afford personal trainers and personal chefs struggles to lose the weight and keep it off, then you know it's going to be hard for everyday people like me.

While I need to improve my diet, I'm starting with working out. I need to burn the calories I am eating.

I didn't join a gym. I just know I won't go often enough to justify the cost. But I did join my neighborhood recreation center.

Most of Colorado's front range cities have recreation centers. Most recreation centers do not require you to sign up for a month or a year. My rec center let's me pay as I go.

In Broomfield, we have two rec centers. The Broomfield Community Center is $3.50 for adults who live or work in Broomfield, $4.50 for non-residents. The Paul Derda Recreation Center is $4.50 for residents, $6 for non-residents. They even sell 20-punch cards at a discount. This is a great way to get into a gym, without a commitment or spending a lot of money.

My recreation center is having a "holiday meltdown" class. A personal trainer works with 8-12 people twice a week for 6 weeks. The price? $90 for residents. That may sound expensive, but divide the $90 by the 12 classes and it's only $7.50 a workout. That includes the entrance fee into the gym. So really it's $4.50 entrance and just $3 to work with the trainer for an hour. I'm hoping this will keep me motivated to work out even on the days I don't have the class.

How do you find your local rec center? Google your city and "recreation center." Or call your city and ask. I have a links to several rec centers at the bottom of this blog.

Once you find your local rec center, get a schedule for fitness classes and the pool. Ask how much they charge for a weight room orientation. Don't guess on how to use the machines, have someone show you. Consider a session with a personal trainer to create a program for you or maybe hire a personal trainer once a month to keep you on track. Plan to spend $35 to $60 an hour for a personal trainer.

If all of that is too much, then go to Meetup.com. Click on "find a meetup group."

Type in walking, or hiking, or biking or whatever you like to do and your zip code. Instantly, you'll have several groups that do what you like. Sign up for a few. Meetup will show you a schedule of upcoming events for your group so you can sign up. Some meetup groups charge a dollar or two to help pay for the costs of running their site.

Talk to your friends, see if you can convince one or more of them to meet you for a walk, a run, a ride, weight lifting, something other than drinks. Ask one friend to be your Monday buddy. Ask someone else to be your Wednesday buddy, etc. You may not get up for the alarm clock, but you'll get up for your friends.

And e-mail me at deb_stanley@kmgh.com. Tell me what your goal is and I'll email you once a week to make sure you're sticking to it.

Let's do this together. I'll write here once a week and tell you how I'm doing. You write me and tell me how you're doing. (Just make sure you talk to your doctor before starting if you have any health issues.)

How did I do week one? I managed 5 days of workouts. I walked two days, I hiked two days and my workout class had its first workout one day.

I asked fitness trainer and exercise medicine specialist, Jane Hastings to weigh in on getting started. Jane said: As Deb has found, getting started is the hardest part of working out. Making that phone call to a personal trainer, walking into a gym or even just putting on your athletic shoes, they are all tough but worth it."

Well, there is no time like the present. Live the Nike ad and "just do it" (a great motto to live by).

Do not let your mind get in the way and talk yourself out of it. Once you have made the commitment to yourself, tell someone close to you about your goals. It will help to have a friend when you are feeling discouraged. Go out and buy a new pair of shoes and/or get a workout buddy, whether it is a friend or a personal trainer.

Accountability is everything. Make a schedule or calendar to log your progress.

Consistency is another key factor. Having a log helps immensely with that.

Remember that time waits for no one. Get going, take that first step and begin your journey to a stronger you. Now is the time.

You can reach Jane at Mad About Fitness in Denver.

Local recreation center links:

Denver Rec Centers
South Suburban Parks & Rec
Foothills Parks & Rec
Thornton Recreation Centers
Westminster Recretation Center
Broomfield Recreation Services
Golden Recreation Division
Aurora Recreation Services