Spring...A Fresh New Start

I am finding myself asking, "Spring, where are you?" but am reminded that, "March - in like a lion and out like a lamb." It is just that my 'spring fever' was tempted with those few warm days a couple of weeks ago and now I can't seem to embrace this cold front with open arms and a smile on my face. I am just ready for Spring, warm sunshine, and new life.

New life...ahhh the refreshing thought. I have taken alot of time thinking and processing that on a very personal level and have started to apply it to myself. I don't want to welcome spring with extra weight or a drabby exterior, so I have challenged myself, along with my unmentioned accountability partner, to start peeling off the old self and replacing it with a new and fresher me.:) Once I set my mind to it, or rather took a good look in the mirror without the disguise of clothes, I was shocked and extremely inspiried to lose my 'side kick' for sure! And by 'side kick' I don't mean a friend, this is truly the worst of enemies. This fella follows me everywhere I go. He causes me to... say excuse me when I carelessly bump into someone...buy bigger sizes of clothing so that he can fit in as well... want to walk out of a room backwards because I don't want anyone to see him, he's got my back no matter where I go, but that's just it, I want to go everywhere without him! I have realized that if I don't kick him to the curb soon, I will only have bigger more unpleasant issues to deal with in the future. All kidding aside, I just want to feel good about myself and have realized that I am the only that stands in the way of that. It takes disicipline and hard work. And although I know that I will never be a size 2 again in my life, nor do I have the desire to be, I do however want to be healthy and in shape. I realize that if it is an extra 20 pounds now at the age of 33, it will be double that or worse at the age of 66. So the time to start is now.

My friend and I decided that we would work on this together. Never in my life have I ever disclosed my weight for the purpose of accountability and weight loss. We decided that in order to really mean business that we needed to humble ourselves and completely confide in each other as to where we are at, where we want to be, and what or where our weakness lie. We wrote out what we would like to change or add into our lives and we are responsible to check in, encourage, and help out each other to finish this journey together. Enter healthier food selections, water, and exercise. Whew...it has only been a week and I find myself thinking this is going to be a LONG road.:) That and the fact that I seem to always have a growling stomach. We e-mailed each other the other evening and the content of the message was, "I'm hungry!" It's true, I feel like I am starving. I think now more than anything my mind knows that I am cutting back and not allowing myself to have certian things so since I am not walking around with a chocolate chip cookie, it says, 'you're hungry." Not helpful, but still I forge on!

Exercise, exercise, exercise, is so key for me. I can eliminate foods, but if I don't really exercise I don't see results. I am not one of those people that can just drop the weight like a hot potato, it takes me a long time and alot of hard work! So perhaps this cold weather is for me, a reminder that it takes the cold days to bring forth the Spring. So when I weigh in this Sunday and report it to my friend and have nothing to say as far as pounds being gone...I know that if I am patient, work through those cold, dreary days, one day I am going to wake up and see new life starting to sprout up out of the ground and perhaps a few pounds less on the scale.

Hang on friends...spring is on it's way and I think that I am going to like the way it looks:)!!!