"I look forward to sharing this journey with you"

The night after I made my New Year’s resolution to lose weight, I bravely decided to hit the gym. As I waited for an open treadmill (in my new matching workout wear), I was greeted with a rush of mixed emotions. First, complete fear. Let’s be honest, no one wants to be the one that goes flying off the back of the machine!

Next, as I looked around at the sea of new and unfamiliar faces, I was excited at the hope a new year brings; the promises that we all make to ourselves that, yes, this is the year that I am going to get healthy! This is the year that I am going to stop the “drive-thru”’s and start the work out’s. This is the year that I will finally drop those extra pounds that the bathroom scale rudely reminds me of every morning.

Then, as I was happily fantasizing of the new beach ready body I would soon achieve, I was slapped back to realty. The truth is, come February (maybe March, if we are really committed) the lines for the treadmill will disappear, the Valentines Day candy and the peanut butter Easter eggs that they mercilessly tease you with in January will become too tempting, and we will dejectedly postpone that New Year’s resolution…for next year.

New Year’s Eve is full of excitement, hope, and endless possibility. That, unfortunately, I realized is often the problem. We get so caught up in the romance of the evening, at the mystery of the unknown, and the dreams of fitting into our coveted “skinny jeans”, that we forget about all the hard work that we will have to put in to achieving that beach body. We overlook replacing French fries for carrot sticks, passing up the second trip to the buffet, and enduring the never ending workouts when all you want is to curl up with a good movie and a big bag of buttered popcorn.

The truth is, dropping those extra pounds and maintaining a healthy lifestyle takes more than a promise made (often after a glass of champagne) in a fleeting moment of celebration. It takes more than just a New Year’s resolution…it takes a life-long resolution.

It is easy to make a weight loss resolution, whether it comes on January 1st or July 1st. The hard work comes in the months, days, and long hours that follow. No matter when you make your resolution, the important thing is that you stay committed to the promise you made …the promise for a healthier you. Is there any better gift?!

I made my life-long resolution two years ago, without any bells and whistles. I decided it was time to take control of my life. It has not been easy and there are many days, even minutes, when I want to toss that resolution and pick up a doughnut (and sometimes, I do!). But, through the many challenges, I remember the promise I made to myself and my future and that is reason to celebrate!

I hope to use this blog to share with you my voyage to a healthier lifestyle. I will be honest about my successes and failures, offer insights and information that I find helpful, and, hopefully, provide encouragement to you as you begin your life-long resolution. I look forward to sharing this journey with you!