I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma. ~Eartha Kitt

Boy of BOY!  I'm surely loving the time change and longer days!  I love that the sun goes down later in the evenings giving us plenty of time of daylight to enjoy!  For some reason, the spring and summer reminds me of my childhood days.  Playing in the pool with friends, cut off shorts, bare feet, walking the neighborhood roads popping the tar balls with our toes, picking honeysuckle off the vine, laying out in the grass basking in the sunshine with not a single worry in the world.   Aaahhh.. the good ol' days.  My children are around the same age as I was when I  was enjoying all of these times.  I want my kids to experience the same things.. not always video games and tv.  More importantly.. I want to experience it all over again with them!  Three years ago I never would've had the energy to go out and do these things with the kids.  Now I'm bouncing with energy and can't WAIT to take little mini vacations to the camp and the beach!  Last month I ran an AWESOME 5K obstacle course called the Warrior Dash with a friend of mine.  It was something neither one of us had done before, but what a GREAT feeling it was!!  No we didn't lead the pack, but it was a great sense of accomplishment and a LOT of fun!  I'm not QUITE were I want to be as far as my weight goes, but I keep getting a little closer to the mark!  Before I wasn't comfortable in my own skin to get out and run around with the kids, but now I'm like a whole different person.. one who is surely enjoying life.  I just had to take control of myself and stop letting other things control me.

"Willpower is not some mythical force that we either have or don't have. Willpower is our decision to use higher-mind thinking instead of lazing around in the clutches of our primal mind."~A.B. CURTISS

This is a Battle of Wills

I knew I had a challenge on my hands when I started spending more time at home.  My office is currently in my kitchen.  It's the only place that is open enough for me to work and have my computer set up.  Long ago I broke the habit of buying junk food and keeping it in the house.  I've said it time and time again.. if someone in my household wants junk food, then they can go to the store and buy the single serving of cookies or candy or whatever suits  their fancy.  I plan the meals, I do the grocery shopping, I am fighting a life long battle of bad eating, therefore, I get a say so of what foods come in my home.  So.. what is my problem you ask?  LOL!  Well.. lemme tell YOU.  I can find a 'loop hole' in everything.  You can't possibly overeat fruits and vegetables.. nah.. that's not my problem.  My problem is grabbing a handful of almonds, popping a bag of popcorn or just mindless munching even on the good stuff when it's not 'time' to eat.  If I know I'm going to be working out of the house I'll grab my snack needed for snack time and head out.. but what about those times where I'm spending a few hours working at the house on my advertising, planning workouts, or researching something?  When I'm deep in thought or contemplating something I feel the need to 'crunch'!  Does anyone else have that urge?  I sometimes find myself getting up from my desk to stretch my legs or get my creative juices flowing and I wander over to the cabinet!  Old habits die hard I guess! GAH!  It really seems silly when I think about it.  There will always be new obstacles to overcome.  This is a life long journey.  To overcome this mindless eating that I so easily fall into, I've decided to be a little dramatic.  Imagine that. -_-  I tend to go all out on things if you haven't noticed. For instance, this very blog.  I began blogging because I needed to be accountable to someone other than myself or my family.  I needed to be accountable to people who wouldn't just let me sweep it under the rug.  So my solution to this problem is to pack my lunch.  Yep.. simple as that.  Just as before when I'd get ready for my work day, I'd pack my lunch bag full of snacks and lunch for the entire day.  I went to work and only had what I packed.  So this morning, I started that routine all over again.  I packed my lunch with my snacks and headed out to my first appointment this morning.  Sure, I had lunch at home, but I already knew EXACTLY what I was having because all I had to do was pull it out of my lunch kit. :D  My home office is still in my kitchen, and yeah.. I felt a tiny bit silly pulling out my lunch from my lunch kit in my own kitchen.. but who cares.  It's for the greater good. lol!  Soon my office won't be in my kitchen tho!  So it all really makes sense you see. ;)

Courage doesn't always roar.  Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." - Mary Anne Radmacher

Time FLIES When You're Having Fun!
Where does the time go?  It seems like just yesterday we were talking about New Year's Resolutions and new beginnings.  Now we're in the middle of spring!  Little League Baseball and Softball is in full swing, fairs and festivals are in town and the days are getting longer.  Let's do some calculations.. If beginning January 1st someone started their lifestyle change by making better choices and being more active 2-3 times a week.. it's possible to lose 2 pounds per week.  By now more than 25 pounds would be lost! Wow!  It really puts things into perspective doesn't it!  With 25 pounds gone, you fit a little better in the rides at the fair, sit a little more comfortably in the seats at the movies, and have the energy to frolic in the glorious sunshine!  So.. now here's the question.. When does your new beginning start? ;)