Waist Not Want Not - A New Beginning

This story begins with a not-so-often trip to the doctor. I haven't exactly been in about 5 years so I was way past due for a check-up. This check-up, of course, starts with the obligatory weigh in and that's when the shock kicks in..."I'M 20 POUNDS HEAVIER THAN I THOUGHT I WAS?!?!?!" In an instant, every woman's nightmare has become my reality. I mean, I knew I didn't look the way I wanted to look or used to look, but then again, who does?!? But now, here I am and it is worse than I thought! I am certifiably obese. In my head, I always could say "Yeah I'm a little overweight, but I carry it well" or how about "I'm 5'8" and naturally athletic/muscular. I'm going to weigh more than other girls." No more - I am way way way heavier than I should be and no mountain of excuses can change that.

I then proceed to meet up with my girlfriends Ryan and Brew for dinner and drinks (nothing like a good HH to cure the blues), and we get to talking about the Biggest Loser, the TV show. Ryan declares that it is the most inspiring show she has ever watched and insists that we have to start watching. This, of course, opens me up on the traumatizing course of events of the last few hours and Ryan and I come up with a new resolve. We need to change our lives like the people on Biggest Loser. Ryan says she's "clinically obese" and I just broke the CC barrier and what are we doing to make a difference besides complaining about our appearance? For the past 5-10 years, I haven't been taking care of myself. I keep coasting with the status quo and not even realizing that I have consistently gained 4 or 5 pounds annually over the last 7 years. If the people on that show can commit and change their lives, even when they have so much weight the feat seems impossible, why can't the two of us?!? We're both fairly stubborn people and once we set our minds to something, we're committed, so let's set ourselves up to where we are held accountable and change our lives.

So here we are, at the precipice of this great adventure and new life. We asked around and decided to get a trainer to get us kick started for the first few months - enter J.R.!

J.R. was recommended by a friend of Ryan's and he is now our personal fitness Maharishi. Check him out - the guy is definitely an Adonis of fitness. Ryan and I are now working out Tuesday-Thursday with J.R. at 6 freakin' A.M. every week. I'm really excited about the opportunity to do this right and have someone else pushing me to really push myself. In the past I would work out but I certainly never ran further than I wanted to or held that yoga posture longer than I wanted to. Now we've got J.R. regulating what we do and don't do and that is a tremendous help.

I heard once that at every end there is a new beginning. I am embarking on a new adventure and it is certainly going to be the end of a lot of things. The end of sloth-like behavior, the end of Whataburger chicken fingers (oh and how I love those), the end of sleeping late on work days and God-willing the end of the "Cleaveland jowls." Here comes the start of blogging (a new foray for me), consistent workouts, and eating healthy.

Ryan and I are going to do this together and get our lives in order. I've created this blog as a way to keep ourselves accountable and chronicle the events of the next several months. I'm grateful to have such a great friend alongside me in what will certainly be a difficult time. There are going to be days when I'm tired, sore, and want nothing more than to make a quick stop at Domino's. I'm so thankful to have Ryan with me so that I can rely on her and vice-versa to stay committed and get ourselves back to the good ol' days of high school physique.