Welcome Back!!

Everyone sing along (ok, only those of you that remember Welcome Back, Kotter need to sing, and the rest of you will just have to read along)

Welcome back, your dreams were your ticket out.
Welcome back to that same old place that you laughed about.
Well the names have all changed since you hung around,
But those dreams have remained and they’re turned around.
Who’d have thought they’d lead ya
Back here where we need ya

I have been thinking a lot lately about this blog, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to start blogging again. So, just for shits and giggles, I logged on today and it has been exactly one year to the date since the last time that I blogged. You may be wondering what has happened in the past year. I would love to tell you that I stuck with my weightloss efforts and am currently typing this in my perfectly-fitted string bikini which shows off my new kick-ass body......but that's not the way the story goes. In the past year, I managed to gain a few more pounds and topped out at 222.8 on January 5, 2009. As of February 2, 2009 I and am currently tipping the scales at 213 pounds.

Now you may be thinking that 213 pounds isn't all that different from the 214.2 that I weighed a year ago, but you're wrong. I have really begun to overhaul my lifestyle. I have eliminated most processed foods from my diet and am exercising 6 days a week. And get this, I actually like to exercise now. While running (yes, running) on the treadmill the other day I caught myself saying "God, this feels good!" I said that!! I have never thought that exercise felt good, I always felt that exercise was like hell on earth, but I'm changing and things are different this time...AND I MEAN IT!!!

I've heard people say that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you want to help yourself improve. I think it finally happened. I turned 35 and couldn't believe the person that I had become. I didn't control my life, food did. I was embarrassed and ashamed of what I had done to my body. I had finally run out of excuses. I could no longer look at myself in the mirror and say that I'll start tomorrow or next week, the time was now!

So raise your glass and toast me and my new lifestyle. It's not an easy road, but I'm taking the journey and enjoying the adventure.