You'll be seeing a bit less of me soon...

because there'll be less of me to see! ;)

So far I've lost 6 lbs and have been working out for a solid month. The weight loss didn't come until I started dieting last week, but so far so good!

Once we made the decision not to have any more kids, I felt that as soon as I was back on my feet after having Esther, that I should lose my extra weight. I'm 50 lbs heavier than I was when Dan and I got together, and even then I was more than I wanted to be. However, some major dental issues got in the way...and then it just seemed too hard. I had so much on my plate, I didn't think I could handle the stress of dieting and exercising until after the New Year, and then after vacation, and then after all the birthdays, and then after summer, and then after we settled into our school routine....I was all set to get back on, AFTER the holidays (and then my birthday), and then was out shopping one day and got totally disgusted after trying on some clothes. I just couldn't live like this anymore.

That was 9 days ago. Yes, I have to raise my kids feeling less than great. Yes, I am lacking a coping mechanism (an unhealthy one, of course) that made my life more tolerable. Yes, I'm going to a party tomorrow night and one Thursday night at which I probably won't be able to stick to my diet. But it's ok! It's been easier than I thought it would be, I have the best cheerleader in the world, and progress is being made.

The most important thing, though, is that God wants me to do this. My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and it's the vessel by which I carry out His plan for my life. And even more, He wants me to turn to Him when things get hard, not grab a handful of M&Ms. So now I'm seeing other areas of life get straightened out because I'm learning that self-indulgence doesn't solve my problems.

Speaking of which, it's time to get off the computer. ;)