Hi Friends!
It’s been way too long since I posted a new blog post! That’s going to change starting today! I’ve committed to this journey and I’ve been stuck for months now. I’m not making excuses. I let other things in my life derail me. It wasn’t little stuff, though. I haven’t been able to sleep through the night for months. It’s been awful. I’ll spare you the details of everything I’ve tried to remedy the situation. I’ve left no stone unturned and I believe, I may be starting to turn the corner. So, I’ve decided I’m not going to let my insomnia be in charge anymore. I’m taking the reins back. And, there’s so much great stuff happening in my life, that I want to be sure I share that with you all too. I think it’s important for everyone trying to lose weight to know that rarely does anything go as planned, and that losing weight is truly a lifestyle change. Going forward I’m going to include more about my lifestyle in my posts. I hope you’ll find it entertaining. I do. On a good day, my life is chaos. On the tough days, well, let’s not discuss that!

Today is June 13. My oldest turns 15 today. I can’t believe it! Where did the time go? She is truly a joy and inspiration to me. She’s my biggest fan, cheerleader and the sweetest, kindest person you’ll ever meet. Yes, of course, I’m biased. But based on what people not related to me tell me, she is a great kid. She makes me proud and I want her to be proud of me too. Parents are supposed to embarrass their children. It’s our job. And, based on her comments last night, I was successful! She had some friends over to celebrate her birthday. And, apparently, my very existence was embarrassing. No worries. I’ve got thick skin (and plenty of it). But after her friends left, we had some quiet time together. It was great. She’s so grown up.

I was thinking about my recent challenges with my weight loss journey and spending this great one-on-one time with my oldest daughter, reminded me about how fortunate I am. I have two wonderful daughters who teach me something every day not to mention my amazing parents! With all this good fortune, I’d be foolish to give up on my journey or let it go. I must be here for my family. I must be as healthy as I can be. I must continue to lose weight.

I’ve often said that my extroverted personality provides me with the ability to draw energy from those around me, especially when I’m feeling low. I need to channel that positive energy from my family into my weight loss efforts. I love them dearly and need to make sure I live as long as possible so I can enjoy every minute of our lives together. There have been a lot of unexpected and unexplainable illnesses and quite honestly deaths for important people in my life recently. Some have been older than others while some have been not so old. Either way, they all affected me to the core. Cancer, stroke, heart attacks it all stinks. I’d say half of the recent events came out of the blue. No opportunity to prepare yourself. Several have survived and will make full recoveries. Thank Goodness. For that I’m grateful. The others that passed away are tucked into my heart. Their deaths have affected me too and taught me important lessons.

Cherish every minute. I hug my children. I talk to my parents and my sister daily. I love them too and I tell them so. And, then as the day draws to a close, I can get in bed knowing I’ve done my best to make it a great day. A positive day. I look forward to tomorrow — and I pray that I’ll sleep for more than 3 hours a night!

What inspires you to lead a healthy lifestyle? Why? I’d love to hear what you have to say.