Hello There!

So if you care at all, which it's amazing if you do, you'll see I haven't posted on this in almost a year. It's not that I gave up... I got pregnant again! I test positive less than a week after that last post actually!

I now have a daughter and a son, and that son is now 3 months old. I got seriously ill twice since he was born and am just coming off a cold now. I got food poisoning the day after I came home from the hospital, and then again a week later! So I admit combined with the normal recovery from labor I wasn't ready to jump back in immediately. But now I'm feeling like myself again and wanting to stave off the breastfeeding weight this time.

Last time, with my daughter, I lost like crazy until she was two months old, and then steadily started gaining. Because I was breastfeeding I was afraid to diet so I ended up gaining 30 pounds by the time she was a year. Then, though still breastfeeding, I decided to start calorie counting again since if my supply dried up, well, she was already a year. But it didn't.. however I also didn't lose. I was being conservative with my calorie counting and basically just maintained my 30 pound gain, but didn't gain anymore until she was 18 months old. That's when I went to America. As anyone who has followed my weight loss in the past knows, something about moving to India made me lose weight... and going back to America made me gain like mad! I admit I indulged, 2.5 years without many American foods made me want them, but in the first 6 weeks back I gained 20 pounds. I did not indulge enough to gain that much normally, I promise. I think I probably was letting myself go enough to gain 10 maybe. But when I realized it was 20 I started trying to watch what I was eating... but still gained another 10 pounds, making 30 pounds up, by like three months into my visit. So basically slowed down the gain, but was still gaining. So then I started exercising, taking my daughter in long walks in the stroller every single day for like over an hour a day at least and that kept me from gaining anymore until I got back to India (I was in America for five months.) But this meant I'd gained 30 pounds the first year of her life and 30 pounds during my America trip and was up 60 pounds... bringing me exactly back to the weight I was when I first moved to India!

The first week back in India, I lost 5 pounds. Proof positive that living in America does something to make me unhealthy. After that it slowed down, so I started seriously calorie restricting, assuming I might lose my breastmilk but my daughter was around 2 at this point (and yes, still nursing) and it didn't matter if I dried up. I did not dry up. I lost weight at a slow but somewhat steady rate over the next couple months so that I'd lost 15 pounds by the time I conceived my son... which still had me 45 pounds up from where I used to be.

I gained 22 pounds over the course of the pregnancy, but was back down to conception weight about five days after giving birth to him. I have lost a little bit more and now am basically about 40 pounds heavier than what I was a few years ago. But I'm also nervous now that I'll be gaining again. So I need to be more proactive this time about not gaining.

At about 8 months pregnant

I'm not sure if I can actually lose right now, though I'd love to, since I never lost while breastfeeding his sister until I started severe calorie restricting. I think hormonely my body just fights any weight loss attempt while breastfeeding. I was having to eat at like a 1000 calorie deficit in order to lose at all last time and that seems unwise with such a young baby, especially since he is exclusively breastfed at this point. I may consider starting to truly calorie restrict when he's say 8 months and is starting to eat a variety of solid foods (which I'll start introducing at 6 months, but just one food at a time, so it'll be a few months before he has a nutritional variety.) I may also just wait until 1 year when more of his nutritional needs will be met by solids than by my milk. For now the plan is to food wise focus on not eating too much or too little, just maintain, and then try to exericse myself into a deficit in order to lose, but if I can't lose at least not gain and focus on weight loss after he's a year.

So that's where I am now!

My plan right this minute is to pick a workout that I can easily do in the house without a video. Oh! And I am also suffering from (TMI so you can look away, but this is about health and fitness) vaginal prolapse from weak pelvic floor muscles so I'm supposed to do tons of kegels and my doctor has recommended yoga. I've done kegels but haven't yet started any yoga. I know I live in India, but I've done yoga in the past and didn't care for it so I've avoided it. But if ti's medically better for me I'll probably take it up again. I do miss being flexible, I used to be super flexible (bend over and could put my palms on the floor) and now can't touch my toes. I used to do yogalates on dvd in like high school for fun, plus had yoga for dummies, but in college took an official for college credit yoga course and it totally took any enjoyment out of it. My teacher didn't respect that certain poses caused me pain with my plantar fasciitis and when I asked to not have to do those basically told me if I didn't my grade would drop, so it was suffer in pain or suffer a drop in my gpa so I suffered the pain. Additionally she was obviously into yoga as a spiritual practice and as yoga stems from Hinduism (and another reason I've avoided doing it here in India) the spiritual side made this Christian uncomfortable. So... we'll see.

Also I don't know if I have the ab diastasis that I've read is common amongst recovering post natal women. I *do* feel a separation between my abs, but it's just one fingertip. And basically what I've read says that 1 to 2 fingertips is normal... but you also might have it at that level of separation and if you start ab exercising it might get bigger if you do. My core is SOOOO weak though and it's causing me back pain. So I am guessing, since I don't have money to hire an expert, all I can probably do at this point is start exercising my abs again but every few days checking my gap and if it starts getting wider cease and desist the ab moves.  :-/ That's a major part of why I didn't start exercising again a few weeks ago, because I was like my core is just bad so that's what needs the most work, but I'm afraid to work it. So I was resting a few more weeks so if it needed to just rest and heal hopefully it's had a chance to by now.

All right, back at it!

Getting Fit Again

Hey neglected blog!

I have been making attempts at getting fit.  So here's how the weight loss journey has gone:

Six weeks after my daughter was born I hit my all time lowest weight at my adult height, and I was 60 pounds down from my moving to India

Before she was three months old this horrible thing we'll call breastfeeding hunger kicked in.

By the time she was a year I'd gained thirty pounds: half the weight back. I tried to lose, but was still breastfeeding and basically just wavered up and down five pounds or so the next six months, but at least stopped the gain.

When she was 18 months we went to America for the first time in three years just in time for the the holidays! I didn't restrict my eating at first and gained 15 pounds in a month! I then tried to exercise control and did slow the gain down but I gained another 15 pounds over the next four months in America and was back to my original weight by the time I returned to India in May.

As she turned two, feeling pretty upset about my weight gain, I decided to throw myself back in weight loss. I am still breastfeeding even to this day but at two years old I decided I really didn't mind if my supply dries up. I had been holding back before that in my efforts due to that fear.

I lost 15 pounds within a month of starting trying. But then I got sick, then thought I was pregnant and stopped trying to lose weight until I knew for sure (I wasn't.) Then I was struggling to get back into it and I got sick again, which brings us to the present day.

I am recovering from bronchitis and am still steady at the fifteen pounds down from the top, but want to not only get back to where I was when my daughter was 6 weeks but possibly get beyond that. However, as may be guessed by the pregnancy scare we are considering going for a second kid so I don't really think I'll get down all that way before getting pregnant again. However I was actually 23 pounds heavier when I conceived her then I was at her 6 weeks post part, so I am setting that weight at my goal for now. If I am the same weight conceiving the second as when I conceived her, then I hopefully can't get too much worse...

So like I said, I am recovering from bronchitis. But I am looking at doing a once weekly post on here again to keep me accountable.

A New Start

Okay, I started writing a long post about my re-start to attempt weight loss is
but decided to take my time and break it up and write you a short note instead to say:

I am back.

More details soon.

I am my SMALLEST EVER!!

I actually wrote this a couple weeks ago and just saw that I forgot to publish it! I think I was waiting for a photo. Since then my scale battery died so I'm not sure if I'm bigger, smaller, or the same. I do mean to exercise more. I was going to start an exercise program on Sept 1st with my husband, but he backed out. I should do it alone, but I haven't yet. I have gone walking though. Anyway, here is the post:

body selfies are hard, but here's my face you
can see how much slimmer it is!

I weighed myself this morning and am now the smallest weight I have EVER BEEN at my adult
height!!

Yay!

This has really put a fire under me to do more. I had tried to exercise more at 6 to 7 weeks after giving birth, but had found myself still very weak and sore. I met a new friend a few weeks ago who likes to go walking, so I've gone walking with her a few times a week since then. Also my baby (nicknamed "Dreamer") really likes to be bounced and walked so I've been active in my home in a way I wasn't before actively soothing her.

However, I haven't really been formally exercising much. I want to change that, especially as since I am breastfeeding I can't really diet (though I can make sure I'm not over eating.)

Six Weeks Post Partum

Yay! Baby girl is six weeks and I thought I should update you on my progress now that I can exercise again.

First the stats. I had gained 17 pounds during pregnancy. I lost it all in the first two weeks and lost an additional 11 as well! I was rapidly losing weight until five weeks. This brings my weight loss since moving to India to 56 pounds.

I am logging again on myfitnesspal. I've logged for the past four days straight. I can't really do a lot of calorie restricting since I'm breast feeding so I've decided to do it this way: I set my goal as lose one pound a week but then add breast feeding as an "exercise" that gives me an extra 500 calories a day.

I'm also doing actual exercises, but easing myself into it. I have been doing dumbbell stuff with my arms, leg lifts, some an exercises. Did some jumping jacks the other day, took a short walk with baby girl in the ergo on Monday. I was on bed rest for three months (one full, two modified) so my muscles are shot. It's especially bad with my back, hips, and abs. So I am easing into it, listening to my body for its limits and stopping... but then going a tiny bit further the next day.

Yesterday before sleeping I tried to do some lying down ab work and my lower back protested. I stretched and realized my hip was crazy tight. So when I woke up today I got a dance workout that I knew really got the hips and was able to do 20 minutes of it before my daughter's crying stopped me. I call that a success.

Lastly, a few hours ago I took measurements of myself for the first time since pre-pregnancy. Since I am not at all toned I thought it'd be bad honestly. But I lost on all of them except my bust! And since they're now milk makers that gain makes sense.

My daughter and I dressed for Independence Day.

My Baby is Here!

I had my baby a little over three weeks ago! She's a beautiful little girl!

Now to get back to talking about my health/fitness journey.

I gained 17 pounds durnig my pregnancy. I am successfully breastfeeding and she's growing... sigh! My baby is already not as little! But I am getting littler.

I have already lost all the weight! Crazy, right?? And in addition I've lost 6 pounds! That makes me down 51 pounds from when I started to lose weight!!

I have decided breastfeeding is magic.

Still don't have the go ahead to exercise, think that comes at about 6 weeks, but am looking forward to that! I'll be posting more then.

Long Overdue Update

Okay so I'm a total flop with keeping up with this blog since I got pregnant. Actively trying to lose weight really had me thinking of this blog more often.

However, I am definitely still frequently thinking of my health and obviously the health of my unborn baby!

I am cheerfully 34 weeks now and getting excited!

I had an infection at 25 weeks that caused bleeding and had to go to the hospital. I was admitted for two days and released on strict bed rest. So strict that I couldn't sit in a chair and as we don't have a laptop and our desk wasn't set up I couldn't really get online to blog on either blog, even if I had concerned myself with that.

After two weeks I was approved to sit up reclining and I started blogging again on my main blog, but I hadn't really given this one any thought. After a month of strict bed rest I was put on modified, which I am still on. However, if I have a good ultrasound next week I should be taken off bed rest completely!! I am getting happy at that prospect.

Aside from the infection and subsequent bleeding (I had two episodes, the big one and then a week later I started spotting because I had completed the meds they'd put me on, so I had to go back on the anti-bleeding medication for another two weeks) I have had a good pregnancy. The baby him/herself has never shown any indication of distress or ill health, it's just been my body. The infection had gotten into my cervix and uterus and irritated the placenta. As of my last appointment though my placenta had fully healed. My cervix had been a bit open (from my body trying to expel the infection) but it has since closed.

I am not totally infection free, however. While the antibiotics they had me on seemed to kill that specific infection, it gave me a yeast infection. Then when I was trying to cure that, I got what appeared to be another bacterial infection. Then another yeast. All these were comparably mild and I was trying to treat them with topical medications (that my doctor prescribed.)

Then my last routine blood and urine samples came back and while I do not have the big bads (gestational diabetes or preeclampsia) I do I have a urinary tract infection. I was put on an antibiotic and because I was mentioning my down there was still not happy, I got one anti-fungal dose as well...

I got really excited because by the end of the 5 day treatment my vaginal discharge seemed normal!! For really the first time the entire pregnancy!!

I wasn't sure about my urinary tract infection though. I had a feeling it wasn't quite gone... I was right. When I went for a urinalysis to check it, I still had an infection... there were also "epiphelial cells' and crystals so when I called my OB with the results instead of giving me an antibiotic she wants me to get another urine test done. I admit I was really upset about that and cried. I just want the antibiotic to get the stupid infection gone. I can tell by the way I feel that my bladder isn't feeling normal and the UTI is still there. Perhaps the sample was a bit contaminated, I'm not sure, but if it was it's just from my vaginal discharge.. which has gone back to being abnormal.

I am so sick of infections!!! An infection crept up inside my body, into my womb and tried to kill my baby!! Just give me the darn antibiotics! Agh!

I couldn't get to the lab on Sunday and then on Monday I crashed. I haven't slept well in a while with the pregnancy keeping me up in many ways: having to pee, baby kicking, indigestion, etc. So yesterday my body just shut me down and I slept 14 hours straight and right through the time I'd be able to get to the lab to give a urine sample.

So I am supposed to be going this morning for the urine test. I am waiting for my in-laws to pick me up. I thought they'd be here at least 20 minutes ago and since I want to get in, grab a urine cup, pee and leave I'd had a bunch of water... now I'm ready to burst and they still aren't here and it'll be at least 15 minutes when they get here before I can get to a rest room. Sigh.

So that's what's going on with my health. Oh, weight wise I"ve gained some. Not that much. Between 6-10 pounds I think. I haven't weighed myself in over a week. I'm just fine on track.

My next appointment is next week and it's my last ultrasound. They'll give me a size estimate and see if the baby has moved into the correct position yet. I'll try to remember to come and give you an update when they do!

Friday Fit Club

Okay I said I was joining then haven't posted an update.

20 week bump

Basically this was because I didn't actually work out though I did look up work outs. And then didn't do them. Part of this was laziness, but then part was fear.

Fear, you might ask? Well, to be honest I started losing weight for no good reason! I was up two pounds from when I found out I was pregnant at the beginning of week 20, steady for a few weeks... then at the end of week 20 I was back at the same weight as when I found out at week 7! This despite the fact that the beginning of week 20 brought an increase in appetite and I began to eat more. This was worrying me and making me hesitant to work out because when I should be gaining but am losing, burning more calories doesn't sound like the best idea. So even though I'd written that I'd work out more to you, I was hesitant to do so...

Then on Wednesday I weighed myself again. I always weigh myself with as few variables as possible, so I'm pretty sure it was accurate: I had lost half a pound! What the heck?! Here I am at 21 weeks 2 days and I weigh less than when I found out I was pregnant?

I freaked out a bit, but ended up looking up articles about losing weight in pregnancy. And they calmed me down. Basically retrospective studies (looking at medical records after the fact, versus giving on going care during pregnancy) of obese women who lost weight during pregnancy showed that they had a far less chance of having complications during pregnancy like pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes. Doctors aren't ready to recommend women TRY to lose weight, since they fear it'd have a negative impact on birth weight (and aside from GD, bigger generally means healthier with newborns.) However if you're obese and weight loss is just happening, like it is for me, it's probably not a bad thing. So that relaxed me. Also, every single article I found mentioned that regardless of weight or whatever that unless they're on bedrest the doctor's recommended exercise for all pregnant women, but especially the obese ones. So, the fear went away and I figure even if it does lead to another pound loss it's better to just exercise.

Around this happening a pregnancy group I'm on facebook with recommended squats as being great for pregnant ladies cause it strengthens the muscles we need for labor, so I did some. I think I did 15 squats before bed. Not a large amount, but something to start me rolling. Then on Thursday I went for a 20 minute walk and did 50 leg lifts on each side in bed. And today I've done 20 squats... but my knees hurt a little. Darn relaxin. So maybe I shouldn't do squats or only do them in increments of ten or something.

So my new goal for this week actually is to look up mini exercises like that and here's my thought: I'll make a list of small bursts of pregnancy safe exercises divided up in small doses. I'll try to do at least one "dose" a day but also try not to do more than 3, considering my weight loss. That way I'm being more active but not overdoing it. I know with working out I tend to be all or nothing, so moderation is good. If later on I start gaining weight, I'll increase my activity with no guilt. Oh, and if I find myself with access to a pool you'll have to drag me out, I'm not coming out until someone forces me. Gosh, I miss swimming.

So that's the goal for the week, to ease myself into deliberate exercising again without over doing it. I'll update y'all on how that goes next week. Also I have a doctor's appointment before then, so I'll be talking about my concerns with her and we'll see if that changes anything.

Hope you all have a fabulous week!

Bloggiversary!

I can't believe it's been over a year since I started Meaningful Activity!

When I posted the last post I glanced back to see how much I'd blogged last year and realized I'd reached a year! How crazy!

It really does seem like not long ago at all.

However whether it was Meaningful Activity or other things, this year has seen meaningful improvement in my health:

-I lost 45 pounds

-I started a health initiative (which I admit I've not kept up as much as I should have.)

-I found out I had an under active thyroid and found a name for my sleeping disorder.

-I conceived my first child

That's pretty awesome stuff!

Thanks to God for this year and yay for Meaningful Activity!

Updated the banner!

Joining Friday Fit Club

I think this is the week it's starting to look
more bump and less "is she just fat?" but
I'm still not obviously pregnant.

Well on Friday I was looking at the blog reel and saw a blogger I follow, Duckie, introducing a Friday Fit Club to kick off the New Year.

I thought, "That's perfect for Meaningful Activity." Since I announced this pregnancy I've been neglecting this blog... but I also have been neglecting working out. First trimester I was just so exhausted and sick feeling, and then the holidays were a whir. But now I have no excuse and exercise during pregnancy is a good thing.

The rules? We set goals for each week and keep each other accountable with an update and photo each Friday. Easy peasy, right?

For newcomers to my blog I'm 18 going on 19 weeks pregnant with my first. :) I'm due in June and then my focus will shift to losing the baby weight. For now I want to go for having a healthy pregnancy.

So my goals for this week is to find pregnancy safe workouts, and do 3 30 minute sessions. Now that I'm past the first trimester fatigue and nausea I really should concentrate on keeping fit for the delivery and to help prevent gestational diabetes. I also want to try to get back to tracking calories, only now for steady healthy weight gain. Since I found out I was pregnant, I am only 1 pound heavier, even though I look much more so... I went down 5 pound actually by week 12 I think, from nausea, but then around week 13 or 14 started to gain that back. I think I have officially gained one pound more than I was when I found out I was pregnant (at 7 weeks). I am still down from the weight I was I would have conceived, as this baby was a surprise and I was actively dieting and exercising for weight loss then. I am about 8 pounds less than I would have been at conception.

Since I am obese/overweight, the doctors want my weight gain at the end to be 10-15 pounds. I have 21 weeks to go, so if we use my starting weight as when I found out I was pregnant, I should gain about a half pound a week. However, if we use my conception weight then it can be more than that. As long as the baby is growing though, less is okay, but I should be striving for healthy weight gain now, not weight loss or maintenance.

Back in the Saddle

Okay, I'm pretty much recovered from dengue. Information online says I'll be weak for another week or two, which I can attest to, but I'm so much better. I've been out of the fever/body pain stage for about a week now.

So today I started Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I'm doing it with a friend.

It is hard. I liked it though.

Doing level one, at this point I didn't do everything I'd liked. I'm using liter water bottles as my weights (so 1 kilogram each) and I had to set them down and just lift my arms up for one of the squat thrust circuits. I also pretty much collapsed during the second push-up thing, my arms hurt, but I did some of them, but probably only half I was supposed to for that thirty seconds. And for one of the "jump ropes" (you mime having a jump rope, you don't really have one) I ended up walking in place instead because I felt like if I jumped I'd fall over. Haha. Otherwise I did it, doing the beginner modifications, though I did have to catch my breath three times (she says you can stop to catch your breath, but for no more than five seconds.. I made sure I got back to it before five seconds was up.)

I had the challenge of my wild kittens thinking me doing this was FANTASTIC! They thought it was a fun game. I don't have a mat, and my floor is marble, so I had laid down three couch cushions to do the floor stuff on... every time I returned to it (you get up and down a lot) one of the kittens (**coughPrincesscough**) had broken up them so they were scattered and I had to put them back together. Apparently couch cushions on the floor is FUN! Also, she kept running up my leg, leaping up and "tagging" me (with her claws retracted, so it didn't hurt) and then dashing away. She was obviously thinking my exercise was me zooming around in play and wanted to join in the fun. It was cute, but a little distracting.

I was panting and covered in sweat by the end. I hadn't eaten right before (I'd eaten two hours earlier,  but only a cup of cornflakes with a cup of milk, so not like a huge meal where it'd still be in my stomach) and that was probably a mistake. I also didn't eat right afterwards, since I was overheated... nor did I prepare my food. I was planning on having a bean burger with a baked potato, and I hadn't made them (I had the raw patty ready to cook, but I hadn't cooked it yet.) So when like fifteen minutes after the program I got shakey, it was another ten or fifteen minutes before I was able to eat, and by then I was extremely weak and wobbly.

Most likely that's compounded from the dengue, but for other people thinking of attempting the Shred I'd say either eat something small right before hand (I've read and found from my days doing the C25K that a banana is a perfect pre-workout snack) or have your food prepared and ready to go before you start the workout so if you need to eat fast for recovery afterwards, the second your body tells you that you can eat, you can eat. (Like most people I can't eat right after a workout, but as soon as my body had cooled down enough it was like I need fuel!)

Five ten minutes after eating though, the wobbliness went away and I felt great. I still feel good... though a bit wiped out.

I'm doing the 30 Day Shred now because my friend Lydia is coming in November (yay!) and I want to look great since she hasn't seen me in almost a year, since I moved to India. I moved here at the end of last November, and she'll be here mid-November, so really, it's like a year... and I've already lost 40 pounds! I'm hoping with the shred and watching my calories to lose another ten before she gets here, so I can be an impressive 50 pounds lighter... and toned! I figured starting the shred on October 1st not only gives me all of October, but gives me the first two weeks of November if I get sidetracked (like if I get a cold or something) or also so if after I finish the shred I look at my body and say "everything looks great but *this* area" I can have a couple weeks to tweak... I'm excited to get to reveal the changes in my body to the very first person to see me who knew me in the US when I left!

Dengue Fever

So I'm getting over dengue fever. I've had it for a little over a week now and pretty much through the first phase (the actual fever) and am just in the weakness.

I've lost some weight being sick. I've now lost 40 pounds... not during the dengue, total since I started losing weight. I've lost about 5 pounds since I got dengue. That's not the best way to lose weight, I know, but I figure at least it's jump starting me again to think about weight loss.

A friend of mine is coming to India to visit (yay!) in November, so I want to set her visit as a goal to get down smaller. I'm already smaller than she's ever seen me, actually. I'm smaller now than I was when I started college, which is when we met. But I'd like to get smaller still before she comes so that it's dramatic. :)

So I've readjusted my goals on "myfitnesspal" so that I will lose more rapidly... while still being within their guidelines. I haven't been logging lately though, so hopefully I can get back in the habit. I had myself down as trying to lose 1.5 pounds a week in a lightly active lifestyle but now I'm putting down that I'm trying to lose 2 pounds a week in a sedentary lifestyle... which is true. I've been sedentary lately, being a lot less active than I was when I was losing more. Consequently my available calories has shrunk by like 500 a day. Ah well. 2 pounds a week is still a healthy goal and I'm being honest when I say that right now I'm sedentary-- especially coming off the dengue!

The dengue will make me weak for the next few weeks, so I'm not going to be able to exercise up a storm anyway, though I do want to focus a little on my abs. My gut is getting flabby.

Well that's my weight loss and health update for now. Hope all of you are well!

(Oh, and when my friend comes I plan on taking some "after" shots and updating the banner... I want to not do it until then, so she won't see a picture of me online and not get the full dramatic 'wow Pam is way thinner' thing I hope she gets, but once she's come I'll do that and you guys can see!)

Imagine You Had a Sleeping Disorder

Imagine you're scared to go to sleep.

Not because you're afraid of anything in particular, no nightmares, but because you're never sure when you'll wake up.

Imagine every time you drift off you know there's a chance that you might not wake up in time to go to work, school, or that meeting or appointment that you have....

Imagine every time you make a commitment, there is a thrill of dread deep in your heart that says, "I hope I don't let them down. I hope I don't sleep through it"... even if the commitment is for something in the afternoon or evening.

Imagine you pray and pep talk yourself about not missing that thing or another at 9 am the next morning... only to wake up at 10 or 11 or 12 or 1 or later... Imagine curling up in the fetal position and sobbing your heart out and wondering why, why, why?

Imagine seeing the look, over and over again, on the faces of people you care about. The look that says:

She's such a flake.

She just doesn't care.

She's lying.

A Reply to Peggy

I recently received a comment on my blog that goes like this:

Hi there!

This is the first time I've read your blog, along with your story and how you met your husband. I understand completely how you feel. I'm quite heavy myself, and, I am ashamed of myself. I know I should exercise and watch my weight, but now I'm so heavy I can't even exercise. I almost can't walk because my feet hurt because of all the weight put on them. So what do I do? I stay inside almost all day, except for going out in the backyard to feed the birds. I know I need to lose at least 100 pounds, but how, when I can hardly walk? I want to hide and cry. Do you ever feel like that?

Peace in Christ,

Peggy

I began to reply under her comment, but then realized it was getting too long to just be a comment. Also, I realized this was something I should have written about before this. This is a super important topic to address and hold up for us all.

Hello Peggy (and everyone else), I'm so glad you've found my corner of the web!

No, I can't say I know exactly how you feel, though I do know how the world attaches shame to weight loss. For me, I gained the initial weight  due to my PCOS alone, and I knew that it wasn't from lack of eating well/excercise, since I gained 50 pounds in 3 months without a change to either. Actually, most of my life, no amount of effort made a dent on the scale. It wasn't until moving to India that something about the food here changed my hormones enough that the weight can come off...

That being said, as I said, I do know how the world tries to shame us. Don't listen, Peggy. One time I was reading a book, aimed towards women but not about our bodies specifically, and they had a chapter on this kind of stuff. And I went into it thinking I knew what I'd be reading... but during it I found myself having a conversation with God. Because see, I knew my PCOS caused the weight gain... but deep down I was afraid I'd caused my PCOS. I thought it was the result of sin on my part, maybe. And I talked to God about that...

And suddenly I realized that maybe God had a reason for my size. It was a huge revelation. Maybe God had a plan for my PCOS. Maybe it was part of His Will for my life all along.

I'm not saying God was saying I would always have to suffer with PCOS or weight... and indeed, I'm finally losing it. But maybe God has a purpose, Peggy, for you to be where you are today. Yes, you could surely eat healthier and exercise more, and I'm not saying you shouldn't. But tell me where "thinner is godlier" is in the Bible? That verse about the Body being God's temple has nothing to do with exercise. It's strictly talking about sexual immorality, if read in context, and is constantly misused. Peggy, you are beautiful in God's eyes and He has a plan for your life-- which may or may not include weight loss. I mean, you might be overeating and idle, but if you've made an idol out of food or are sinning in sloth, those are issues you can address with God. But don't you know that has very little to do with your worth? Don't you realize there are lazy, overeating skinny people who are just blessed with good genes? I've met them. It's crazy. But it's also part of God's plan for their life.

"Thinner is better" is a value of the world. God has called us to be in the world but not of the world. When Christians embrace thinner is better... and I've been guilty of it... we're sinning. Yes, sinning. Because "pure religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself undefiled by the world." When we define worth by waistline or weight loss, we are becoming defiled by the world.

Obviously, I have a health and fitness blog. I'm not saying embracing weight loss or calorie counting or weight lifting or whatever is a sin by itself. But Peggy, Jesus is ten thousand times more important than any of that, and indeed even more. And to Jesus, you are important.

I say that again. You are important.

So I encourage you to get active. Make diet changes. All this is good.

But first make sure you're getting a good diet of time with God. Make sure you're exercising your spirit in your prayer life. These things matter.

I told you that the Bible verse is misused that says our Bodies are a temple of God when Christians say that means we sin by being fat. But our bodies, fat or thin, short or tall, healthy or withering away are stones in the temple of God because the Holy Spirit dwells within. Respect Him by respecting your body, but realize your worth comes not from how you look, but from Who lies within you. This is what the "earthen vessels" verse is about.

And what does the Bible really say about our bodies, our actual bodies we're sitting in now?

It says they are merely tents, and God is preparing mansions for us. Tents are easily buffeted and torn and leak. Poles can collapse, they can be uncomfortable and miserable.

Sound familiar?

But Jesus is preparing a mansion for you. Now, indeed, I think that it is loving to take care of your tent, and not despise it, since God gave it to you. I mean, I'd rather have a tent than be homeless, wouldn't you? Tents are good.

But do you think Stephen and Peter and Paul and all the other martyrs were not loving Jesus when they allowed someone to stone or beat or hang or burn or crucify their tents?

Of course not! They were showing great, enormous love and faith by saying we are more than these tents and we believe that Jesus will rescue us and set us into our eternal dwellings.

So this idolatry that taking extreme care to always tend your tent means worshipping the Holy Spirit is unBiblical and ridiculous. Don't fall for it. After all Jesus said it's better to tear out your eye and enter the kingdom than to go to hell, right? Don't you think He would rather have you fat and in the kingdom than thin and committing idolatry at the altar of the gods of fitness?

Peggy, your body is precious and fearfully made. And I'm sorry it hurts to walk. I have plantar fasciitis and can imagine. And I do understand how "unmotivated" feels. And I have felt shame before, though not to the extent you're expressing. But remember, you can start. And hey, you said you need to lose at least 100 pounds... 128 is the goal I've set for myself, though I have less than 100 to go now. So I do get the enormity of losing that much.

But just focus on healthy right now, dear. Just more activity, cutting out some of the easier to trim less healthy food to start with. Yet focus more on your spiritual health. We all have to do that. I lose touch a lot actually. I'll be exercising like a madwoman but barely touching my Bible... and then I have to return to Jesus and confess that my priorities got screwed up. Balance is my weakness, in all areas of my life.

Even if I was 500 pounds, if I was worshipping Jesus and following His plan for me, I would be beautiful and righteous.

But even if I was 115 pounds and a super model, if I put worldly ambition above Him, I'd be like that proverb: Beauty in a woman without wisdom is like a gold ring in a pig's snout.

I'm not saying you're idolizing anything, Peggy, though examine your heart of course. But I do see that you're letting the opinion of those who are idolizing the perfect figure to determine whether or not you're going out.

Seek the Lord, Peggy. Let Him be your shield. And if He says go out, go out. If people say cruel things, but you're walking in obedience to God, let them not be barbs of shame, but your crown of thorns. Let them be beautiful for God, as proof you're crucifying yourself and suffering alongside Christ.

Maybe your weight is the result of sloth and gluttony and it will bring Him glory for you to repent of it and lose the weight. Or maybe your weight is the "thorn in your flesh" that God will never remove but teach you that His grace is sufficient. Or maybe your weight is even the cross you're carrying, beautiful to God as your crucify your Self which desires something very different. Maybe God's using your life as a tool to part the righteous from the unrighteous by seeing who treats you differently based only on the outward appearance, and not seeking Him to look within. Maybe your weight has never, ever been about you, but about God and the people He's bringing you in contact with...

I don't know. But He does, and He does have a plan.

And I know this. He loves you, Peggy. He loves you.

I love you too. I hope this was encouraging to you, or maybe someone else out there.

Thank you so much for commenting.

August Update

You may have noticed I haven't posted in a while. It's not that I've forgotten you.

It is shame though.

That is, I have not been putting as much effort into my health and fitness as I should. That is not to say I have been totally ignoring the subject. I have worked out here and there this month.. but not for long times and, even though August is halfway over I haven't done a single workout video even though that is the theme for this month on 12 Months Together.

Yes, the shame.

That being said, I also realized that not writing on here is another reason why I am probably letting myself slide. It's one of those vicious circle things. I was holding myself accountable by posting... then I slacked off... so I didn't post because I felt ashamed... then I wasn't holding myself as accountable.

That being said, that's not the reason I really started slacking off. I starting slacking off because I got intense hives that sapped the strength out of me for two weeks straight... then I started feeling better, but was off of my exercise schedule...

Now the hives are back, but as I blogged on my main blog, I've identified the allergen and hopefully can avoid it completely in the future. I'm also getting a root canal! Fun, right?

Still, I am still totally committed to weight loss and I plan on losing more than 20 pounds in the next three months. Why? Because that's when my friend is coming to India to visit me! And I have a goal weight in mind for when I see her!

12 Months Together Update

Hey all! So we've been doing the 12 Months Together for ten days now and it seemed like time for

the first update. I'd like to make these roughly weekly.

As far as the group goes, there are ten of us, and we're all ladies. 7 out of 10 of us have PCOS (I did put a recruiting post on a PCOS facebook group, but also some of the ladies who were attracted to the challenge before I did that had PCOS. Probably because women with PCOS are motivated to make changes due to the health issues we face daily.) But it's not really a PCOS group, it's just about health and fitness.

We picked our pinterest challenges. Well, two members are facing health issues so aren't focusing on exercise right now, but it's a health and fitness challenge, so we're just hoping their health improves no matter how it's tackled and they'll be joining us in the fitness challenges super soon.

The other challenges range. Most people picked a very specific challenge, focusing on one exercise (increasing daily) or one or more body regions they want to improve.  The challenges range from squats, jumping jacks, core toning, one "abs, booty, and thigh" challenge, and walking. Most people are on, or exceeding, their target and we've already had some people report small weight losses.

I asked the group if any of them wanted to share their journey with you, and Alison did. Her challenge for the month is a jumping jack challenge to build her heart up. She has a mild heart condition, and it is painful for her to do cardio vascular exercise. However, her doctor has encouraged her to slowly build her heart's strength by pushing her limit. So on day one she did jumping jacks until she felt it would be too much to continue (she got to 35) and is adding a few more each time she does it. She's aiming for four days a week, but is finding that difficult to keep up because she was recently given more hours at work.

In addition she's been counting calories and watching what she eats!

As for me, I shared my challenge with you. Unfortunately I got sick and sort of got behind. I got a sinus infection. I'm better now (well my nose is still a little stuffy but I'm not feverish or fatigued or dying from a major headache or crying for no apparent reason, so I'm good!)

Blessedly, I built in rest days to my month, so I just put black Xes over them, and suddenly I'm not behind! Isn't that great?

However, I realize I may need rest days later, so I'm giving myself the ability to "earn" them back by doing more than today's exercises and rolling the reps over. So that if say, each day I do 25 extra jumping jacks, then after 4 days if I have 100 jumping jacks to do that day, I can just rest (only I have 8 different exercises daily, so I'd have to simultaneously do it for all.)

I'm all caught up for today, I've been exercising the past three days after being sick, and I can already feel myself gaining muscle.

I didn't calorie log while I was sick.. and honestly, I'm not sure why. That's just lazyness, because at this point I haven't set limits (I'm trying to stay under what myfitnesspal has set, but if I don't, no penalty.) But so I'm doing that again now.

I also weighed myself Wednesday. I've lost 6 pounds!

That's a six pound loss in two weeks, actually, not ten days, since I weighed myself I think four days before we started. And I just got over being sick, so maybe I'll gain a few back, but hopefully not.

One change for me from when I was dieting and exercising regularly two months ago is now I'm on metformin, which is a generally effective drug for women with PCOS which, among other things, usually assists in weight loss. So maybe that's given my efforts a boost. I do think it's probably why I didn't gain anything during my six week set back.

Also, my body is probably like "oh, good, we're being active again" and maybe responding enthusiastically. I mean, if you've ever watched those weight loss competition shows, the first week is usually the most dramatic. So I'm happy, but realistic.

When I got over my lung infection like a month and a half ago, I weighed what I weigh right now.. but I gained it back in 5 days because obviously it was an artifical "I'm siiiiccckkk" weight loss, not a healthy loss. And since I was just sick, maybe this is too... but I was soooo much sicker when I had the lung infection, plus I was coughing literally every two minutes or more frequently, so I'm sure I burned tons of calories from the constant stress on my body. Where as this sinus infection was really just a bad cold. So if any of this weight loss is artificial, I don't think all of it is!

Anyway, I'm happy to be updating you and look forward to doing it again next week.

LAST CALL! Join Us for a Year!

All right guys, it's July 1st in India, so this is the last call! I will accept people to join up until
midnight here in India (cause that's what I've picked) so you have roughly twenty hours. That means it'll be July 1st in America and I'll still be accepting people, so hurry up and join if you're thinking about it!

If you don't know what I'm talking about I'm hosting a year long health and fitness challenge on the blog. It's really not as daunting as that sounds, as we're very flexible and want to work with you to keep it doable in your life, instead of you trying to make your life fit around fitness.

If you want to know more, here is the details. And here are some FAQs.

If you want to join, please leave a  comment below with your email address or email me at singingpilgrimdancing at gmail dot com with "I'm In!" as the subject line. And then go read about July's challenge here, and pick something to start today!

Hope you join us, and getting excited about starting soon!

12MT: Pinterest Workout Challenge

All right for those of you who are brave enough to sign up for our year long health and fitness
challenge, 12 Months Together, month one is Pinterest Workout Challenge.

What do I mean by this?

Well, if you have Pinterest you probably have noticed lots of people pin workouts on there. So the idea is you go and you search out a workout that works for you, and that becomes your goal for the month.

So if you're really busy you may search "5 Minute Workout" or even "2 minute Workout". If you're really wanting to focus on a certain body part you might do "Ab Workouts" or "Thigh Workouts", etc. If you're wanting to focus on total body fitness you might search "Total Body Fitness." Do you want to make sure you can do it without having a gym membership or fancy equipment? "No Gym Workouts." Do you have a piece of fancy equipment or gym membership and you want to get the most of it? Search for that.

You get the idea.

They also have month long or week long challenges.

Now, the question comes up of how much and how often.

This depends on your fitness level... which I hope you'll candidly share with the group on our closed (no one outside the group can see) facebook group. If you're total beginner or totally, totally slammed with no workout time, please, please start slow. Just do more than you're doing now. If you're not working out at all, it's okay to say you're going to complete the workout only once or twice a week. Seriously. You have to start somewhere.

Also, this is not exclusive exercise. Nothing is limiting you to this, but we are asking you to commit to doing whatever you choose. (If you really decide to change your mind later, we'll consider letting you change it. We're totally flexible. But we want to make sure you're not wimping out, just realizing you're not too into it.)

So if you think "I can probably do this five times a week, but there's a big chance I won't", why don't you just sign up for 3, since this is the first challenge? If you do five, yay!! And we will encourage you to push yourself as the year progresses. But I want us all to be very realistic this first month, so that we don't feel like failures only a month in.

And yes, you can add other goals to the challenge, especially food goals. Like I said in the FAQ post, those are tacked on goals.

For example, I'm planning on doing the Pinterest Challenge (the one you see here), get back into logging my calories daily on myfitnesspal (Making sure I log completely at least 20 days this month), and by the end of the month be back on the 5:2 diet, which was working for me.

You can add tag ons too. But just remember, whatever you commit to, you're responsible for, and please don't overload yourself. This is month one.. if it ends up being too easy, then just do some extra this month and pick a harder goal next month.

Okay? Ready? Excited?

I am.

[And yes, we are totally accepting new people, before July 1st. If you want to join, leave your email address in the comments or email me at singingpilgrimdancing at gmail dot com with the subject line "I'm In!" If you're reading this after July 1st, there's a chance you can still join. Go read the FAQ post for more information.]

12 Months Together FAQ

All right if you missed it, starting July 1st we're launching a year long challenge. And we want you!

FAQ is a misnomer, since no one has really asked any questions yet, but these are questions I think maybe people are thinking or at least need to know the answer to... got a question I haven't answered here, or in my introduction to the challenge post? Ask it in the comments before July 1st and I will!

Q: How will the team encourage each other during the year?
A: In many ways. I'm not sure which way will take off, but I'm guessing it will be the closed facebook group, where we can talk to and encourage each other every day. I also plan on maintaining an email list and emailing encouragement, and also if someone seems to 'drop out' lovingly coming after them to make sure they realize that if you sign up for  year, you've signed up for the whole year. No drop outs, this is an all success story challenge! I'm also thinking we may use other social media networks, depending on the group preferences. We also will post on here, and if anyone who joins us has a blog, I will totally link to any posts they do on the challenge (if they let me know.) I also think that any of us who are using an app, like myfitnesspal or the like, can have that be known and if another member is choosing to use it, we can be friends on the app and encourage each other there. I'm also open to other ideas.

Q: What is the goal? Weight loss? Just an increase in activity level? Better nutrition?
A: Honestly, this depends on the person. I will want us to discuss what we want to get out of the year, and then also what we want to get out of each month. Different people will have different goals and different needs. I know several of us are interested in weight loss, and I hope we do it, but this isn't about weight loss as much as it is about increasing overall health. So if you're overweight, that is part of that, but if you don't lose a single pound but you improve your cardio vascular health and are feeling better becuase of proper nutrition, you're still a success. That said, I personally hope to lose quite a bit, as I still have about 90 pounds to go before I would have a "normal" BMI.

Q: So is this just everyone sets independent goals and then you try to encourage each other to reach them? Or do you do things as a group?
A: Both.
I'd like us to have some months that we take on a group challenge, but with each others abilities, goals, and differences in mind. For example, if we decided to do a running challenge we'd start the distances based on how much you can currently run at the end of the month before. Yes, that might mean you have to run a little to find out where you are. And if someone can't run, maybe because they have knee issues or it's too hot where they live or something, we may do a parallel walking challenge for them, challenging them to increase their walking increments at the same time we do running. Or if we did a workout video challenge, some people might be so ambitious as to say they'll do it every day (though we'll always schedule in a couple "rest days" both for muscle growth, but also so if you unavoidably skip a day in week one, you're not doomed to not complete a month), some three times a week, and some very busy people (like a SAHM or a 80+ hour a week job holder) might just make it a goal to complete the whole video through at least once a week (so they can stop and pause it.) Additionally, maybe half the group wants to do an aerobic video, and the other half wants to do yoga, so we may have two videos going.

Other months, like in July, we'll have themes. Where we pick a theme, but then individuals will pick their goals. This upcoming month the theme is "Pinterest Workout Challenges" (you don't have pinterest? We'll help you out, no big deal). Pinterest is full of workouts people have pinned. So find one you want to do, and that becomes your goal. So if one person picks something that amounts to 45 minutes of working out a day, and another person ends up doing someting that amounts to 30 minutes a week... that's okay. But the key is doing something realistic to begin with (based on your ability and schedule) and once you've committed, sticking with it unless something changes in your life, such as an injury, illness, or big life change (move, family issue, etc.) Then we're still not letting you drop out, but you can change your challenge to something more realistic.

And I'm planning on having two "personal goal" months, where we can all explore separate interests and encourage each other in them. That way if you're really, really wanting to do something every body else is like "eh" to, you can and still have a community backing you up!

Q: What happens if I want to quit after joining the challenge?
A: You can't. Haha. We won't let you.

Seriously, everyone wants to get healthier, so there's no reason to quit. We are totally willing to work with whatever life throws your way to help you find a healthy way to pursue reasonable goals in your life. So unlike other fitness challenges, where there will be drop outs, this is a success only team. However many of us begin, that many will finish. We will lovingly come after you. Don't give up on us, we won't give up on you!

Q: Is this exercise only? Or will you be doing diet challenges as well?
A: No and no.

That is, we are open to diet and nutrition challenges for members, but we will not as a group do a month where there is a diet challenge. Why? The number one reason is so that if any person in our group has or had struggled with an eating disorder, we try to avoid triggers.

That being said, I already know that diet will be a part of many peoples challenges, including myself. I want to get back on track with calorie counting, which helped me lose weight recently. I also know one of the people who has already signed up is dealing with a knee injury and can't do a lot of exercises and we've discussed her setting diet goals as an alternative to fitness goals she can't do at this time (though there also are knee friendly exercises she can do.) I also think everyone, as long as they feel comfortable, should incorporate healthy diet changes in, unless they feel they're already eating as healthily as they can. That is, perhaps one month they commit to beginning to eliminate sugary beverages, or switching from processed to whole grain products, working up to actually drinking the recommended amount of water or committing to replace one pre-prepared meal a week with a homemade one. That kind of goal generally can be done by all, even those in recovery from an eating disorder. But while that will be encouraged by our monthly goals, and may even be tacked in (ex. In October we're doing ab exercises and making one positive diet change) fitness will always be the primary goal.

Q: This seems overwhelming, and I'm scared if I join I'll fail. Should I run far away?
A: No. Please, if you're tempted to do this, just do it. We will meet you where you're at. Not able to walk up one flight of stairs without gasping for air? Welcome. Running a marathon next Thursday? Welcome. Need to lose over a hundred pounds? Welcome. Underweight and wanting to get to a healthy goal? Welcome.

Seriously, people, this is about improving health, so no matter how healthy or not healthy you are, we all can improve and you know it. (If you really don't think you can improve, then maybe this isn't for you... though you could always join with maintenance and variety to keep you from boredom in mind.)

Q: I'm a guy, can I join?
A: Sure. At this point we don't have any guys, and my gut says we won't get any, but I thought I'd throw out there that everyone is welcome.

Q: I'm reading this past July 1st. Can I still join?
A: Probably, but not until the 1st of the next month. (You can leave a comment with your email address or email me at singingpilgrimdancing at gmail dot com right now though.) I'm thinking I'll have enrollment open each month, if anyone is interested, but I don't know if anyone will join. I have come late to the game with other people's challenges before and been like "Man, if only I'd seen this two weeks ago" and I want to be sensitive to that. However, if you join on August 1st, you're doing it it until July 31st, 2014. No matter when you join, you're doing a full year, not just joining us until June 30th, 2014.

It will also not be a separate thing. That is, if you join in August, you'll be doing the same challenge as everyone who joined in July. It's just when we end in June, you'll keep going.

Will I continue to host it past June 30th? I make no promises. It may be too overwhelming to organize it past a year... or I could addicted and decide to do two years. But I won't close out the facebook group, so whoever is left can do it on their own, together, even if I say a year is enough for me. (If there is only one person, I'll probably stick around with them, so they're not alone. :) )

Q: What if I do "drop out" for a month? That is, what if I don't even do a day of the challenge for a whole month? Am I failure?
A: No! But, you won't be a "total success" on June 30th, 2014... but you can "make up" that month. That is, if say in December you "drop out"... now you have to keep going until July 31st, 2014 in order to be a "total success." And if people join part way through, you just join their "graduating class." But that's all.

That being said, come on, partial credit counts!! If you do at least some at the beginning of the month, you eliminate the possibility of failing the month. So just don't do that, okay?

**If you have any more questions I didn't think of, please ask them and I'll answer them below. If you want to join, please leave your email address in the contacts below or email me at singingpilgrimdancing at gmail dot com with the subject line "I'm in!" to join!**

Join Me for a Year??

Okay, so today I'm introducing a fun concept. I want you to commit to doing a yearlong fitness
(and maybe diet) challenge with me.

It's not as scary as it may sound.

Each month, before the month begins, we'll set goals. Some months we may set a group goal (like all do the same workout) and many months we'll set personal goals, generally around a theme (like I'm thinking to start out: Pinterest workout challenges!)

During the month, we encourage each other. At the end of every month, we check in to say if we completed the goal, partially did the goal more than 50%, partially did the goal less than 50%, or dropped out that month.

Then the slate is wiped clean going into the next month. So don't let a not completed month discourage you! (We will keep track, but it doesn't affect the next month in anyway.)

At the end of the year if you've at least partially attempted every month, you're a total success! (And even if you dropped out here or there, we still love you! Ha!)

The idea is to give yearlong motivation. I don't want to do a different goal each month, separate from the rest of the months. Then a busy  month might come, people drop out, and never get back on track. The idea is to commit for YEAR because even if you fall down on it, if you've really tried all year, you're likely to have upped the amount of motivation you have going past that year to live healthily.

That being said, I may allow new people to join each month, with the understanding that they are joining for a year themselves, and they only "succeed" when they complete a year.

ALSO and this is very important: We will work around life changes. Like if you break your leg or get pregnant, get very sick etc. goals are totally allowed to be adjusted around that. You can concentrate on arm exercises, focus on pregnancy safe workouts, focus on getting Vitamin C and plenty of fluids, whatever is necessary. The point of this is to incorporate healthier living into your life, with will always include set backs or course changes. I think most  if not all of us are guilty of having healthy living set backs happen when our lives change, and I'd like this to help us re-adjust our goals, not abandon them, so we stay on track.

But that means, no matter what, you don't have an excuse for dropping out all together. Uh-uh, it's not happening. If 3 people sign up, 3 people will finish. If 40 people sign up, 40 people will finish. And by signing up you give me the right to harass you (in a friendly, encouraging manner) if you go AWAL. Haha.

So you're not sure you can do a year?

You can.

Seriously. You're totally in control of your goals, and partial credit counts. So if you know that ten minutes twice a week is all you can do, then do it. We're game for that. And if you feel like you can't join in on a group challenge, no problem. Just let us know and you'll get your own challenge.

And this is totally not my game. I mean I'll be organizing the communication (I have tons of ideas how we can encourage each others) but you guys are totally part of the process. You see a workout you want to do? Suggest it. You have an idea on how to motivate us? Suggest it. And if you just want to come in and have a goal set for you and then you do it? We're game for that too. We just want you to get healthier, over the course of a year, with us.

That said, this is supposed to be a challenge. So you have to be trying to do more than you are now. Like if you're already running three miles a day, you can't set "run three miles a day" as a goal. But you could do "work up to running 3.5 miles a day by the end of the month" or "maintain 3 miles a day running plus eliminate sugary beverages." Got it?

Tomorrow I'll outline ideas on how we can encourage and communicate with each other. If you're already in, tell me in the comments below your email address or email me at singingpilgrimdancing at gmail dot com with the subject line "I'm IN." Feel free to ask any questions you need answering before committing as well, and I will answer them. We start July 1st.

Are you in?