Hello old friends…

…I have missed you

…allow me to reintroduce myself…

…I am Stephanie

…it has been 7 months since we last spoke

…and since we last spoke, I have lost 55+ pounds.

Well no, I have not lost it, I have gotten rid of it, because I am never, ever, getting it back.

Why? Why now? How can I be so confident that this time of all the times before it will last? Easy. Me, Mara, Thane, Jay, Gia Gia, Me. This is my new life and I am enjoying it every moment. I hope that when my kids see pictures of the “old me” they won’t recognize me, they won’t believe that was ever me. For the first time in my life, I see this lasting, I see ahead to the end result.

Half way through this journey, I saw a quote on a package from Yurbuds that I bought. It now sits in my office. I want to embroider it on a damn pillow.

“Don’t wait for inspiration to come find you. Become it.”

“Under the glow of the street lamps I run
to be back in time to make her breakfast.
No excuses. My reason has curly locks
and big blue eyes. I see her
at the starting line, when I hit the water
and when my foot locks in.
And when I cross that finish line,
giving my personal best, I’ll see her
and she’ll see me.
Then she’ll know that she too
can do anything.”

No, I am not doing triathlons. Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t. I run(-ish) now, do some 5ks with my friends. It fits my family, doesn’t take long to go out for a run/jog/walk while kids are sleeping and Jay is at home or if I am on the road, I escape as I blast some music in my ears or listen to the latest book.

I am doing a site called MyFitnessPal.com (an app too). I live by it, it is an obsession. I am accountable to me for the first time ever. I have logged in every day for 134 days. Again, borderline obsession but I spent 35 years making bad decisions, it will take me awhile to unlearn them. But again, I don’t have anyone telling me what to do/not to do, someone I dread visiting each week, or food too expensive to continue for the rest of my life.

I still have a ways to go to be at my goal, but I am more than half way there. And I can see that light at the end of the tunnel.

So…what have we been doing in the last 6 months?

Lots! I went back to Sweden..and Poland and Germany. I am traveling a ton for work and am so fortunate to have a supportive hubby to help at home. The kids transitioned to a new school they love (and we do too!). Summer brought soccer camps, hockey camp, horseback riding camp, and tennis camp. A good friend welcomed a baby girl into the world. Jay has lost 20+ pounds. We made our annual trip to Florida to see Aunt Diane and Uncle Jim and Chris. Our family is having a blast doing 5k’s…from my first half marathon to the Mothers’ and Father’s Day runs to the Muddy Buddy, a 4.5 mile obstacle course/run that ended in a mud pit that Jay and I did as a team (the kids did the mini-muddy buddy here). We go out more, see our friends more, and are generally more active. Maybe one day we can be like the Clarks and have our son say…”We are a very active family!”

So for some before and now pictures…

I had a hard time finding before pics but this is what I came up with:

Before…

About 15 pounds ago in the Keys…

Last weekend at the Muddy Buddy…

And then at the Earth, Wind and Fire concert that night (wow, I am old)

So by far, this is the single most conceited post I have ever written and that is saying a lot. However, I wanted it here to acknowledge the challenge, kick off posting again, and put it down as part of my story.

That’s it. Off soapbox.

Love you guys! Promise to be back more on here.