Grinning and baring it.

Where to start.

I am starting this blog because I am tired of trying to improve my health, body, and stress levels and failing/quitting over and over again.


A little about me. I have one horribly failed marriage behind me, two great teenage boys(so I guess this isn't baby weight anymore), a wonderful man to share life with that makes me laugh every morning when I wake up and before I go to sleep at night, and a career that is very stressful but often rewarding.

I am a very creative and handy person.  I have made furniture, sewn quilts and clothing, love gardening all summer long, crochet obsessively, rehabbed old houses, and pretty much anything else that strikes my fancy.

The year I turned 40 I ran a half marathon every month, which was probably the best shape I've ever been in. And it has been all downhill, physically, since then. In the last 3 years I've gained 40 pounds and am at my heaviest ever(excluding when I was pregnant). I have been trying for the last year to get back to the active and healthy lifestyle I managed in my "year of running". I have tried infomercial DVD and diet plans, Pinterest 30 day challenges, crazy cleansing rituals, and have not been able to stick to any. So I have been reading and gathering lots and lots of information and want to try to incorporate what seems like a plan I can actually stick to.

Where does this blog come in?

I need accountability. My boyfriend tells me it doesn't matter what weight I am, I am beautiful. I can still run a 5k in under 30 minutes. But I know that I need to lose some of the weight and improve my eating habits for me. As I get older, it will only get harder and the health ramifications of excess abdominal fat as well as weight are things I'd like to avoid. So I will post my progress here, and even if no one comes to my blog to read it, it is out there and if I fail, I fail publicly. Maybe that is what I need, to stop hiding behind baggier and baggier cloths and put it all out there for everyone to see.


So here goes. Here are my measurements from today:

Weight: 163.6 lbs
Waist: 36 inches
Hips: 41 inches
Chest: 40 inches
Thighs: 25/24 inches


I have a exercise plan in place that includes weight training as well as cardio and an eating plan that focuses on eating non processed, whole foods.

So, if you read this I hope you cheer me on, if not in the end I have to cheer myself on to really make it work anyway.