2017, Let's Do This!

Ever walk by a mirror and think "whoa! how could I have let this happen?"

I have struggled with my weight since, oh I don't know, all of time.  I was always painfully aware of the 'other girls' with the better metabolism, or who were taller, or prettier, or really just anyone who didn't look like me...and how lucky they were that they didn't.  Fast forward 20 years, and here we are.  I've graduated high school and college, built a successful career over the course of 12 years, been married a decade and had 3 babies.  I've tried Atkins, Weight Watchers, drank Shakeology, done Whole30, joined (and quit...) countless gyms/fitness programs and here's what I know:

- my metabolism is pretty much garbage (like for real...countless rounds of bloodwork have confirmed this...cue the violins, I feel very sorry for myself)
- I like to eat my feelings.  All of them.  Happy, sad, fun, anxious, angry, PMS.  All of them.
- I felt the best I've ever felt while doing Whole30, but you know - I did it for 30 days and then went back to crappy eating and feeling unwell.  I'm smart like that.

So.  I'm turning 35 this year and while there is much in my life I'm proud of and feel really good about, there are actually a few pretty significant areas that need some more radical change. [Stay tuned, I'm holding myself accountable to blog on all of these areas]  For me, this is not about 'resolutions', I'm actually not someone who sets resolutions each January.  But, I am turning 35 in 2017 and so I'm using that as the fuel to make changes.  In 2016 it felt like life happened to me and I was just doing my best to block and tackle.  That has left me feeling beat-up, exhausted, taken advantage of, so fat!  I refuse to repeat that in 2017.  And the biggest area that needs major change is the scale.  It just does.  I'm not going to couch it in phrases like 'I just want to be healthy' - for some that's true.  But for me....I legit need to weigh less.  Period.  And I don't want to drink something expensive, or take a pill (side note - anybody remember when ephedra/ephedrine was legal?  I sure enjoyed getting down to a size 4 in college while eating cheeseburgers and fries.  But you know...that near heart attack probably was less awesome).  I want, scratch that, NEED to transition to thinking about food differently.  So, I'm opting for a Whole30/Paleo food plan. And I'm going to commit to blogging/insta posting about food planning, recipes, and how the journey is going.  Just for me.  If it helps anyone else with meal planning, great.  But, I need the accountability of keeping track of progress.

If you're interested in jumping on the band wagon along with several friends of mine... stay tuned.  More to come.

Happy New Year!