Fat Girl Confessional

Well, ladies, I may not be a bride anymore, but as far as wanting to lose some extra pounds, I'm right there with many of you brides trying to slim down for your wedding gown. In fact, NWD is a sponsor for Lincoln's first city-wide weight loss challenge, Wealth for My Health, (coordinated by the amazing Sara Brown of Events Refined) and I decided it was time to get off my butt and get healthy.

So I joined. And I immediately regretted it. What was I thinking? I have my NWD job, two adorable (insane) kids (three if you count my husband), and a host of other activities I'm involved in. Not only will I have to find time - and motivation - to work out, but I'll also have to find the time to cook healthy meals instead of throwing a pizza in the oven. Fabulous.

So I went to my first boot camp session on Monday (with the inspiring but relentless Heather Hall at Body Overhall), and let me tell you, there's a reason they call it boot camp. It's definitely resembles army training, at least in my imagination. You know the drill - I worked out muscles I didn't know I had; I considered other acts of torture that would be more pleasurable than this; I prayed for the good Lord's strength to get me through the next 45 seconds, etc. But a funny thing happened when I was done: I felt GREAT - exhilarated, happy, proud of myself. Two days later, I still can't walk down stairs or sit in a chair without my quads screaming in protest, but for the first time I feel like the pain is worth it.

I've always known it to be necessary, but have never managed to find the motivation to stick with an exercise/healthy eating routine. However, now that I have kids and my metabolism isn't that of an 18-year-old anymore, I know it's time to get this health thing figured out before I end up 150 pounds overweight with a much steeper hill to climb.

So on that note, ladies, I'll be chronicling my weight-loss experiences here every now and then, offering some (hopefully) positive motivation to all of you brides hoping to drop a couple of sizes. We're all in the same boat here. With that said, here's my goal: 25 pounds or 5 inches off my waist - whichever comes first. I'll keep you posted on my progress. And I would appreciate any well-wishes you'd like to send my way!
-Holly
P.S. Those of you hoping for a Biggest Loser-style "before" photo are out of luck - we did take one, but that image is between me and my trainer only, thank you very much!