Goal: Lose 12 pounds

I have to stop this madness before it gets out of control. This spring, summer, and fall, I was really doing well & feeling good in my body. Sometime around November I allowed myself to think that I could eat whatever I wanted. I've never been able to eat whatever I want and not pay the consequences. For a month or so I didn't feel it in my clothes or see it in the mirror, but boy once it did catch up with me, I packed it on. I've been steadily gaining a pound a week for about 4 weeks now. It adds up. I've been moping around feeling depressed and knowing that I needed to get back on track but the motivation was lacking. I think that was the worst part...allowing myself to let myself go...(if that makes sense).

My work pants were so tight yesterday that I was practically spilling out of them. You know when you have that red indention line around your waist band? Yeah. Miserable. That was my final straw.

Goals: 1) Get in 10,000 steps everyday 2) Do strength training 2-3x week  3) Eat 1320 calories per day & count then on My Fitness Pal (app). Don't add in extra calories earned for exercising.

THIS IS MY FIGHT SONG!

Today was a good day. I feel hopeful and motivated again. I even made myself a visual on my school computer :) Anything to keep me accountable!

Middle School Dance

It's a hard lesson to learn. I'm sitting outside in the hallway with one of my 6th graders who was just reminded that he was, after all, not allowed to attend the middle school dance. I'm trying to imagine how he feels. I wonder if he's reflecting on his rude and disrespectful behavior which landed him in this predicament or if he is even able to weight consequences. Yes, he is. He has to be because he really turned himself around this week and put on his maturest twelve year old pants and tried to make good choices. But in the end- he did it to himself. If you do good things, you get good things. If you do bad things, you get bad things. That's how its explained in Kindergarten and its true all throughout life.

It has to be hard. At this age, the school Valentine's Dance is a really big deal in a twelve year old's life. Even at my age the Valentines Dance is a big deal and I'm only chaperoning. You can feel the energy in the room when they walk through the door. Its a mix of nerves, hope, curiosity, excitement, wonder, and awkwardness. Mostly awkwardness. I still get the "what do I do with my hands?" feeling when I am in there watching them. It makes me appreciate being an adult and the opportunity to partake in a beverage before and during such an affair. I guess you have to pay your dues in age before you earn the privilege of liquid courage.

Back to him... Poor guy, he was just getting to know the pretty new girl in our class and I know they have a little spark for one another. I bet this was going to be his opportunity to make his move. They were partners on the field trip earlier this week and I could tell he was feeling on top of the world. Most of the paragraphs he has to compose for me during our writing time have to do with how smooth he is with the ladies. The last one was entitled, "Fly Guy."

Tonight I'll be going to the dance and he won't. My hope is that he has learned that behaviors have consequences. And I hope he makes the next one and gets to experience all the magic.