Looking Back...Moving Forward

It is almost hard to believe that 2009 is over. It seems like just yesterday that I decided to start this blog and to really be serious about my weight loss commitment. While I didn't reach my year end goal of 30 pounds, I have definitely made great strides forward. So as we end this year, I wanted to take some time to reflect on all that has happened to me on my weigh and I want to share some of my goals for 2010.

Looking back...

I lost twenty pounds and three inches off of my waist since September 1st!

I now exercise on a regular basis.

I totally changed my eating habits.

I am more confident in my physical abilities.

I am learning to be more interdependent with my Hubby.

I am more mindful of my negative thought patterns and I am working on being more positive.

I am more patient with the weight loss process and the life process in general.

I am more convinced that I can reach my weight loss and life goals!

Moving forward...

I want to lean on God a lot more in this process. I want to focus on Him as my strength and my source for all things and at all times.

I want to be more consistent with my exercise even when life gets stressful and hectic.

I want to be more resilient when I encounter difficult situations.

I want to lose at least 50 pounds by Christmas 2010.

I want to work more intently towards my dream of being a runner.

I want to do at least one race this year.

I want to be more consistent with this blog!

I am so grateful for 2009 and all that the Lord has brought me through. This year has exceeded my expectations in so many ways. I know that I am a much better person as a result of every trial, every adversity and every blessing. I am confident that with the Lord and through the support of my family and friends I will move further on my weigh in the coming year. I wish you all a happy and prosperous new year. May 2010 be our best year yet!

What Do You Expect?

December has been one crazy month! The pressure of the semester's end combined with the hustle and bustle of Christmas has been more than a notion. The holidays for me are always bittersweet. This year was no exception. Things always start out so great but it is always just a matter of time before the dark clouds start looming. Being the sensitive person that I am, it usually takes me at least a week to process my emotions. And during the process, I am usually pretty miserable. Oh how I wish I was the type of person that could just get over it!

But do those people really just get over it? Or is their seeming resilience merely a facade? And how is it that one just gets over something that is so important? I don't think that I will ever find the answers to these complicated questions. What I do know is that I need to do something that will allow me to avoid this emotional turmoil as much as possible. And when it is inevitable, I need to find ways to cope more effectively. In trying to find a solution to my dilemma, I have realized another weight that has plagued me all of my life--the weight of expectations.

As I have mentioned in several posts, I am a forward thinker. For every situation in my life I have some clear ideas about how things should go. In a lot of cases, it all works out and things go just as I expect them to. But there are just as many times that my expectations don't pan out. When this happens, I feel disappointed and I too often find it difficult to bounce back. So I am making a decision to be more flexible and more realistic with my expectations. Don't get me wrong...I am not lowering my expectations. I am simply learning to recalibrate my expectations as necessary, on my weigh!