Why in the world should the SuperBowl be such a fulcrum point for me I don't know BUT the thought occurred to me yesterday that SuperBowl 2010 was my low point in weight where for a teensy moment I actually crossed into One-derland for a few hours that day.

Since then it's been a slide upward in my weight, especially so during these winter months!

So I *know* I've been overdue for a tough, Dutch Uncle talk with myself and apply those words I've been so fond of (wish someone could tell me who said this...I think the credit goes to another member of our SparkFamily since I Googled it and came up empty-handed):

Being fat is hard.

Losing Weight is hard.

Choose your hard.

Now I'll take those words a step farther, kick it up another notch:

For me giving into gaining weight is sentencing myself to a slow death. Taking control of my health opens me to living my life to the fullest.

In "The Shawshank Redemption" (one of my all-time favorite movies) the choice is simply put: "Get busy living, or get busy dying."

Well then...? Time to get back to what I know works for me:

1) Tracking EVERYTHING in the Nutrition tracker!

2) Daily cardio of no less than 35 mins. NO SKIPPED DAYS!

3) Weighing in each week.

4) Limiting my carbohydrates to the occasional fruit, low-fat plain yogurt, almonds, low-carb flatwrap or whole grain pasta.

Other plans:

---start the free trial at the fitness center by the end of the week.
---really REALLY focus on getting more sleep so that
---I can get my morning mojo back and be up nailing that cardio first thing in the morning.

I've got too many wonderful plans ahead that DON'T include toting around ANY more weight than necessary!

While on the treadmill (first looked at the clock at 50 minutes out of the 60 total...lol) my mp3 player dished up another super round of tunes tonight...but the most striking one happened also to be the very last. It's not a fast song, but a very powerful one. One of my favorite female vocalists is Paula Cole...just LOVE the strength, emotion and power of her singing in the song "Me" from the album "This Fire."

For me this song is both a declaration of radical acceptance of oneself, warts and all:

it is me who is my enemy
me who beats me up
me who makes the monsters
me who strips my confidence

Coupled with a pronouncement of profound strength and belief in oneself that just will NOT be shaken:

i am carrying my voice
i am carrying my heart
i am carrying my rhythm
i am carrying my prayers
but you can't kill my spirit
it's soaring and it's strong
like a mountain
i go on and on

Check out the video at YouTube which has the lyrics:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=
fs0g6yL6kDc

And here is a video of Paula herself singing her song:

www.dailymotion.com/vide
o/xcw1nz_paula-cole-band-m
e_music

Let's all keep ourselves moving toward the light: To LIFE!

Don

ps...HUGE thanks to BAMOM19 for recently posting her efforts to nail her backslide. She, along with myself and other members of SparkPeople were special guests last year on Dr. Oz's 100th show featuring 100 people who've lost 100 pounds or more. Here is my blog on that experience: www.sparkpeople.com/mypa
ge_public_journal_individu
al.asp?blog_id=2878056 Her sharing helped pave the way for me to come clean and go public with MY efforts as well! Just GOTTA LOVE our SparkFamily! :-)