I have heard tell that in the first week of a diet, you can lose a bit more pounds all of the sudden, as if the body WANTS to drop weight quickly. I am...stunned as I step off the scale today, and see what I have accomplished over the past week. I do not consider this a diet, I am fully committed to a change in my lifestyle, but it is very VERY heartening to receive immediate positive results when you finally choose a plan.

Yes, I am going to gloat just a little right now! WOW!!!! AMAZING!!!! I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS!!!!!! I FEEL GOOD. I FEEL MOTIVATED, I FEEL EMPOWERED. I actually don't feel "thin", but I do fell more comfortable with myself today.

Now that that's done, and I have WHOOPED it up a bit, I want to share a thought or two more for myself and anyone who cares to read further.

Success will focus me, but I will not always have this level of success. I can feel amazing about what I have accomplished this week, but I must not allow the feeling to cloud my judgement. This is a LONG ROAD, and I expect to have many ups and downs, otherwise I would not appreciate the wonder of my achievements as much. I have been down this road before as I have said in previous blogs, and have found myself feeling thin and active one day, and then feeling thick and inactive the next.

I do not intend to go backwards. None of us intends to fail when we start off on a project, (yeah, ok, I guess there are people who convince themselves of failure initially and fail for that reason, and others who bite off more than they can chew which is a form of intentional failure, but most of us don't do that), but I know the truth, and that truth is I am subject to the failings of being human, a product of my past behavior, and there is more work that needs to be done to continue and maintain my success.

So I heartily and with all my effort of will make these promises to myself today.

I WILL endeavor to continue daily to change my lifestyle so I can accomplish my goals.

I will celebrate my successes, forgive myself when I slip up, and work hard to remember that every road has its turnings, it's hills and it's valleys, and I am walking a path for the rest of my life, not reaching and end.

I will try hard to write here daily, not only so that others can seek support from my words, but that I might ask those around me to continue to support my efforts with encouragement, positive thoughts, and the occasional boot to the head when necessary.

But once again...I have to say.....WOW. I feel good today, and will hold this positive feeling as long as I can and let it color all that I do today!

J.A.I.