Ever heard of NaNoWriMo?

every November the world is challenged to write. It doesn't have to be good writing, and it doesn't have to go beyond your own computer. Just sit down, and write, 50,000 words in one month.

Holy cow 50,000 seems like a lot....but then again so does losing 100 pounds. It's a lot like Sparkpeople - make a plan and stick with it.

I couldn't come up with anything to write about, until I started talking to my Mom. She told me "write what you know." what do I know....I know what it feels like to be the fat kid. I know what it feels like to get on an elliptical and struggle for the first time.

More than that, I know what it is to have a dream, a goal, the motivation to get me there. My 50,000 words are (I hope) going to serve as a self-reflection of the last two years and rededication to making my goals.

There is one Spark'er out there who, i know if she reads this, will know she's part of the cause of the removtivation. She's got a very similar story to me, and once upon a time only a few pounds seperated us. We used to challenge each other to weight loss goals -- but our stories split. Hers is the one of the girl who never lost sight of her goal. Mine is the one of the girl leaping and trying to make it. I WILL make it, and I thank you for your motivation! You know who you are!

I'm only 1 day into writing my novel, and the side effect? I'm closing my laptop and going to the gym because I don't want to sit on my butt all day.

Even though some of you may think it's silly, I want to share the excerpt that made me remember why I'm on this site before I jump into workout clothes and run to the gym.



Excerpt from the novel "Wide Load Running"

If she can do this, I can do this the voices now said. 10 minutes on the elliptical became 30. 30 minutes suddenly became an hour, with the assistance of television shows that kept me from getting bored. As I worked out, if television shows didn’t keep my attention, I stared past them to the words shining on the wall ahead of me.

I know there’s slogans for working out, things like “No Pain No Gain” and “Feel the Burn,” but seriously, why would I want t hurt to make myself feel good? Even “From Pain Comes Beauty” seems silly to me, once again why would I want to hurt myself for the superficial things that others see. These words seemed the empty mantras of beach blond body builders, those who never had to work at being skinny, so they pushed themselves to extremes to be beyond skinny and into down right freakishly athletic. You know, with muscles bulging everywhere and veins popping out of their eyelids because their muscles are suck rock there’s nowhere else for blood to flow. You know, the creepy kind of athletes.

These words were different. Every machine in the room was angled to have a clear view of these words, shining like 20 feet tall silver beacon of hope and motivation for the tired. These were words designed to make you push yourself to finish the last five minutes of the workout, to go that last quarter mile.

CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

Change your life.

I could change my life.

I could stare these words on the wall for 30 minutes a day, fantasizing about changing my life. Dreaming of someday wearing a size 10 jeans, of shopping in the junior section. Of looking cute in knit hats and trendy scarves. Of walking into a crowded room and not feeling like I was taking up too much space.

Change your life. I could change to not be the ‘fat friend’ anywhere I went. I could change to be healthy. I could fight against the ‘fat’ genes my family seemed to have, no matter what the odds.

Change your life.

Yes…I think I will change my life.