Hard Work! Dedication!

I can do this. I finally believe that I can actually lose weight and adopt a healthy lifestyle..and be fit in the process. I didn't even realize how much doubt I had before and why I kept sabotaging myself.

In April I had a physical and found out I weighed 199.6 pounds. That was my wake up call.

In August I had an assessment at the gym and discovered I now weighed 186 pounds.

On my own, working out in my living room to my DVD's and to YouTube workouts, I lost 13 pounds....because I wanted to...because I believed I could.

I don't have a scale. I just set a goal and came up with some action steps to get me to that goal, and I took those steps every single day. Except Sunday. Even God rested on the 7th day!

I knew that if I took the steps---portion control, more water, more fruits and veggies, much less sugar and fats...and no processed foods at all...and 30 minutes of cardio...I had to end up better than when I started.

So every day I did what I set out to do....no matter how I felt.

I became my own accountability partner, and I became my own coach.

I used my Spark Tracker to motivate me; I used the Spark Goal Board to see my goals, my action steps, my accomplishments...and to keep me moving in the right direction.

One of my rewards for my consistency was a new set of pots and pans. If I were going to eat healthy, I wanted to learn to cook more whole foods. I love my new cookware.

Another reward....new workout clothes. Bright colors, moisture wicking...style and comfort. I like putting on my fashionable workout clothes.

I'm even learning to like sweating. I don't feel I've had a good workout unless I get my heart rate up and I bust out a sweat. Like one of my fitness gurus says, "Sweat is just fat crying!"

When I met with my trainer we set new goals. Within the next 9-12 months I plan to shed 58 pounds of excess, unhealthy, unattractive fat; go from 46% body fat to 15-16%s body fat. I don't even want to know what dress size I'll be by then, and what my physique will look like with all that shapely muscle, but I know it'll all be good.

I visualize my new healthy body when the workouts get hard, when I get tired, when I want to eat a pie or a cake, and I tell myself "Hard work! Dedication"...and I stay on my program.

I really am creating a new me!