Wheels on the bus go round and round

Hello fine fellow reader (s).  Welcome to another installment of "Jenn Must Get Healthy". It's been almost a year since Jenn fell off the wagon. But she's back and is here to tell you the gory details.

When last we spoke, I believe it was last June, I was well on my way to losing weight. It was slow going, but it was going. And that was what was important to me. Then something happened. A traumatic experience for me in that my Dad died. (sniff sniff).

Something about that event stopped me in my tracks. I just stopped.

I stopped working out religiously.

I stopped planning my weekly meals.

I stopped thinking about what I was eating.

I stopped eating healthy meals.

I just stopped.

I didn't do it consciously - at least I don't think I did. I just felt like I needed a break.

It was last August when I realized that I hadn't really been doing much, if anything, to lead this healthy life I want for myself. So I decided to just not worry about it. And I didn't.

Slowly I noticed that things felt different.  While I was jogging on and off, I missed the gym.  I quickly squelched that thought and moved on without thinking about the gym again. In fact, the only time I thought about the gym was when I'd drive past it every morning and check out to see how busy it was.  But I wouldn't then think, "I could go in the morning."

But things were feeling different. I wasn't drinking my normal amount of water. I missed that too. I lacked energy. Unhappy. Unfounded. I just felt, well, icky. 

I didn't want to admit that it was, perhaps, because I had fallen all too quickly right back into the poor eating decisions or the lack of exercise. It couldn't be that. It had to be something else. It just had to be. And by God, I was going to figure that out.

Fast forward to Memorial Day weekend.  We scattered Dad's ashes - and I promise I'll get that story out soon - its' just too much to write about right now - and somehow being out in the middle of no where Washington, with the cold wind blowing like a hurricane, with family/friends surrounding me, I remembered - again - why I was making an effort...health.  That small little, 6-letter word - how could I have forgotten it?

And so I decided to make another plan. I was going to join Weight Watchers. I had thought about it over the last year, but had always come up with one excuse after another. ChickenLady had joined and was working very hard to talk me into going with her. The timing didn't feel right really. I had the MomUnit in town, and this thing, and that thing, and that other thing...I found excuses easily.

Finally, I ran out of excuses. ChickenLady texted me to join her on Saturday. My thumb hovered over the keyboard of my iPhone, ready to type, "Sorry. Busy," when it dawned on me. I had no more excuses. I couldn't think of one valid reason to NOT join her. I had everything to gain (or lose). I've been looking for the "right time" and so why wasn't "right now" the right time? My fingers typed almost by themselves, "I'll see you there."

Saturday morning came and I was up and ready to go. I was going to walk to the meeting, but wanted

to go right from the meeting to the grocery store, or so I planned. I didn't, but that's beside the point. I went. I signed up. I got a Bravo sticker (OMG I love stickers) and it was a fantastic morning.  The leader is happy and knowledgeable without being "too happy" or preachy - if you know what I mean.  The group was diverse and all had a story to tell.

As I sat there thinking about how each of us got to that door and walked in, I was reminded of something about the 3Day that I love, every single person involved in it has a unique story.  All the stories have a shade of familiarity, but each of us had one reason or another to be there. And because we were all there, I was, somehow, not fighting this war by myself.

And so it begins again. I'm re-motivated. I'm ready to go. I had my last few bad meals this weekend and am starting fresh this morning. I did my grocery shopping. I did my plan. I did my prep. I am set up to succeed.  Viva WW!!! Viva Healthy Living!!!