Month One= DONE!

Tomorrow marks one month since I started my journey and boy, what a month it has been.
This month has pushed me to my limits, in more ways than one. It has been so stressful (not in terms of my new lifestyle), I am so grateful it is over! I have lost 18.9 pounds. I am proud. I know I have a long way to go, but I learned from the first time I did this that I have to celebrate all of my accomplishments and failures as I go. I hope I've been able to help and motivate others this past month and even more as I continue! I truly believe that you can wake up one day and just be ready to take this on. To take anything on. You won't do it until you are ready and I cannot stress that enough. Don't put pressure on yourself because I promise that you'll get there. I never thought I would either, I felt broken and like I had no respect for my own life. Surely if I wanted it, that would be enough. It wasn't. I had to go through seasons in my life, things had to happen, my mind set had to shift, things needed to change, prayers had to be lifted up.

Then, it happened. January 2nd I woke up and I thought to myself, "I'm ready now. I'm finally ready." and I knew, without a doubt, there was no stopping me now. I know I'm only a month into it and I still fight the temptations every single day, but I still know I'm moving forward and I refuse to go back to my old life. I want to get to a place where I don't listen to people say "You have such a pretty face" and think to myself that if only I wasn't fat maybe they'd just say I was pretty instead of singling out one small part of me. I want to be healthy, strong, to motivate others to be all they were meant to be. I know there are so many people who can't look at themselves in a mirror, who come home from school every day in tears, who don't think they're worth a second glance, who question their own existence. I know because I was one of them. It breaks me, No one, big or small, nerdy or shy, poor or rich, deserves to feel for one moment that they are nothing. No better than the dirt off someone's shoe. I cannot and I will not stand by with the access to technology and people that I have, that most everyone has, and allow people to go unnoticed. I'm telling you now if I can make my life better and accomplish my goals, SO CAN YOU. If you think you have no one, you have me. I am behind anyone and everyone to make this movement towards a happier and HEALTHIER life. Don't give up, friends. Life is beautiful.

January 2015, you have been a challenge to say the least. Bring it on, February. I am ready for you. I will not give up. I will create the happiness and the body that I deserve, you can count on that.