Who me? Do I write this blog? Was this my job?

I really want to get back into this blogging thing. I'm up a few extra pounds, and I need to be very conscious of what I'm eating and thinking more actively about making good, healthy decisions. So here I am, back at it. Making a solid effort at regular posting again.
So what's happened to make me gain a little weight? Lack of tracking my food intake. Too little exercise.  Too much indulging in a bottle of beer here, a glass of wine there, a decadent dessert here, a rich main dish there. Just, basically, simple lack of control and drive to stay successful. But that's behind me again.

When I first started gaining a little, a funny thing happened. Several people said things off-handedly like, "You look great. Really rested. Have you been sleeping better?" and "You look refreshed!" and so on. All of which I think are code for "You look healthier than you did at your thinnest." And, to be honest, there were a few times I looked at pictures and thought, "Oooh. Really? I look like that??" Because in my head (and in the mirror), I still had a little stomach paunch, even at my thinnest. I saw the thunder thighs and flabby butt. I didn't see the sunken eyes or shoulder bones jutting out.

So, right. I started gaining, getting complimented in vague ways, and decided that maybe a little extra weight was good for me so I decided it was okay to be a little careless for awhile. I stopped weighing myself. And now it's 12 pounds later. I chose a new five-pound range that's more realistic and maintainable, but now I'm slightly over that window. For the past two weeks, I've been cutting to the weight loss number of points in my WW program and seriously bumping up my exercise again. I haven't lost much, but I also have my period now, which means I am bloated and gross. So I have hope for a few days from now.

And guess what: I. Feel. Great!!! So much better. I love being in control of my decisions, being aware. I've re-upped my vegetables and fruits, cut back on alcohol, and I feel motivated again. I cleaned my whole dang house in one day because I had the energy to! I can see now that my summer lethargy is partly due to my lack of drive to be healthy. My body was irked at me for not fueling it and caring for it properly. Now it's happy I'm back. And I'm happy, too.

Tomorrow, I'll divulge some of my more recent healthy snack and meal discoveries. Yeah! I'm back, baby. I'm BACK!