Welcome back, Collarbones!

I have a confession to make. I've been working out. At the gym. I know, I know...I haven't been checking in on Facebook every time I go, so you probably don't believe me. But seriously, I really have been going to the gym. I have witnesses. And work-out buddies. And collarbones! Yep, my clavicles have returned from the great white underworld.

You may be asking yourself right now, "Why in the world is she all excited about a clavicle? Because it's progress, people...progress! I haven't noticed those definite lines between my shoulders in so long I can't remember. You can see them in the picture. Barely, but you can. I saw my collarbones this morning, and boy was I excited. I was almost as happy to see them as I was when I noticed that my rear end is about two inches higher than it used to be. (Yeah, when I noticed my booty was looking better, that was a great day.)

You see, my plan for getting healthy and lean (read 'skinny') is going much slower than I anticipated. Sweet Hubby Ryan and I started going to the gym just over a year ago. He's lost a boatload of pounds and is down to sizes he hasn't worn in years. Oh, and he looks fantastic. No, really, he is hot! I, on the other hand, have only lost ten pounds and my jeans still fit the same. Some of my other clothes fit better, but those jeans are driving me crazy! It's that doggone Lycra. I put the jeans on, wear 'em all day and stretch 'em out. Then, they go back in the laundry and that stretchy crap shrinks up in the dryer, and they get a little smaller every time. So, I'm taking my victories where I can find them. Collarbones. Not-so-saggy buttocks. Arms that don't jiggle when I brush my teeth. It's the little things. (Or, the things that are becoming little, anyway.)

Which brings me to the real topic. In the Boot Camp class that I go to on Mondays and Wednesdays, there is a little lady in her seventies who joins us. She's in her seventies...that's a big deal.  She gets up early, gets ready and drives to the gym to be there at 5:30am and does almost all the exercises that we do for the day. They are hard, too. Trust me on this. Still, Ms. Sue is at the gym and taking good care of her body. And we all make a big deal out of it, because she's seventy something. And it is a big deal.

But you know what? It's a BIG DEAL that every other person is in that class with me.  Every single one of them, including our Boot Camp instructor, Tracy. Some of the ladies are about my age (you know, 25 or so). There are a few ladies who are younger and a few ladies who are older. There's even one guy!  The point is, each one of us gets up and gets ready and drives to the gym to be there at 5:30 IN THE MORNING to work out for an hour. Each one of us works hard. Each one of us sweats and struggles and (sometimes) swears our way through exercises that we never dreamed of doing. Sometimes we go slower than the next person, and sometimes we whine about it, but we do it. We are there. And it's a BIG DEAL.

If you are going to the gym today, tomorrow or this week, I salute you.  Whether you've struggled with a weight problem all your life and you've finally made the decision to take charge of your health, or you've been fit all your life and you work to stay that way, I'm proud of you. You are taking steps to improve your heart health and reduce your risk of cancer. Keep up the good work. It's a big deal to me.  If you are thinking about changing your eating and workout habits, do it.  If you are planning a new you, get on it.  It will be a big deal.

I know that sooner or later I will lose the pounds that I want to lose and those jeans with the stupid Lycra will eventually be too big. I'm going to keep working on it. Even into my seventies, when it will be a really big deal.

Much love and many blessings to you,
~ME:)

What are you doing to get/stay healthy?