Warning: HUGE cliche ahead

It's a new year.  The time when the gyms start to bulge at the seams with people and resolutions.  Diet pills, books, and food fly off the shelves.  Everyone sees this time as the perfect opportunity to get the body they have always wanted.  Within 9 weeks most will sadly be back to their old lives.  At least until next January.  Or maybe the start of swimsuit season. 
I must confess, I too am going to hop on the New Year's lose-weight/get-in-shape-resolution bandwagon.  I am down about 25 lbs from my all-time highest, but still have at least 35 lbs to go.  Here's what makes me different from all the other New Year's resolutionists...
1. On New Year's Eve I received a sign.  I was in Wal-mart shopping for dutch apple pie, vanilla ice cream, tortilla chips, and powdered doughnuts.  I'm not even kidding about that.  That was my entire shopping list.  I was in the ice cream aisle trying to decide what brand of vanilla to get when I heard my name being called.  And no, it wasn't the voice of God.  It was my friend Derril who I hadn't seen since I was pregnant with Savannah (about 2 years).  The weird part is, the week before I had been thinking about Derril and wondering if I should track down his number.  I just kind of put it out of my mind.  But fate intervened.  Here's the thing about Derril.  He was the best jogging partner I ever had.  I normally do not go jogging with anyone.  It's too hard to find someone with the same pace and stamina (or lack of stamina as the case may be when starting off).  People can be flaky and decide not to go or whine when they do show up.  It was always easier to just run by myself.  And then I met Derril.  I can't even remember how we started running together, but I DO remember we were both in horrible shape.  There is a bark dust trail at a local park that we decided was the perfect spot for our new regime.  It has hills and dips and is a big enough loop that you don't feel like you are just going in circles, but can still keep track of the distance you are running.  We ran together for probably 1 1/2 years and got really in shape.  Our runs got longer and faster and it felt SO good to have bodies that were where they should be.
Then I met C and he didn't like the idea of me running with another man.  He was jealous of my time with Derril and so I stopped running.  And proceeded to gain 60 lbs in the following 3 years. 
Now here comes Derril, walking up the ice cream aisle like the angel of fitness. 
I caught him up on all the drama and found out he now lives in West Salem and walks a loop that goes across the bridge and around the Riverfront Park before returning.  He has been doing this in the morning and evening and has found it is enough to keep him from gaining weight and allows him to not be restrictive in his diet.  We agreed that in the evenings after picking Savannah up I would stick her in the stroller and walk the loop with him.  He then looked at what was in my cart and said NO. and walked away.  He might have even waggled his finger at me.
I am so excited about this.  Ridiculously so.  Finally I have an accountability partner.  It's not jogging, which is just fine for now.  I haven't been active for so long, I need to start slower.  It will be a chance to give Savannah some fresh air and vent/chat.
2. Ok.  The second reason I know this will succeed for me is because along with increasing my exercise, I am increasing my whole foods intake and doing a 2 week cleanse...

and cutting out all sugars, processed foods, and meat during this two weeks.  At the end of the cleanse I plan to do a round of HCG. 

I have come up with a meal plan for the first week and made a huge pot of beans tonight that will be lunch throughout the week.  Each morning I am having steel cut oats with blueberries and cinnamon for breakfast, and fruit and fresh veggies for snacks throughout the day.  I will also be starting the walking tomorrow which should help move things along.

3. My third reason for guaranteed future success is I have an appointment on Thursday to see my VA psychiatrist and talk about getting back on Prozac. 

You may not know this, but Prozac is actually used to treat obesity.  Here's a little clip I took from an on-line information website.  FYI the generic name for Prozac is fluoxetine.

Fluoxetine is also sometimes used to treat alcoholism, attention-deficit disorder, borderline personality disorder, sleep disorders, headaches, mental illness, posttraumatic stress disorder, Tourette's syndrome, obesity, sexual problems, and phobias

I don't know if the people are obese because they are depressed and eating, but either way it benefits me.  A happier Liz is one that exercises.  And a Liz that exercises is not obese.  Win/win!  

Once I have made some noticeable headway I will post some before and after pics.  Not yet though.  I am so embarrassed about the way I look right now.  But it feels good to have a plan and to feel strong enough mentally to carry it out.

 

Also...still no word from C on whether he was served the papers or if  he had anything to say about the provisions I put down.  I think it will be REALLY helpful to be in the process of getting a healthier body when the divorce is finalized.  Otherwise it just might do me in.

I hope you all are doing well and full of hope for the new year ahead!