September Challenge

Well, I'm back. I have thought about blogging a hundred times, and I finally decided to give myself a 30 day challenge. I am challenging myself to blog every day in September. A lot of things have happened over the last few months, and I hope to get to some of that, while also keeping up with what's going on now. Right now, I'm gonna play catch up. Since it's my blog, I'm going to be very self-centered and blog about me today. I have been working very hard since January to lose weight. I have not taken diet pills (though quite tempted) and I am not sick. Both of those have become rumors as to why I've lost "so much weight so fast". First of all, it hasn't been fast! It's taken me 7 1/2 months to get this far, and I still have about 20 lbs to go. I didn't weigh at first, because I couldn't handle the devastation to know just how big I was, so I don't know exactly how much weight I have lost. I estimate it to be at least 50 pounds. Ugh. I have a hard time being proud of what I have lost because I am so embaressed about what I weighed to start with. This is my "before picture". It was taken the day before I started dieting. It is just of my fat shoulders and face because fat people who are deep in shame don't let people take full length pictures.
This is my 5 months progress picture. We were on vacation in northern California. (more about that later)

I started at a tight size 18 W and am now in a comfortable size 10. I do weigh myself now, each and every pitiful day, and I go through the anguish of it going up and down, up and down. I keep gaining and losing the same pounds over and over. But I am determined to do this. I started out with a low carb diet, and after 6 months, was officially stuck. Now I'm counting weight watcher's points. I walk/run with a friend who is in much better shape than I am, and I have just started strength training to go with the cardio. My goal is to run a 5K, but I am not a natural runner. I keep trying though, and am almost up to running half a mile non-stop. That doesn't sound like much, but considering I started out trying to run between light poles and couldn't do that without grunting (LOUD), it's quite an accomplishment!

As for other news, I'm still teaching second grade. This year has already been challenging, but I am optimistic. We will make huge improvements this year. And I won't lose my mind (and hopefully my temper) getting us where we need to be. We are really getting settled into our church home. We have made new friends, and have an awesome Sunday school study on forgiveness. My toes are battered and blue and I am learning so much. Putting what I have learned into practice is not nearly as easy though.

Sadly, one of my favorite aunts passed away right before school started. Her husband, my daddy's brother is also very, very sick. We have been trying to spend some time in south Georgia with family during this tough time. It's been good, because of being able to see family I haven't seen in so long, but it's also been tough because it makes my own parents' passing even more real. I have realized that when your parents die, it's like the last of your childhood goes with them.

Well, now that I've made myself cry, I guess I will end this lengthy catching up post. I will be back tomorrow, and I will tell you what the other three Meighans have been up to.