Greetings, all! I haven't been as active as I normally am on the boards for the past several months. Part of it has been winter; I think I went into major hibernation mode somewhere in November and have only recently emerged. However, if I'm really being honest, I hit a wall with my progress and just felt stuck. Up through last summer, I was really making good choices and losing slowly but surely. Then came fall, with lots of celebrations, birthdays, our honeymoon, etc., and I allowed some old habits (eating when I wasn't hungry, making poor food choices, not being as active as I could be) to creep in, and my weight loss came to a halt. Since then, I've just been spinning my wheels, gaining and losing the same few pounds repeatedly over the past several months. Each week, I've told myself that "this will be the week we get back with the program, and start making better choices and get things moving in the right direction." And, not surprisingly, every week there's been some work crisis or issue at home that's been just the rationalization I've needed to continue making poor choices.

This past weekend, I started putting in my garden for the year; it made me reflect on this same time last year, how happy and hopeful I was as I was making great progress and excited about what was to come. Then I started thinking about what I was doing differently this time last year that was getting me to the places I wanted to be, and realized that it's time. It's time to stop rationalizing and start doing what I need to in order to get out of this rut and journey onward. So...

To shake up my spring, I'm going to get back to eating whole, minimally processed foods that are mostly protein and vegetables. I was losing weight when I was doing this, yes, but more importantly, I felt so much better than I do now. I've been eating so much processed crap of late that I almost forgot what it is to feel good, to have energy. And I really want both, because...

I need to move more. A lot more. Life is too short to spend most of it on a couch, and moving helps my stress levels and makes me feel better. Whether it's walking, lifting, swimming, or gardening, I am going to do something physical everyday that allows me to decompress and serves as a reminder that I'm worth making time in my schedule (which is largely dedicated to the needs of others, a fact I ignore or lose sight of more often than not). And on that note...

I'm going to find ways of making more time for my goals and dreams. I've worked so hard for so long at jobs that I'm good at, but don't necessarily fill me with the sense of purpose and passion fulfilled that I have always hoped to find. It's time to stop sticking my head in the sand and start making decisions that can help me become a better, happier version of myself.

So how about you? What will you do differently this spring? What are your plans, your goals, your dreams?