Let's get naked... Part one.

Gotcha! Maybe that title brought you in because you'd think that after a year of having this blog, I'd be super fit by now.

FALSE!

It is time for transparency... time to strip away the excuses and just be real; be naked: I have failed.

The past year, I just didn't do it.

I could give you some story about how I switched jobs and now I sit at a desk 42 hours a week, sit in my car 10 hours a week, don't have time for the gym, blah blah blah. While it's all true, it's no reason to NOT get to the gym. The truth is, when I am done at work, I want to come home and sit on my butt, eat food that is so far from healthy, and watch TV.

That is what I WANT to do, but that has led me to a size, weight, and lifestyle that I do not want to have.

I think there comes a turning point for all of us, when we realize something needs to change. For a lot of us, it might happen when we see photos of how we are now, and then look at photos of how we used to be.

I have known for a while that I needed to make a change, especially now that I am a mom. I need to be a good role model for my son and encourage and inspire him to make healthy choices. I also want to inspire my incredibly fit husband. Sure, he can wake up and decide to run a marathon without having to practice running marathons first, but he eats like crap. I'm talking double cheeseburger, large fries, and large soda crap. And pizza, and pasta, and very rarely, green beans. The bad foods are never eaten in moderation in our house... and the good foods are about as common as Lindsay Lohan's good life choices.

In October, I had the great honor of waking up at 5:30 AM on a frigid Sunday to watch my husband run a half-marathon. He had done triathlons, Tough Mudder, 5Ks, 10Ks... but this was his first Half Marathon. He hadn't been feeling well and his goal of finishing in under 90 minutes (top 1%, based on the previous year's finishing times) quickly left his mind. The cold air did not help matters much, and the hills also proved to be a challenge. But one hour and 42 minutes after he started the race, he finished. In the top 5%.

I watched 5000 people run in that race. Many were clearly people who loved to run and did it frequently. Others were larger than me. Many walked the entire 13.1 miles. And there I stood, on the stagnant side of a metal barrier, watching people experience this great event... taking part in the action and not just cheering from the sidelines. I decided at that moment that my goal would be to compete in the same race in 2013.

I devised a plan: 5K in the winter, 10K in the spring, and half marathon in the fall. I figured that running would be a great way to burn calories and get in shape, and it would give me a tangible goal to work toward. With the event dates already set for 2013, I had set-in-stone deadlines to meet. And so the work began.

As soon as Planet Fitness announced their $10 enrollment fee, I was there. $10 to sign up, $10 a month. Absolutely perfect deal when you're on a budget. Let me tell you right now, Planet Fitness is amazing. I absolutely love it there. The gym I go to is never too busy, and they have doubled in size since the hubs and I had been members in 2010. It. is. awesome.

Previous posts talk about enjoying your workout. For me, I needed to enjoy it and have goals for each workout. I knew I would be signing up for a 5K in the winter, so I decided to get a Couch to 5K app for my iPhone. My phone has been my biggest helper for fitness... More to come on that later.

With the app, I had goals to meet in every workout. I found another app where I can track my calories, exercise, weight, and take notes on what I'm doing, how I'm feeling, etc, to help me better understand how my life affects my eating and exercise habits. Again, more to come later.

I can happily report that I am now back on track. I am so angry that I let myself become so relaxed about my health and fitness. However, I can't expect to undo those habits overnight. Truthfully, I have been this way since 2004, when I went to college and stopped participating in activities that required, well, activity.

While it scares the crap out of me, I want to get naked with you. No, not like that. I just want to be totally exposed and reveal the numbers... the old numbers, the current numbers, the goal numbers. I want to share my thoughts and fears, my triumphs and failures. I'm so excited to do all of that with you, through this blog.

Now... let's get naked!