Hi there, I'm the chesty pear.

Hi! I'm a 35 year old woman in search of inspiration, education, and overall transformation into a healthier person.

I've decided that today is the first day of the rest of my life, and I'm not going to bother worrying about anything in the past. Nothing can stop me from moving forward from today toward a better lifestyle.

Oh, and I'm chesty and pear-shaped!

I stepped on the scale this morning and hit 234 pounds.

While it's not the highest I've ever hit, it's definitely the highest I've hit in a while. I'd love to use some cool excuse like "yeah I've been lifting a lot at the gym" but unfortunately, that's not the case. The reality of the situation is that I've been eating irresponsibly and not exercising much.

It's unsettling because in October of 2008, my husband and I went on a miraculous healthy-lifestyle-change spree that resulted in a loss of about 40 pounds for him, and near the same for me. I went from 259 to about 215 pounds. Everyone told me how great I looked, I could shop in regular clothing stores, my lower back pain disappeared. It was really cool to have accomplished something like that knowing I did it all "the right way" and didn't do anything cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eater like drugs, supplements, weight-loss aids, liposuction, etc. It was all good old hard work.

During that time, I went to the gym and power-walked on the treadmill (also did some outside walking). I did short little circuits of weight training. My goal at the beginning of 2009 was to be able to run a mile by the end of the year. I started the "Couch to 5K" progressive program that interval-trains you into being able to run a 5K, completed it, and ran my first 5K in March. I finished it in about 34 minutes (not fast, but I did run the entire thing, never walked once).

I even suited up early in the morning on vacation in Las Vegas and ran down the strip! I stopped at the MGM Grand at the end to play a $21 credit I had in a video blackjack machine, then jogged/walked back down the other side of the strip. I felt fantastic at the end, like I was She-Ra, princess of power.

Then I kind of didn't run for a while... a) I had nothing to work toward once I had reached my 5K goal and b) I rested a little, slacked off, then it got to be summertime and my excuse was "It's too hot to run".

Would you believe it? Here I am and the pounds are coming back. I've also really slacked off where my food intake is concerned... and by "slacked off" I mean "started eating total crap again". What I learned from my weight loss is that refined sugars and most packaged foods aren't all that great for me. Fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats, and minimal whole, healthy grains are the way to go-- they're what my body needs/wants, they're good fuel, they will keep me going and satisfied without undermining my weight loss and fitness goals.

The only problem with all of that happens to be that I'm like everyone else out there who struggles with weight loss and obesity. Candy, potatoes, pancakes, donuts, oreos, cakes, crackers, fruity pebbles, pasta and chips are freakin' delicious (did I mention how easy they are?), and it's hard to make healthy choices when for some stupid reason I want those things so much! To make matters worse, when you're social and on-the-go, you're faced with not-so-healthy options all the time. Turning down the beautiful platter of cookies or vat of queso dip your hostess has provided isn't just difficult because you want a cookie, it's difficult because it's what's available to you. There's no nearby platter of grilled chicken and asparagus.

So here I go again, trying to dig my healthy lifestyle and inspiration out from under the piles of excuses and bring it back into the limelight.

I know in the end it's not about weight, it's about fitness... but let's face it. Weight can be a very good indicator of fitness progress, especially when it's clear you have a good amount of excess stored body fat to work away. For me, 234 is too much-- so here I go. Come along! Share in my journey. Encourage me, start your own path toward a healthier life, or just laugh at me along the way.