My "Life Diet"

I started my "life diet" on December 10, so it's been almost 10 weeks now.  I call it my "life diet" because after many failed attempts at fad diets, I've learned for myself that they don't work  I wanted to take control of my life and everything in it so I started with the physical me. 

Here's what I've done:
1. maintain a 1200-1500 calorie/day diet
2. 5-7 days/week of exercise (at least 30 min moderate-intense cardio and 30 min weight/resistance)
3. cut out all soda including diet soda waters
4. 2 days/week vegetarian diet(because I would like to eat vegetarian for my own reasons).
5.  aim for at least 75%of food to be natural (no preservatives, refined sugars, sat fats, etc.)
6. I've tried...and failed...several times, to cut out alcohol.  I'll keep trying.

My goals for 2012:
1. Hit the "wonder-club" by May 4th, 2012
2. Lose at least 50lbs this year
3. Run a 5k
4. Do an unassisted pull-up(never done that in my life)
5. run a 10 min mile

The results so far:
1. I've lost 23lbs so far, only 16 to go for my May goal
2. I ran my 1st 5k last weekend and hit my goal time!
3. I ran a 12 min mile this morning....im getting there
4. overall lost 36lbs total!!!
5. dropped 4 pants sizes

 before                                                                                                    after

Why Am I Doing This?

  For so long now, I have been longing for a change.  I'm not talking about a new job, a vacation or a fresh haircut.  I'm talking about the kind of thing that changes EVERYTHING.  I long for my facade to match the my soul.  I long to have meaning and relevance in the world and to inspire change.  I pray for the bravery and audacity to stake my claim in the world.  I yearn to gather my share of abundance and give back all that God has given me to share. 

My longing isn't the naive idea of a life of unending. blissful happiness.  It's a hopeful belief that my great potential is being drowned by fear, and learned behavior.  Should such an idea be true then we would all be capable of changing our circumstances and therefor our path by simply changing the way we respond to our surroundings.

My dear friend Jill has often posed to me a brilliant question. 
"What would you do if you had no fear, if fear was irrelevant?"
I ponder that question tonight as I contemplate where my path will take me.  What if we could take away all the things that immobilize us?  I can't shake the thought that there is a LOT more to life than this.  We can't possibly be meant for an existence of trudging through life fat, broke, depressed and unfulfilled.

After a year of losses, sadness and fear I never thought I could endure, I have realized one thing; that it's far scarier to cling to the edge in fear than it is to just let go and give in to your instincts.  My "terrible year" has given me the ability to see and feel again.  I'm setting a goal tonight to constantly ask myself  "Why am I doing this?".  and "What would I do if fear were irrelevant?"

-Shandra