A new challenge

The main intersection in my town has ruts in the roadway. Even though it's a paved road, there are dips from the tires of so many vehicles resting there, waiting for the light to change. When you pull up to the stop light, you can feel your car settle comfortably into the rut, and you have to give it some gas when the light turns green and it's time to go.

I have seemingly settled comfortably into a similar rut.

After I had Logan, the same thing happened and I ended up hanging around the same weight, with 10 to 15 pounds to go to pre-baby weight, for well over a year. I had to give it a lot of gas to pull myself out of the rut. By gas, I mean I had to really be strict about what fuel I was putting in my mouth. I ate CLEAN and I ate CONSISTENTLY. I mean, five thought-out meals a day, complete with lean protein and tons of veggies. It's no secret that losing weight that way is the way to do it if you want to keep it off. And once that weight came off, I looked better, I felt better and I didn't even really have to try to stay at that weight. It was wonderful.

Well, I'm in that same rut and I want the light to turn green, but I'm lacking the motivation to do so. I have been at the same weight for a very long time. I could have lost the baby weight by now, but I haven't worked hard enough at it. I have worked very hard in the gym, but not in the kitchen. Rut rut rut.

One of my fellow bloggers, Lisa at This Mommy Works is starting an eight-week weight loss challenge on May 1, and I have decided to join.

my main goal is to bust out of this rut. Get the loss going. I don't want to set an actual goal in pounds, because I don't want to set myself up for failure. I would love to get to pre-baby weight and I would love to NOT be able to wear the "fat shorts" I bought myself last summer. I would love to be able to fit prettily into my jean skirt and my brown skirt. I can wear them right now, but it's obscene-looking.

I would also love running to stop hurting. I have had plans to do a half-marathon in October, and therefore have been running all winter, and I hate to say this but it is NOT getting easier as it should. In fact, it seems to hurt more and I really think it's because my body does NOT want to carry this extra weight around anymore.

And, most of all, I want more energy to PLAY with my boys this summer. Not sit and watch them play. Run and play WITH them. I do now, but I get tired rather quickly. I know eating a cleaner diet would amp up my energy.

So, if you have a little (or a lot of) extra weight to lose, come work on dropping it with us, one pound at a time.