Two things happened on our travels that made me take a step back at look at myself and realized I was not happy the way things were going.

The first thing that happened was I turned 50, not that I started to freak out that time was slipping away. I didn’t go off and buy a shiny red convertible, get a fake tan or dye my hair an unnatural shade.

I just wasn’t looking anything like I recalled. I now have a few grey hairs and time is showing in certain areas of my body. Gone is the smooth skin, lines are appearing and areas are dimpling. I am not ready for dimply thighs I can tell you that.

Coupling that with the fact that I have gained 15 pounds on this year of travel and over indulgence. These extra 15 pounds did not help my mental state. Being a tiny person, I have always weight between 107 to 110 pounds. So stepping on the scale and seeing the number rise to 125 pounds took a piece of my soul.

After standing there staring at myself wondering ‘When did this happen?’, I decided to face the issue head on. It was time to get back to a normal work out that included cardio, weights, and yoga. So, I dragged Dirk to a gym I thought would be motivating and made him join. Now the weight will fly off, or so I thought.

I decided I needed rules to help my progress. Keep in mind, once I make rules, Dirk has no choice but to to follow. Such as, less eating out and more home cooked meals. Alcohol intake was restricted to only one or twice a week. That one stung a lot, but even after all that, I only lost 4 pounds! The scale and I began to develop an unhealthy relationship.

When talking with another aging friend, we both realized we have the same issue and needed to keep each other accountable for keeping our focus and not over indulging on a regular basis. BUT, then its is Thanksgiving, followed by my Birthday, then the holidays…..argh!! How does one control one’s self around all these social activities and tasty treats?