...and I'm only going to tell you about it once - so as not to pester you with non-dog related stuff. Although, technically, the dogs are integrated into this new blog, (as they are in every aspect of my life), but this new blog is mostly about me getting fit.
Or at least, trying to...
You see, I used to be able to eat just about anything and stay really slim. I mean, really really slim - for the majority of my life I weighed around 110 pounds. But as I'm approaching 40, that's no longer the case. And because my eating habits haven't changed along with my metabolism, I've put on approximately 5 pounds per year for the past five years. You read that right, I'm hefting around an extra 25 pounds!
To be fair, I can probably get away with attributing 10 of those to my age - I don't think I am ever going to see 110 again, but - drum-roll please - I now weigh 137 pounds. That's right. 137 POUNDS...and I'm only 5'2"!
See for yourself:

Notice how tight my jeans are? That's NOT a pathetic attempt to try and look good! It's because I really don't have the funds to buy a new wardrobe right now, and even if I did - I don't want to go up yet another size. So, it's time for me to shed some weight. Especially since, with diabetes in my immediate family, it's like I'm walking barefoot through a dog pen, blindfolded, and it's only a matter of time before something bad is gonna happen.
I had already planned to try and lose weight in 2012, (like I 'plan' to do every year), but just last week, I came across a contest called Transformation Nation: Million Dollar You - courtesy of Dr. Oz. It was just the kick in the rear I needed to really start eating better and exercising more. Why? Because he's giving away a million dollars to one lucky competitor. And who wouldn't want a million dollars? I certainly wouldn't turn it down. Especially because I would love to have the space and time to foster dogs one day, and once I get some more experience under my belt, I'd love to try my hand at running my own small rescue group for Labradors.
There isn't one here on Long Island yah know.
Because of this, and because I plan to up my exercise by walking my own dogs more frequently, my motto for this contest is "Doing it For The Dogs."
If you'd like to follow along with me on this new journey, I'd love to have you, and I've provided some links to get you started below. For those of you who'd prefer that I stop rambling on about my big ol' belly and get back to blogging about dogs - just stay right here where you're at, and I promise that my next post will be back on topic.
My first blog post at Transformation Nation: A New Year, a New Me, and a Dream... - which explains in further detail what I briefly summed up above.
My second post: Day One, and My First Two Challenges - I think the title is self explanatory on that one.
And, finally, introducing my new Twitter Account - where I will be tweeting about my ups and downs during my journey, my dogs, my writing, and anything else that pops into mind.
Hope to see some of you there!
UPDATE: I deleted the other blog and closed my twitter account after the contest ended. To see how I made out, check out THIS POST.
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My Novel's Progress: Current wordcount: 72,201
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