"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -Lao-tzu,

A single step. That's what I'm doing today, is taking a single step. A single step off the track of negativity. A single step away from a sedentary lifestyle. A single step towards wellness.

But I need help.

You see, I've done this sort of thing before. Well, at least I've tried. I've tried different diets, exercise regimes, mantras, blah, blah, blah....It all ends up in the same place: Me sitting in a chair, feeling sorry for myself and my flabby tummy.

Let's get real: I am not the most motivated person when it comes to losing weight. (Obviously, or I wouldn't be sitting here typing this right now.) To say, "I've tried everything" would be a lie. To say, "I've really put forth an effort but nothing just seems to happen" would also be a lie. I have this goal in mind that I don't think is too far fetched: I want to lose weight, tone up, and just be well. Now, that doesn't sound so hard, does it?

I am 22. I am 5'4'' tall. I weigh 156 lbs (last time I checked the scale which was, I think, yesterday). I have Celiac Disease. I am getting married in seven months. I am Lactose Intolerant. I am vegetarian.

Two-or-so years ago I went vegetarian, hoping to lose a little weight and save a few animals in the process. Well, I've accomplished one of those things, but my dress size hasn't gone down any. Now what does that tell you? I am lazy. I want a quick fix. To be honest, if I could have liposuction and just get rid of the fat on my stomach and inner thighs, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But, really, that wouldn't solve the actual problem, now would it? I need to get active. I need to stop being so damn lazy.

I need a reality check.

I've read that when you're trying to lose weigh (or reach any goal, really), it's helpful to keep track of your progess in a blog. It gives you a sense of accountability. It reminds you that, "Oh, shit, I didn't work out today. So-and-so is going to read this and think I'm a lazy piece of crap. Better hop on that elliptical!"

At least I'm really, really, really hoping that's what's going to happen.

I don't really want to lose a ton of weight. Honestly, I'm not fat. I'm just flabby. I could stand to use a few pounds. When I was in highschool I weighed between 125 and 130 lbs. I feel as if I dropped 25-30 pounds, there would be nothing left of me...Just skin and bones. (And let's make this VERY clear: I DO NOT want to be skin and bones. In my world, there is NOTHING attractive about that.) I just want to be healthy. I want to look healthy and feel healthy, and fit into a smaller pair of jeans while I'm at it.

So basically this is my avenue to accountability and hopefully progress. I've found a "Cross-Fit" style workout (for beginners!) that I want to alternate with yoga and some work on my (dusty) stationary bike, along with a few minor changes in my diet (choosing organic, less carbs, less dairy) and some meditation along the way.

What I'm hoping to do is give a daily update of how my day went: What I ate, the workout I did, how I felt, what I'm reading...Mostly this is going to be me keeping track of all the stuff I do, so I can go through and find patterns. I want to see what works, what doesn't, what makes me feel good, and what makes me feel like crap. What I hope to gain out of this is a personal sense of wellness. I want to look good, but more importantly I want to feel good. All I'm asking of you is that you check in on me. Help motivate me, whether it's by leaving me a comment saying "Good job!" or one saying "Get off your lazy ass!" Either way, I'll appreciate it. And I hope that you get some entertainment out of this as well.