Here's to a healthy harvest.

Yes, this is about losing weight! But I'll get to that in a minute. Let me start with the good stuff.

It is autumn. I mean, it's not yet, but it's starting to feel like it. I wore boots today. And a sweater. And I bought Autumn Delight snack mix from the Fresh Market. So, I feel like it's fall. As you may know, fall is my very favorite time of year. One of my favorite quotations is from George Eliot and speaks to this matter: "Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

A lot of people think of spring as the season of new beginnings. And of course spring is lovely and a welcome relief after the bleak winter. But for me, autumn is where it's at. For me, summer is WAY more oppressive than winter. When that upwards-of-100-degree weather finally breaks, when Starbucks finally releases their pumpkin spice flavor, when you finally see that first orange leaf, it's like Jesus looks down and says "Hey, I didn't forget about y'all. It's okay!" (Yeah, that sounds silly. Whatevs.)

And so, in the spirit of new beginnings, I have decided that it is time for me to make some changes. This past year has been one of my best to date. I've spent it with the most wonderful man for whom I am so grateful. This is a forever kind of love and I'm just so blessed to have found such a good match. I have finally broken into the business that I've always dreamt of working in. I've moved away from my lovable but admittedly small hometown. Good things have happened. Good things CONTINUE to happen. But through these good things, I've become a little complacent. I've been calling this my "fat and happy" phase of life, but the truth is, I've gotten sloppy. A couple of years ago, I lost a ton of weight and was feeling really good about myself. And, OF COURSE, I have enjoyed being wined and dined during this early stage of my relationship with Wes. But it's time to undo some of the damage I've done this year.

This morning, I googled "how to get motivated to lose weight." Some of the advice I got was not so good ("cut out pictures of models you'd like to look like"), but some of it wasn't so bad. I was reminded that I need to keep myself accountable. And that's what this blog is for. I'm going to share my progress and post little tidbits along the way. You may see things like recipes, links to articles, pictures, bits of inspiration, etc. I'm starting by posting my "before" picture. It's not a pretty sight. (It doesn't help that I have one of the most awkward haircuts of my life. It's growing out, lest ye be worried.) But it's a sight I need to see and to share with others.

So wish me luck! This is not going to be easy. But with your prayers, encouragements, and even advice, I think it's going to be a fun ride. And here we go!