The Best Birthday Gift!

Today is my 46th Birthday.  Whew. I can't believe it! Where did the time go? I feel like I'm about 25 most of the time, and then I look in the mirror and am surprised to see otherwise! Who is this chubby middle-aged woman staring back at me?!

Last year my birthday was all about celebrating, and all about getting through the first such occasion without my mom.  This year, although I am sure I'll participate in my share of festivities, is more somber.  I am on the other side of 40 now, the half-century mark not that far away.  I remember my mom's 50th birthday very well. She and my dad had (temporarily) separated and she used that experience to make a life-altering change: she picked up and moved back to Ohio.  Got an apartment, a great job, and a couple of boyfriends.  *grin*  I had never seen her so happy! What happened from there is a long story, but the point is that at 50 years old she was beautiful & vibrant, not to mention trim & healthy. I look at the pictures of her at that age longingly..I want to look that good in four years!

Not just for vanity's sake, but for my health.  Mom had quit smoking then and though it didn't last long, we were all encouraged.  I wonder if she hadn't started again, would it have made a difference? Would she have lived longer? Would the lung cancer not have taken hold of her? We'll never know.  What I do know is that while I'm not a smoker, I grapple with my own demon every single day.  Mine just happens to come in the form of food, not nicotine, and it's having an adverse affect on my appearance and my health. If I want to be around for another 50 years or so, I need to take action now, before it's too late. 

So, here's the plan.  I weigh 173 pounds today.  I want to weigh 130.  That's 43 pounds I need to drop.  Since there are 52 weeks in a year, if I lose a pound a week I will be well below goal by my 47th birthday. Allowing for a couple of weeks where I might not lose, this is a completely do-able goal and I will achieve it.  I promise myself, standing here this time next year I will be thinner and healthier. 

What better gift could I possibly give myself?