No Time Like the Present!

If anyone remembers, I posted a while ago about NOT being the Hot Mom. When I left off, I suggested that I had some work to do...and kind of left it at that. Well my friends, now is the time for action!

I'm tired of being the frumpy mom...the mom who still has about 10 lbs of extra belly flub, compliments of two kids...the mom who wastes a lot of time and effort trying to find clothes to hide said flub. I'm not going to sit here and pretend that, even with work, that I expect to wake up one morning and see Cindy Crawford's twin staring back at me. What I'd like is to be able to confidently pull out any pair of jeans from my closet and not worry whether I'll end up with muffin top...to be the mom who other moms pass by at the mall and wonder to themselves whether I could have possibly been the one to give birth to the two kids holding my hand. Most importantly...I want to be the mom who will live to be 50 and not drop dead of a heart attack...who can run a 10K and not end up in the ER afterwards...the mom who will inspire her family to live a healthy lifestyle...to get outside, breathe in the fresh air, and play until we all feel like passing out.

I'll come clean, I didn't come up with this brilliant notion all on my own. The Man made a wager with me and set a goal...he'll work to lose 10 lbs by October and I'll work to lose 12 lbs by New Years. The truth is, we both really need to get off of our hind parts and lose the extra pounds that we've slowly put on over 14 years of marriage. Our bets are independent of each other...if he wins it doesn't impact my reward and vice versa. The reward? Well, neither of us have made up our minds about what we want...or what we will have to do or give up if we lose. On my part, my wager is a two part bet. The weight I want to lose by the end of the year is only the beginning...and the "crown jewel" of my bet is to lose 30 lbs by the end of 2010. If I meet my goal, the man has promised we would take a trip to Ireland sometime in 2011.

The good news is that we don't have to do a "clean sweep" of the pantry and fridge. We've been good about not keeping really junky food in the house, especially around the kids, so there isn't anything we needed to get rid of. We don't give the kids candy and other sweets are only an occasional treat that we pick up while we are out and about. I did have to make a run to the grocery store to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies...and plenty of them. We've divvied up the week so that each of us gets equal time at the gym in the evenings...and now that the weather here in Texas is getting...well less hot anyway...we are making a conscious effort to get everyone outside to play, run, walk or bike so we can all benefit from being active instead of sitting inside watching TV.

So...the bet is made...and for the record, I hate to lose bets. With a LOT of hard work, sweat, determination and not a small amount of willpower, I'll hit my goal...and you can all help me celebrate!