You Are Starting Today ...

I'm counting today as the first official day of your journey. And while I'm not trying to put any pressure on you, I want you to know that I am here to help you however I can. I will cheer you on, kick you in the rear, commiserate when you need commiseration.

These are the things I want to tell you before you start, but know they are also things you will need to discover for yourself, in your own way. Your experience will be uniquely your own and only you will know how to make it better.

The most important thing you need to know is that YOU CAN DO THIS. It won't be easy, but it is also not impossible. You are stronger than you know and you are worth the effort.

Here are the others, in no particular order:

1. The goal is consistency. Make small, sustainable changes to move more and eat better. You do not need to train for a marathon and you don't have to be 100% perfect at the dinner table. You need to move more than you were and eat better than you did. Remember, if you do the right things, often enough, good things happen.

2. The work is the reward, not the punishment. View the sweat, the occasional tummy growl, the early morning alarm or the internal complaining (there will be complaining!) as a gift to yourself. What you are doing is making your life better, making your family better, making YOU better. Granted, you're pretty great already, but you're not feeling great inside ... and you can.

3. There will be times it just sucks. You won't want to workout. You will want a whole package of Oreos. But remember, this too shall pass. As with life in general, there will be good times and bad times. In the end, you will get through it. Be kind to yourself when the going gets rough. Remind yourself of the bigger picture. And get through the day.

4. When you don't want to workout, workout anyway. You will never feel bad about hitting the bricks. You will always feel bad about skipping it. And that feeling bad is the first step in a downward spiral that tears you down. Do what you can do to build yourself up.

5. Your brain is going to try and trick you. It's going to tell you that you can't do this, that it's too hard, that you're too tired and that it's just not worth it. It's going to sabotage you at every turn. Do not believe it! Pay attention to the stuff you're doing right. Purposefully celebrate the little victories to give your brain something else to fight the sabotage with. Look yourself in the eye and remind yourself why you're doing this. And tell your doubting, negative, sabotaging brain to sit the eff down and shut the eff up.

6. Don't deny yourself everything. You LOVE Cheetos? Find a smart, controlled way to enjoy them. Buy a Grab Bag and split them up into a week's worth of small servings and eat them when you can sit down, concentrate on them and truly savor them. Trying to go cold turkey is pointless and sets you up to fail. Moderation. And control. And purposeful decision-making.

7. Involve a few others. Get support from the people you trust. Involve your kids. Let them cheer you on. You will do this better if you have support and encouragement from your team. And on the other side of this, ask for help when you need it. There is no shame in that. We all get stuck, get frustrated, get overwhelmed. The good news is there is always a way out or a way around whatever obstacle you find.

8. Remember that this first part is sort of temporary until you get where you want to go. Yes, it's going to take some time. But if you stick to it, it will happen a whole lot faster than you think. It took you a few years to get here, it's going to take a little time to get back to where you want to be. In fact, you'll even get stuck a few times. That's OK. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other ... again, do the right things often enough ... and you will get there.

9. When you're feeling frustrated or defeated, battle back with exercise. Take a walk. Shake your butt in a Just Dance dance-off. Yes, it will burn some calories which will make you feel better, but it will also clear your head and adjust your attitude. (This also works with smart-mouthed teenagers ... get 'em outside and watch their little personalities bloom!)

10. Believe you can do this. Because you can. Repeat it in your head. Make up a little tune and sing it while you brush your teeth. You can do this. Trust me, it's so much harder to walk around feeling bad about yourself than it is to pick up some weights or put on your tennis shoes.

Good luck. Go get'em. Got your back!