“You look fabulous.” She whispered to me at the side of the table.  Her eyes were bright and she had a big smile. “You look so confident, you can see the confidence all over your face.”  I am so grateful for these kind words, just writing them down I have this big dopey smile on my face because I really feel so good inside and it’s nice to have others see it on the outside too.

So wearing these pants today is a big deal for me. I have held onto them for seven years, believing that one day I’d be able to wear them. Today was the day:

I am thinking about this week’s topic (for me, because my meeting is on Saturday) of being an optimist but also being a realist too. The message to members is to be optimistic when we go off plan and to also be a realist who makes a plan to get back on track. While this is good advice to think on, I also think it’s important to be hopeful.  I’m not sure you can be an optimist if you don’t have hope. Hope is the thing that made me hold onto those pants in the first place.

So, be hopeful – believe in yourself because you are amazing. You can do anything you set your mind to. There will certainly be difficult days, expect them. When those days come to you, hold on to your #why and you will make it through. When you go off the rails, go to your support system. Count me in! I will support your efforts because anyone who really wants to make a healthy change is someone I can relate to. I am inspired by people every day who are working the program and getting amazing results. We are better together and there is no time better than now to get started.