My Lighten Up 2014 honeymoon week went well.  Like the other participants, I used the excitement of the contest launch to propel myself into making good choices.  I planned and executed all my workouts, made healthy food choices, and found my little reward at the scale a week later. 

Like a lot of people, I feel "this time will be different."  What does that mean for me?  Well, I participated in Lighten Up several years ago.  During that experience and in the interim I've learned a lot about food, exercise, the support that's available, and the all important positive attitude.  This time I have a better idea of what I need/want to eat and how best to exercise; a lot of the guesswork is gone.

Another difference is that this time around I'm ineligible to win a prize, the competitive pressure is off.  Sure, I want to post good numbers in the newspaper but I'm more concerned with me this time, with how to get healthier for me, for good.  Last time I was so anxious about the contest that I made myself sick.  This time, I'm enjoying the blogs about everyone's successes.  Instead of comparing my numbers to theirs, I'm simply happy and hopeful for all of us.