Day one post - A bucket list for the rest of us

 I hear a lot of talk these days about bucket lists.

We humans have an innate desire to experience something other than the every day.  We make mental lists of all the stuff we’ll get out there and do in the hopes of feeling more alive before we’re … well … dead.

-Backpack Europe
-Bungee jump
-Write a book
-Sky dive
-Win big money on Wheel of Fortune (hey, you have your wish list, I have mine)

If you are very overweight, chances are you have your own kind of bucket list.  If you’re a chubby girl like ME, your list is made up of the kinds of things that all those evil skinny people probably do every day and never think twice about:

-Fly without worrying about fitting in the seat or needing a seatbelt extender
-Pass by a group of teenagers at the mall without fear of being insulted or laughed at
-Walk into a restaurant without silently praying that you’ll fit in the booth
-Never give another second thought to climbing a flight of stairs
-Wear smaller size clothing than your husband
-Fit comfortably in movie theater seats
-Go to the beach
-Visit an amusement park and ride ALL of the rides because you fit in them
-Never again hesitate to sit on a lawn chair because you worry it might break
-Be in the front of the family photo instead of hiding behind kids, walls, or furniture
-Walk through Walmart without breaking a sweat
-Feel calm when stepping on the scale at the doctor’s office

I could go on and on.   And if you’re overweight—really overweight—so could you.  You know you could.

And if you CAN'T relate to this list, good for you.  Glad you're healthy.  But at the very least perhaps it will help you gain a little understanding and compassion for those of us who ARE fighting this internal battle.  For the most part, we keep it to ourselves--except, of course, when we're blogging about it for the world to see.

A fat person’s bucket list is all about conquering fear.  At times, painful, crippling, debilitating fear.

Fear of living the life you want to because your body--or your perception of it--won’t let you.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had it with fear.  I’ve had it with living half a life.  I’m ready to give fear a big fat high five … in the face … with a chair.

So where do I start?  I start by telling you all how much weight I intend to WILL lose

I'm starting with 80 pounds.  I'll probably want to lose more, but we'll see how I feel, physically and emotionally - once I've made it that far.

80+ extra L-B's on a short little frame like mine is just not pretty.

So what can you expect from me from here on out?

   1. Honesty.  Brutal honesty.   No one ever made real changes in their lives without first facing the tough realities and being honest with themselves.

   2. Weight loss and lots of it.

   3.  Accountability.  I'll weigh in here weekly and hope you will, too, if you're on the same road as I am.

Join me, won’t you?  I’ll share if you share.  The small setbacks and the big victories.  We’re going to have both, guaranteed.

Comments are a must in this setting. It’s really not fair if I share and you don’t.   So be a team player and hit that comment button.

Let’s change our lives together, one baby step at a time.  Let’s cross those items off our bucket lists, one at a time.  When it’s all over, you can jump out of an airplane and I’ll kick butt on Wheel of Fortune.

What are YOUR fears?  Which bucket list items will YOU cross off when you've finally found your courage?

Ready, set, GO.                                            Read more posts ...