So.

It's been a while since I posted anything particularly meaningful. Basically because nothing really has happened. Have I moved to a new and interesting location? No. Have I hit any new rivers lately? Nope. Did I accomplish any of my goals for the summer? Not really. Have I lost any weight in the past two years? NO.

I don't understand what happened. Almost three years ago, in November 2005, my husband and I decided to work out and lose weight. We ate a bit better, worked out a lot, and we each lost about 40 pounds in about six months. Of course, the more weight we lost, the harder it got to lose more. Our bodies adjusted to the work outs and the diet, so we had to step it up in order to keep losing.

But instead of stepping it up, we went the other way. We started going out to eat more. We started going back for seconds (and thirds) at mealtimes. We got bored with going to the gym all the time. We cut back on the work outs and the intensity, and some weeks we didn't go to the gym at all.

And the weight came back. Thankfully, not all of it; I'm not sure what my husband gained back, but I'm back up about 25 pounds from the lightest I had gotten on this plan (still down almost 20, hallelujah). With the weight came all the crappy stuff that I wanted to get rid of. I'm tired all the time. My back hurts. My plantar fasciitis, which had gotten a lot better, got worse again. I'm cranky all the time. I don't feel well. My clothes don't fit.

And it's that much harder to get started again. The gym is still uninteresting. I haven't found a suitable replacement--I can't make myself run (tried that this summer, failed), I don't force myself to swim hard enough for it to benefit me, I'm afraid to ride my bike anywhere because I don't want to get run over...I've got an excuse for everything.

Plus, with work and swimming (yes, it's that time of year again) and some of the other commitments I have, there is so little time for me to spend with my husband that it is a shame to spend it sweating away at the gym when we could be out somewhere enjoying each other's company.

So I'm trying to reach deep inside me somewhere and find the strength, willpower, and motivation I need to get my ass off the couch every day and lose this weight. If I can't do it now, I may never get it off.

Stay tuned...