…that I will no longer drink soda. Instead I will drink 8 or more glasses of water — with crystal light mixed in if need be. If I do have an uncontrollable urge to have a soda, I will treat myself to a Sparkling Cranberry drink.

…that I will no longer eat fast food. I will say goodbye to the tasty caramel apple frosty parfaits from Wendy’s. I will no longer crave their spicy chicken sandwich or their delicious french fries. I will no longer crave the bean and cheese burritos with green sauce or the volcano tacos from Taco Bell. From now on, I will only eat lean chicken prepared in a tasty, healthy way. I will have fruit and vegetables every single day with every single meal. If I do have an uncontrollable urge to have a burger or a spicy chicken sandwich, then I will make a healthy chicken sandwich with spices myself. If I need that burger, then I will opt for the veggie burger variety. Frosty’s will be replaced with a banana and peanut butter/fruit puree of my own creation.

…that I will no longer sleep in till 1200, 1300, or later. That I will arise in the morning at 0800, weigh myself, mark it in my log, and I will eat breakfast. Gone are the days of skipping the most important meal of the day to jumpstart my metabolism. I will only eat the allotted number of calories allowed. A healthy breakfast that entails protein, fruits, juice, and water. That way I can start my healthy days off right and feel fulfilled and motivated to conquer what is on my schedule.

…that I will no longer snack. I am allowed one healthy snack after my workout before lunch, and I am allowed one more snack around 1530 after my walk/jog/run with my dog Bella. That is all. Nothing else. No more convincing myself that I need to eat that piece of candy. No more hunger pains that need to be satisfied with chips and dip. No more late night snacks before bed. No more because I will follow my food schedule and be contently full and satisfied with my meal plan.

…that lunches will only be full of healthy items. I will no longer go to drive throughs because I am tired of sandwiches or too lazy to cook food. I will not being lazy. I will stay motivated and prepare the healthy dishes that look so appetizing online. I will learn to be a healthy cook. Not only for myself, but for my husband and for our future children.

…that my dinners will be proportional to what I am allowed to eat. I can consume 600 calories and that is all. I no longer have to eat as much as my husband; for he must consume many more calories than I due to his workout schedule and job. He needs to gain weight and fuel his muscles. I need to lose it and get my muscles back. There is no eating competition. I will have veggies with every dinner meal. Only lean protein for myself. No grains, no pasta, no bread. Only brown rice if I am truly craving it. If I am craving pizza, then I will create a healthy flat bread at home and cover it with healthy items. If I am craving mexican or american, I will create healthy alternatives at home.

…that I will stick to my daily schedule. I will get on this routine and I will not falter. Waking and sleep time must be strictly observed so that I can recovering from my hectic day. My workouts must be followed so that I can start to see results quickly. For when I start to see results, I will become more and more motivated.

As I swear these statements, I realize my wants:

• I want to be able to run next to my husband. By his side and not have him suffer at my slow pace.
• I want to get back into single digit sizes. I promised myself when I was younger that I would never enter double digits in pant sizes and I have broken my promise. I must resolve this.
• I want to have my six pack back. I promised myself when I was younger that I would never let the abs I had worked so hard to obtain in basketball, to disappear. And yet, I have failed again. I want them back.
• I want to have my husband be proud to show me off. Yes, he is proud now, but I want to feel proud of myself when I stand beside him.
• I want to be proud of my body.
• I want to have a healthy body, so that when we are finally blessed with children, I can stay healthy through out the pregnancy and be able to keep up with the little ones with my quick recovery.
• I want to live a long and healthy life with my husband.
• I want to be happy with myself.

If I follow through with this plan, I will receive incentives as I hit my weight and tape measure goals. Incentives that will continue to help me push and strive for the next goal. Every 5 pounds I drop is another mile marker for me. The first 10 will be easy, it is the last 40-50 that will be tough. I must stay strong. I must keep pushing forward. I must strive for my ultimate goal.

With this post, I am swearing to myself, to my husband, and to everyone that stumbles across this, that in a few months time, you will see a changed person before you. Someone who is fit, who is healthy, and who is happy with herself.

Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn’t work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message board or FAQ’s. We just figured it out. Today’s kids are soft.