The Beginning

I will be starting the 30-day shred on January 3, 2010, with a group of girls (women ... mothers) from TheBump.com.

The 30-day shred is an exercise program by Jillian Michaels — aka the woman from The Biggest Loser that kicks your @SS. You can't say that she kicks your butt ... because that simply does not do it justice. Jillian kicks your ass.

So this will be my journal of measurements and pounds, frustrations and triumphs, as well as a major bitch-fest of when I'm too damn sore to think, feel anything else, or move. I will try to use this as a food journal as well, as one of my New Year's resolutions is to cook more and try new recipes. I do love to cook, I just find it difficult to accumulate the vast variety of ingredients and stay within budget.

Hopefully this will be a transformation of more than just my body. I also hope that I will depart on a journey of self-improvement and discovery: to learn more about my bi-polar disorder and how to handle it in my every day life; learn how to love myself in spite of the way that I look and my bi-polar disorder; to realize that I am living life right now and to not wait until such-and-such a time to do something because that's when I will embark upon a phase of life that I have seen played out in the lives of others or on TV.

This will be a journal of goals and, hopefully, achievements. I will try to hold myself accountable while realizing that I am also human.

Well ... here goes nothing!!