Buckling Down

I decided that it was time to get serious about weight loss when I realized how others saw me.  When I look in the mirror I see someone completely different from what I see in pictures.  Having never been low on self-esteem, I have always thought myself beautiful.  Unfortunately, this woman does not appear in photos.  When I look at pictures of myself I see a pretty face, but my body does not match what I see in my mind.  I want to look as great as I feel. 

I also promised my mother that I would get healthy.  Having disappointed her countless times in the past, I really want to do a good job losing weight now.  I know she loves me and is worried about my health, so I need to make her proud.

Also, I really want to find someone to spend my life with and I feel I will not be ready to do this until I feel comfortable in my own skin.  

With that feeling goes the need to have kids.  As I enter my late 20's I feel more and more the pull of wanting children.  I know I want to be a Mom but I also want to be able to play and run with my children.  This will be a lot easier once I become healthy.

Lastly, I would LOVE to wear cute clothes and be stylish.  But this is very hard when you are a size 22.  So, I wanna get healthy and then I might break the bank shopping!

I would appreciate any words of wisdom or encouraging stories.  Here is to a lifelong journey!