Finding a little "spring" in my step :)

By mid- March, I was definitely seeing a change in myself, physically, with my mood and just my outlook on life.  Hard to believe what having someone believe in me (other than family) did for my life.  I signed up to volunteer at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields a few Saturdays in the spring in an effort to get myself out in the world a little more.  For anyone who knows me well, just actually committing to going was a huge step for me - I'd be going to a place where I didn't know a soul and I would actually have to talk...

Also, my mom had asked me if I wanted to walk in the Flying Pig Half Marathon the first weekend in May.  I was considering it (we did a couple of times a few years ago) but I wasn't sure I would be ready to walk 13.1 miles in the next 6 weeks.  More of that whole confidence thing I was (and still am) working on!  I asked Renee' what she thought and she said I should definitely do it!  It would give me a fitness goal to work towards.  She also said I should set a goal of being down another 15 to 20 lbs by that weekend.  I wasn't so sure about that - It wasn't even 2 months away!  But I was willing to try for 15.  So I set a new goal to be down 15 lbs by May 3rd.  I didn't have a whole lot of confidence I would reach it....  Stay tuned to find out if I did!!

The week before spring break, the students came around and asked me if I would be one of the four staff members in the Kiss the Pig contest.  Basically, if you end up with the most money in your jar by the end of the week, you have to kiss a (REAL) pig.  So not my thing but I agreed.  That is definitely something I NEVER would have agreed to last year.  If I win, I have to go in front of the whole student body.... Says a lot about how much I had changed that I was willing to say yes.

One of the hardest parts of this whole process for me has been constantly being surrounded by food at work.  The worst of those days is the day before spring break when the entire cafeteria is turned into a festival or carnival type atmosphere.  The kids do an amazing job and all the money goes to a very deserving charity.  But, it is very difficult for me to smell pizza, nachos and many other greasy , yummy foods and not eat them.  I ate my packed lunch that day and just stayed in the office for the most part while everyone else ate.  Once I was full, it wasn't as difficult to walk away from the food.  And I didn't have to kiss a pig!

Going into the last week of school before spring break, I felt like I was finally in a bit of a routine... yes I love my routines.  Little did I realize, Renee' had already figured that out.  Guess I wasn't going to be able to get comfortable yet - after all , that's kinda what got me in trouble in the first place!  So, she gave me homework over my break - I had to come up with 3 different lists of goals I wanted to accomplish, over break, short term and long term.  I'm so not good at that.  But, I knew it was a good idea so I agreed :)  She has a lot of good ideas!

As I left school on the last day, I was so excited for the next 10 days of freedom - more excited for a break than I had been in a long time!  I always love having days off but something was different this time... I had a much more positive outlook on life in general and knew I would find things to do throughout the week.

I don't think I could ever have imagined what that week would bring and how different I would feel at the end of the break...

Picture below from the beginning of March 2013.