Two months in

. . . and I'm feeling brave enough to show you my before and after pictures. This one, to the left, is what I look like today. I'm sitting in my studio, leaning forward to press the button on the computer that takes my picture.

(If you're busty, like I am, leaning over is a good thing when you take a photo. It really shifts the mass; it made me look a lot better than when I took the photo straight on. I'm vain enough to use perspective tricks, oh, yes I am!)

And to the right, we have the before picture, taken with my cousin's beautiful daughter. I love looking at her; she's adorable. But the picture of me still makes me cringe. Obviously, I was enjoying myself and very happy that day - look at that smile. But the rest of me - ouch! How did I get that big and not notice it happening?

(Erm, I stopped looking in the mirror about 25-30 pounds ago, that's how.)

Okay, enough with the recriminations. It is what it is, and I'm looking now. So, how did this month go, you ask? Not as thrillingly as the first month, when I was losing inches pretty much every day or two. The pace has slowed; the changes are becoming harder and harder to see.

I didn't start exercising right away; it took me a couple of weeks to make that commitment a reality, and I expected too much from it when I did start. I had a meltdown, and was rescued by my friends. I reconnected with an old friend who is now a fitness coach; check out her blog, BAM Fitness Coaching, if you're interested in building muscle and losing weight. She's got me lifting weights in addition to the cardio workouts I was already doing; I can already feel the difference, and I'm looking forward to seeing the difference.

All in all, it was a mixed month.

Though I would really like to see more of a difference, I have lost about 30 inches all told, and even I have to admit that's a lot. I'm not looking as good as I'd like to look because I have about 20 more to lose before the numbers are beginning to be where I want them to be. I started exercising later than I wanted to start, but once I got started, I've been very consistent.

Next month, I want to keep on with the exercise, and work on developing patience. Urk. Not my strong suit. I want the weight off, and I want it off yesterday. But, as I'm constantly reminded, I didn't put the weight on in a week, and it's not coming off in a week. I will get there if I keep working at it.

Eventually.