Dear Reader,

Things have not been easy lately, which is probably the same for a lot of people in this world- but I want you to know that you are probably doing the best that you can with what you have. I know that I am.

I want to tell you the importance of getting back on the carriage- you are going to fall off, there will be terribly bumpy roads, but you need to get back up there. There will be time where you walk next to the carriage, that you attempt to leap off and take another road, but somehow you always end up right back into that carriage.

Exercise is like this- and I need to tell you a little secret, it’s so much more important than weight loss. Even if you were to take weight completely out of the picture (which you should), exercise is still important. It’s good for so many things, much more in fact than any number on a scale.

We are talking digestive, heart health, mental health- you name it.

I’m telling you this because I have realized that weight loss and exercise, while they can work together, do not necessarily go together. They are about health, I suppose, but they are not synonymous- I think that everyone should be moving, regardless of size or age. Of course, we all have different things that we can do and not do- but it’s the moving part that matters.

One of my favorite things to do is to watch TV and just throw random intervals of exercises together. These “walking exercises” help me meet my step goals and help me feel more loose for the day ahead. My point is- it works for me. I have two young children and going to the gym is not in the cards for me right now. However, that is not to say it might not be the perfect place for you. We all require such very specific things and its hard to say this shoe is right and it fits for you.

Which is what brings me back to my original point, stay on the carriage- you may need to switch carriages, but find one that works for you. It needs to be one where you can endure it’s bumps and yet still enjoy the ride. Exercise is for you- to make you feel better and to make your body work properly. It took me years to figure out that my healthy does not look the same as your healthy. As always, I’m not a doctor so take what you will, but I am a 28 year old woman who’s been fighting weight issues my entire life.

You can beat this and I can, too.

With Love, T.