Hello... uh... (taps mic) is this thing on?

It's been an awful long time, I know. I've been bad... I gave up on the whole "get in shape, feel great" thing and just lived my life. It was ok for awhile, it worked for awhile, but now... not so much.

Last summer I had a full hysterectomy. Cancer was suspected, and cancer was indeed found. TWO kinds, ovarian and uterine, growing side-by-side. I was blessed to have had it caught early enough in the process that it all was totally contained in the uterus and the doctors were able to remove it all so successfully that I didn't need chemotherapy or radiation. So, recovery was a snap. Right?

Ehhhh.... not so much. The first 5 weeks went very smoothly. I had some pain, but did as the doctors told me and I managed very well. Then in the 5th week, I was hit with VERY intense pain, as the muscles began to knit back together in earnest. And the fat. The ever-present belly fat. It complicated things... sorry, doc  :-(  ... It doubled my recovery time. And it continues to slow me down. I can't run. I can't hike at a good clip. I can't easily bend at the waist. And finding pants that fit? Yeah, right.

So, I'm ba-ack..... 

This time, in addition to doing the "Eat Well, Live Well" challenge at work, I also joined the campus gym. For now, I'm doing the treadmill for 30 minutes, with plans to get an orientation on the other equipment and eventually incorporate other equipment. I have been going faithfully every morning (except Sunday) since last Thursday. So, 4 days in a row. Woo-hoo! I'm on a roll!
 

Ok, it's admittedly not much of a track record - yet. But it's a start. I haven't lost any weight yet, but I am determined to see this through. My ultimate goal is to lose 50 pounds and firm up my breasts, belly and upper arms.  Along the way, I hope to get into running and weight-lifting (for firming up, NOT bulking up. I have NO plans to compete as Miss Body-Builder USA or whatever they call that competition. Yecch. Not for me. I just want to look and feel my best).

So, if you haven't totally given up, feel free to follow my progress as I begin to peel off the pounds. Because, well, I'm thick and tired of it.