Determination + Motivation = Perspiration

So the name of my blog is "She Believed She Could, So She Did" and you may be wondering why the heck I would choose that name for my interwebs collection of rants and raves.  Well...to keep a long story (relatively) short, I began my No More Cigarettes and Exercise So You Don't Gain 40 Pounds Quitting This Time journey in August when I had my very last cigarette.  I also stumbled upon this little nugget of inspiration that would soon become my motto and my motivation:

I knew I needed to quit cigarettes, but I was deathly afraid of putting on more weight...so I partnered up with my neighbor (we shall call her Ms. New Booty) and we started walking a few times a week.  It was awesome, but we needed more...so my friend Jeff hooked me up with a Snap Fitness membership.  Ms. New Booty and I went to the gym every chance we could, it was awesome...then, Jeff quit and *poof* my fitness membership hookup was gone.  By this time I had decided that getting fit was something that I was willing to invest time and money into...who has extra money for a $20/month gym membership, right?  BUT - I wasn't smoking anymore and that cost WAY more than $20/month.  No excuses - especially since I was seeing results and had already lost 10 pounds.

I decided to keep up the exercise and eating right and also made a long term goal for myself - lose 80 pounds. 80 pounds!  Holy cow, that sounds like a lot, right?  It really isn't though...after I lose the 80 pounds I will be where I was when I got married.  I really don't think that's unrealistic or unhealthy.  See, I turned 30 in 2011 and that is something I can't change...I can't turn back time, but I can (and will) control my weight and level of fitness.

Once I reach my goal, I have also decided to reward myself with a new tattoo.  I plan on getting a feather on my right bicep with the words "she believed she could - so she did" wrapped around it or intertwined with it somehow.  The possibility of some new, totally bitchin' ink is my carrot dangling in front of myself.  I cannot WAIT to get this tattoo and I cannot WAIT to post pictures of it here within the next year.

Thanks for reading - I really appreciate all the support and motivation from all of you.  Thank you for keeping me accountable!  xoxo