Who knew I had something in common with Oprah

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. 

If I could sum up my life long struggles with my weight and my desire to lose it it would easily be that proverb.

Oprah Winfrey and I don't have much in common but the one thing we do have in common is that we have both lost and gained more weight in our lifetime then either of us care to admit (well, I don't know what she really thinks since I don't actually know her, but I know I don't want to admit it). 

There are a few differences in our struggles though.  For example - 

•  Oprah has to do it on national TV, gossip magazines, blogs, etc.  She can't hide from the critics when she gains weight.  I can.  I can hide in the house and only venture out when needed. I can pretend that people won't recognize that I am a size larger since the last time they saw me. But which of us has a better life?  The one going out and dealing with it head on or the one hiding from the truth?

•  Oprah has a whole staff of people to help her. Cooks, nutritionist, trainers.  I have just me. So if Oprah, who has an army helping her reach her goals, can't do it then what hope do I have?  

•  Oprah seems to be happy regardless of what her weight is.  I never seem to be happy no matter what my weight is.  When I am smaller all I do is think about how I am going to gain it all back and spend time worrying about it.  When I am bigger I am embarrassed at my weight so I obsess about what I can do to lose it.  I talk the talk but rarely walk the walk.

One of my commitments for this year isn't the usual - lose weight, exercise 6 times a day, eat an all kale diet for 30 days or any of those other resolutions that seem to set me up for failure. It is to get healthy through proper nutrition and exercise. This commitment will hopefully help remind me that this is a life long battle for me and not one that can have a quick fix. The only way I can get it off and keep it off is to see that I have to make changes for life, not simply changes for a year or so.  Easy to say, hard to do for me.

But I will do it.  Because if there is one thing I know it is this - my need to succeed far outweighs my fear of failure. 

And I have a closet full of clothes that I really like and really want to wear.  If a girl can't be motivated by clothes then what can she be motivated by?