I find myself 20 days into my 30 day workout challenge. Two thirds of the way done. I am behind by 1 workout, so I have 11 to do in the next 10 days.

I would like to stop. Really I would. 10 days feels like a long time this month, with Ellen’s sleep being off, making me so tired, and with the holidays and work and the sun going down so early. I’d so rather snuggle up and relax in the evenings after the kiddos go to bed!

But I’m not going to stop. Despite my lack of enthusiasm, it is going really well, I feel really proud of myself, and my body feels good – sore, but good. So I’ll push through until the end.

The scale has been inching lower. Not very quickly. Honestly, most days it doesn’t change at all. But I’m going to attribute that to the muscle I’m building and all the mint+chocolate treats I can’t resist this time of year. 

And even if the scale doesn’t show a lot of progress, the mirror does. And so does the button on my high waisted jeans! My body is changing shape, slowly getting back to something similar to before babies. Something recognizable.

It is hard for me to be patient. I know it took me 9 months to gain all that weight, so it makes sense that it wouldn’t come off all in a day. But gaining the weight was done with so little effort, and I wasn’t exactly working towards a weight gain goal, so the time didn’t really register. 

Losing the weight, on the other hand, takes considerable effort. And I see that goal out in the distance, so I’m counting progress and milestones very closely. It makes time march so slowly, like watching a pot of water, waiting for it to boil.

I’ll just keep watching. I will see cheekbones again, and those folds in my waist will go away. The stretch marks will get lighter. I’ll need smaller pants.

Maybe not directly because of this 30 day challenge. Maybe this challenge is only a way to prevent gaining weight from those mint+chocolate treats this holiday season. But it will all happen.

Patience and good choices, Carolyn. That’s all it takes.