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The Suitcase Studio - Lifestyle Portrait

(Self portrait in the mirror. And yes... this really IS me.)

Confession time:

My pants are snug. Even the stretchy ones. I recently tore my favorite pair of jeans across the thigh when squatting down in them. I'm dreading the shopping trip to try to find something to replace them. I don't have good knees to begin with, but they are getting worse. The snapping and popping sounds they make as I move are louder than a bowl of rice krispies. And I threw by back out right before my big Vegas trip. I wore stick-on heating pads under my clothes for the first two days and didn't carry my camera with me because I didn't want to deal with the extra weight.

Not glamorous by any stretch of the imagination.

Between the stress-eating and boredom snacking, sleeping too little and working too much, eating out constantly (the people at local fast-food drive-thrus actually remember my order... and I wish I were kidding) and mowing through the junk food I hide in the pantry, not scheduling time to take care of myself and just being too darn lazy to do so... I've gained a LOT of weight. And it's finally time for me to DO something about this.

And so, I'm making this public announcement: Placing hand over heart... I pledge allegiance to myself, to take care of my one and only body. To learn what it means to live a healthy lifestyle and to take the necessary steps to do so.

I took the first step by joining Weight Watchers on Monday. And now I'm taking the next big step... I'm rallying my friends and fans because I know that so many of you have been here before. And I know that I'll have a much better chance at success with your support.

So, please... if you identify with my story, or have a bit of guidance to share, a favorite recipe or snack food, or just want to give me a general high-five, I ask that you leave a comment below.

Thank you SO much for your support. And thank you for being a part of my journey.