[toreesi]

I'm always so exicited when people start an exercise program. Let me tell you my story and maybe it will help you. On July 4,1999 we moved back from China. We had been there for over two years. During that time I gained more than 20 pounds and picked up a pack a day smoking habit. When I got on the plane in China I threw away my cigarettes and decided that with my new life in the US, I would be smoke free. The 20 pounds I had gained weren't so easy to deal with. I decided I would have to start running. The first times I went out I could barely go half a block. So I would do that half block then walk a couple, then try running another half. I would do this for about 20 minutes. I kept building on what I was doing. The more I ran, the more I enjoyed it. Winter came, I kept going. Twenty three months later I ran my first marathon. It took me 4:49 to do it but the time was meaningless compared to the accomplishment. Did I lose the 20 pounds. No, didn't happen. I lost some, gained some, lost some. You know the routine. But my point is that physical fitness is something you have to build slowly and methodically over time. And to make yourself really successful you have to eat right. You can be fit and still carry lots of extra weight.

Good luck. Hang in there. Being fit is one of the greatest feelings in the world. Being fit and thin is simply over the top!

Monique