Don't take life too seriously. Afterall, no one gets out alive.

While I was eating too many jelly beans today I was thinking of all the reasons why I don't need them.

I don't like being overweight because it puts me at risk for so many problems. It's not healthy to be overweight, strokes, infertility, diabetes, self esteem problems, quality of relationships, caliber of men (let's admit that they're all a little shallow), and I have a family history of early heart attacks.

Today at the gym I was elliptically-ing (yes I know that's not a word) my butt off (literally) listening to Flogging Molly. I rarely watch the news at the gym but something caught my eye. The average life expectancy for an American woman has recently increased to 80.5 years. Studies show that being even moderately overweight can decrease life expectancy. Of course it depends on how overweight you are but they estimate that being overweight can take anywhere from 9 months to 10 years off your life.

Think of the last 10 years. If I hadn't lived the last 10 years I wouldn't have experienced the low lows or the high highs. I would have missed four vacations to Hawaii, high school, graduating, my first kiss, marriage, divorce, falling in love, my first job, entire friendships, and becoming the quirky, silly woman I am.

This is nothing compared to what I could be keeping myself from at the end of my life. Think of it. Grand kids come to mind first but then there is also wisdom, getting to see how the world has changed, having an excuse to say anything I have ever wanted to say but didn't...there are so many possibilities. Not to mention how different the journey to the grave might be if it were filled with doubt, self conscientiousness, and health problems.

I refuse to trade 10 years for any kind of food. I will not give up beautiful, amazing experiences for jelly beans. I want my life to be full of life. I want my future husband's life to be full of life and I want my childrens' life to be full of life.

Everyone's life should be full. I am becoming exactly who I want to be and it feels so food...oops, I mean good. :o) I never want to stop growing, I never want to stop laughing, and I never want to throw the gift of good health away by not taking care of myself.

In the name of true happiness,
Sara