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Thursday, April 26, 2012

Bird Poop

Week 1 of adding exercise to my routine paid off! Who knew, right? Lost 3.4 lbs with a few walks of the dogs and a little house cleaning. Score! Back on track after two weeks of gain. Praise the Lord!

When I found out the good news at weigh-in on Tuesday, I was even more excited to keep up the exercise routine. Tuesday was a beautiful walk. Wednesday's... well, it started out nice.

My routine has been to change into my workout clothes as soon as I get home from work. That way I don't get sidetracked. Plus, it helps me to eat a little better at dinner after my walk. Don't want to waste the work I did! The doggies have adapted to the routine, too. As soon as I pull out my tennis shoes, they start jumping around excitedly. Jaxon goes straight to the door so he can be the first to get his leash! My sweet old man!

Shoes on, leashes on, earbuds in, door locked. We chose a new route Wednesday, trying to keep it fresh for the dogs and myself. Halfway through our walk, Jaxon seemed a little more tired than on previous walks since it was hotter outside. Luckily, I spotted a tree-covered sidewalk ahead and changed our route to include it. We strolled much slower once we hit the trees so the dogs could cool off. And that's when it happened. 

I got pooped on by a bird.

I did not see said bird, but I am confident it was a large bird. The "debris" was significant. It was disgusting. In my rush to get it off my chest, I almost used my hand to wipe it. I quickly realized my error and grabbed a stick instead.

It's then, in that moment, that I realized just how far I had come. The old Kerri would have removed the poop, taken it as a "sign from God" that I was not meant to exercise, walked home, and put her tennis shoes back in the closest with a perfect excuse to leave them there. Nature itself was rejecting my choice to exercise, right?!

Mr. Blue Bird on my shoulder...
Instead, the new Kerri, grabbed a stick and, as she started removing the bird poop, though to herself, "This bird must have an excellent level of fiber intake in its diet." 

That's right, fiber. Along with my recent addition of exercise to my diet, I've made a conscious effort to get a recommended daily dose of fiber through my food choices. So it's been on my mind lately.

And rather than use bird poop as an excuse to stop exercising, I chose to see it as an acknowledgement of my good choices. That bird was saying, "Look! I'm working on my fiber intake, too!" 

Well, good for you, birdie. Good for you! As for me, I walked again tonight. Only this time, I avoided all trees!

Faithfully, fluffully yours,

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Fat Dogs, Short Walks, Little Victories

I'm learning to and choosing to take this journey and celebrate each victory one day at a time. My verse this week is 1 Corinthians 9:24, which says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize. So run that you may obtain it."

I feel like God is saying to me these days, "You know what you need to do, so do it." Urgh! That hurts! Especially because what I need to do is exercise. I've dreaded this week, but I knew it was coming sooner or later. I knew God would make this part of my obedience to Him. And here it is!

I've tried to apply my verse of the week and really commit to incorporating exercise into my weekly routine. I'm trusting and letting myself be empowered by the thought that each day I choose to be active makes it that much easier to be active the next day. So, here's what I've done so far:

First, I wanted to set a goal for myself that was reachable and beneficial. Since I'm a WW member and have eTools online, I took their Activity Assessment. It showed that, since I'm starting exercise and haven't been very active, I should set a weekly goal of earning 14 activity points. That's basically going for a 20-minute walk every day, or a longer walk several days a week. It was a goal that I knew was achievable and that I couldn't make excuses for not meeting. Goal set!

Dog Tired... Abby-Li
Now to start moving... I walked two afternoons/evenings in a row with my dogs for 20 minutes in our neighborhood. My poor pups were so excited to go for a walk, but they were so out of shape! Poor things barely made it for the first couple of walks.

Note to self: if your dogs are fat, it's probably your fault.

The next day it rained, so I let my pedometer and a trip to the grocery store with my friend count for my activity. Yes, grocery shopping counts! Walking up and down every aisle in the store, pushing a cart, loading and unloading heavy bags... Yeah, it counts.

Saturday was beautifully cool and sunny outside, so I decided to take the dogs on a longer walk. We went for about 35 minutes, and poor Jaxon, my 10-year-old sheltie, was definitely ready to be home when we rounded the corner on our street. Poor thing! But we made it, and it was a beautiful walk. I felt great, too. The walks have been low-impact, not too fast, but still effective. I'm burning calories and enjoying the fresh air and sunlight instead of sitting on the couch with the glow of the TV. That's huge! It's a victory this week that I'm happy to celebrate.

Today's activity was house cleaning. I worked hard for over two hours scrubbing, sweeping, mopping, folding and putting away laundry, etc. Worked up a great sweat and earned a fresh smelling home as a result! Win-win!

Dog Tired... Jaxon
So how is my "exercise" routine going? So far so good. However, we've had beautiful days most of this week that have made it easy and even inviting to get outside and go for a walk. My house was dirty and needed to be cleaned before company came over. The victory I'm looking forward to the most is exercising and being active as a natural flow in my life. I know that it's going to get hard once the humid Houston summer sets in, and it will take a purposeful effort to find other outlets for exercise than walking the dogs.

But, like I said, I'm celebrating today... this week... not worrying about next week. The result: 20 activity points this week! I not only met my 14-point goal, but I exceeded it easily. Praise God!

The thing God is calling me to do right now, this week, is exercise. That's how He's asking me to live out the verse. My "run" and my "race" are little steps of obedience in a race that is far greater than a weigh-in on Tuesday or a target dress size.

What race has He set before you? Is He telling you the same thing He told me? "You know what you need to do, so do it!"

Faithfully, fluffully yours,

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Plate Math

At my WW meeting this week, I learned an awesome tip that is so simple. I hope people will teach their kids this one! It's all about how to fill your plate so that you end up with a balanced meal. I call it "Plate Math."

When you look at your plate, divide it into fourths. Half of your plate should be non-starchy vegetables. A fourth should be protein, and the last fourth should be your starch. Super simple, right?

I've being trying it for a couple of days now, and it makes for a much more filling meal. That means, no need for seconds!

WHY DON'T THEY TEACH THIS STUFF IN SCHOOL?!

Oh, well. Try it for yourself and share the math!

Faithfully, fluffully yours,



Monday, April 16, 2012

Stop Believing the Lie

"This is just the way I am."

After trying so many different diet plans and seeing each one succeed in the short-term and fail in the long-term, I actually decided to believe this phrase. I even went so far as to become angry or be hurt when people wouldn't "accept me for who I am, as I am."

Guess what: I believed a lie. I chose to give my body far more credit than it deserved. Doing so not only affected my view of myself and my relationship with others, but it left a hole in my relationship with God. That hole allowed me to blame Him for creating me this way and for not rescuing me from this state of being. It must be my call in life to live this way.

Oh, what a lie I believed! God's Word tells me "to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24)

You need to know that I am by no means "thin" yet. In fact, I am far enough away from reaching a "target weight" that I haven't even done the math to bother setting that goal! I have a long way to go. I think it's safe to say that I will most likely never be known as "skinny." But because my Spirit is in a renewed, recreated, redeemed state of health in Christ Jesus, I think healthier thoughts. I encourage others more. I make healthier choices. I crave lettuce at times!

So I present to you my new truth: That is who I was. He is perfecting me to be who He redeemed me to be.

In Lysa TerKeurst's devotional book "Made to Crave," she says, "Big things are built one brick at a time. Victories are achieved one choice at a time. A life well lived is chosen one day at a time."

I do not long, as I once did, to walk through this journey and come out skinny on the other side. Instead, I choose to live this life in His grace and come out changed.

Faithfully, fluffully yours,

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Applying the "Follow-Through"

When I was a kid, I used to play basketball. When I learned to shoot the ball, I was coached to make sure and "follow-through" every time. It's not just the shot itself that matters, but what you do after the ball leaves your hands also makes a difference. That's the follow-through.

I want to document a victory and share it with you in the wake of my last Good Friday post entitled, "Yet I Will." I don't want to just share lessons from God that He teaches me. I want to apply those lessons to my life and heart in order to walk away changed. That's a spiritual follow-through, so to speak. Yesterday morning (all throughout the morning), I chose to follow-through with a "Yet I Will" mindset.

Tuesdays are both my favorite Weight Watchers (WW) days and my most dreaded. I weigh in on Tuesday mornings at 11, so it's a little nerve racking some weeks. However, my "week" of points actually starts on Tuesdays. That means I've survived another week and get a new set of points to look forward to all week.

This Tuesday was one of those nervous kind of days... all because of my weekend fun. You've been there, right? It's your best friend's birthday, and no one should eat an Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake by themselves! Not to mention it's crawfish season here in South Texas. (BTW, any time you choose to eat something "by the pound," there will probably be ramifications.) Hence, my nervous Tuesday.



I had fun this weekend. The crawfish were wonderful, and the cupcake was... Well, words can't really describe those beautiful bites. BUT I did make sure to swim around in the pool a little after we ate, so maybe that helped. I wouldn't know for sure until weigh-in.

As I spent time in prayer yesterday morning, I knew weigh-in was coming and that, most likely, it wouldn't be pretty. That's when I remembered that I can choose now how to respond. So I prayed, not for the scale to read what I wanted, but for strength to praise God even if the scale showed a gain. I told God that I would love to see a loss on that scale, but nevertheless, I was thankful for how far I had come already. I chose to turn my attitude from dread to thanksgiving and praise.
  • Thank you, Lord, for giving me a best friend whose birthday I could celebrate!
  • Praise God! I feel so much better these days!
  • Thank you, Lord, that today is the start of a new WW week! And week 16 at that!
  • Praise God! I lost over 30 lbs. in 15 weeks!
  • Thank you, Lord, that the scale or the numbers on it aren't my source of victory!
  • Praise God! I was able to put on a smaller size in shorts this weekend!
  • Thank you, Lord, that I've been able to stop taking two medications since starting this program!
  • Praise God! I have a friend and coworker who is going through the program with me!
What a difference it made to get rid of those "but statements" I told you about in my last post. I still had moments prior to weigh-in that had me nervous, but I chose those moments to go to God with a praise and a "yet I will" statement.
    Baylor Bears Basketball Player Brittney Griner
    (AP/Houston Chronicle photo by Michael Paulsen at komonews.com)
    The results of weigh-in: I gained, but my attitude about it was positive. Not only that, but after all the fun I had this past weekend, I only gained about half a pound! 

    God is so good, and this journey He's taking me on is good. I encourage you to not just hear a lesson from God, but follow-through and apply His lessons to your life. That's when permanent change takes root!

    Faithfully, fluffully yours,

    Friday, April 6, 2012

    "Yet I Will"

    I can barely type the words to share with you the beautiful revelation my Sweet Savior has blessed me with this Good Friday.

    I’m studying Jonah using a study by Priscilla Shirer called, “Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted.” My lesson today was on repentance. The best way I know to share with you what God has taught me this morning is to take you on the same journey and show you the progression of His insights to me. This is a long blog, but I pray you’ll find it worth your time.

    Start with the definition of repentance. Priscilla says that, “Repentance has two aspects:
    1. Confession means agreeing with God about any sin or rebellion in our lives and asking Him to rid us of that for which we have no more use.
    2. Change calls for changing our mind, attitude, and actions.”
    I read on to find another nugget of truth that gave me pause as Priscilla turned my attention to Jonah’s story.
    “…whether or not Jonah knew God was never the concern. Clearly he was well acquainted with God. He could discern the leading of God. Yet Jonah had a problem agreeing with God and changing his mind, attitude, and actions to comply with God. His heart was out of alignment with the heart of God.”

    The question came to me after re-reading this paragraph several times: What does agreeing with God sound like? How do I agree with God in practice, even when I don’t like what He’s doing? There are some times that I just plain don’t like with how He’s handling a situation. What then?

    I began to replay some of those instances and my prayers that accompanied them in my head. They sounded something like this…

    “Lord, I know you want what is best for me, but could you…”
    “Lord, your will be done, but if it’s okay could we…”
    “Lord, I hear what you’re saying and want to change, but…”
    “Lord, bless that person in this circumstance, but show them they’re wrong about…”

    I realized that my version of agreeing with God wasn’t agreeing at all. My version was full of what I’m now calling “but statements.” In order to agree with God, I have to stop ending my prayers with the “but statements.” If I end a sentence with an exclamation point instead of a period, I completely change my whole conversation. The same is true in my use of “but statements.”

    Then it hit me: Jesus didn’t use a “but statement” to end His prayers at the hardest point in His ministry. When He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He lived out what it means to agree with God.

    1. His prayer, mind, and attitude were pleading yet submitted.

    Luke 22:41-42 says, “And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.’”
    Mark 14:35-36 shows the same event. Verse 36 says, “And he said. ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’”

    Christ, even in the depths of despair, didn’t say, “Your will be done, Father, but please don’t do it.” Instead, He presented He sorrowful, gut-wrenching plea to the Father, and ended with, “but your will.” Oh, how that changes everything!

    2. His actions conveyed His agreement.

    Not only did He say, “but your will,” He then followed through with God’s will… all the way to the Cross. He followed through, even though it cost Him His very life. The words Jesus prayed were beautiful, but they are but a glimpse into His submitted heart. The truest and clearest picture of His heart was displayed for the world to see in Jesus’ life poured out for us.

    After I gathered myself up from all that, I went back to Jonah to finish my actual study guide lesson. Priscilla had me read portions of Jonah 2 (v. 2, 4, 7, 9) and underline phrases of Jonah’s prayer in the belly of the fish that showed he was having a change of heart. Guess what I underlined…

    “I cried out to the Lord,”
    “I called to you,”
    “Yet I will,”
    “But I will,”
    “I will,”

    Jonah gained a repentant heart when he chose submission. Choosing submission meant agreeing with God. Agreeing with God meant changing his former “but statements” to “I will” statements, followed by action in obedience.

    I didn’t know I could see a picture of Christ in the story of Jonah, but oh, how I’m drawing connections now! I started out studying Jonah and repentance and made it all the way to the Cross and submission.

    I didn’t bring my cup of coffee to my Bible study time this morning expecting to get a Good Friday lesson, but I’m humbled by His love that my Sweet Savior would give me one anyway. Thank you, Lord, for being my Teacher today! Thank you for drawing me back to the cross to celebrate and remember all you did that day so long ago and how it changes everything for me today.

    Friends, I know this is a blog primarily about my weight loss journey, but part of that journey is repentance, submission, and a call to action. Draw your own connections in your heart. God is drawing them in mine.

    I pray you have a truly Good Friday today.

    Faithfully, fluffully, yours… NOT TO MENTION REDEEMED!

    Thursday, April 5, 2012

    "Cheat" Smarter

    Part of making a change in life includes a change in mentality. Most "diets" have me ready to cheat within the first few days (sometimes hours). These days, I see things differently, and it's making an impact.

    One thing I like about doing the Weight Watchers is that "cheating" isn't really an issue. You can eat anything you want, as long as you track your points. This makes it much less stressful for me in trying to figure out what I can or can't eat.

    After a few months on the program, I now feel more empowered in my choices. When I visit a local Texas "home-cooking" restaurant here in Katy, the first thing that comes to mind is to order my former usual of chicken-fried steak with cream gravy and a potato of any kind. These days, I know that I can still have a yummy treat in the form of fried shrimp, a vegetable, and a side salad. Before you freak out about the "fried" part of that statement, know this: chicken-fried steak with cream gravy is on average 18 points, while my new fried shrimp are half that at 9 points!

    Not only am I getting a great dinner as a treat, but I don't feel like a waddling penguin when I leave the restaurant. I'm full without being miserable the rest of the night.

    Tonight was another victory. At dinner with my BFF at our favorite Mexican food place, I chose (for the second time) a salad with fajita beef over full-on beef fajitas. Since it was a restaurant salad, it was still more fattening and had more preservatives than if I had made it at home. BUT, life change doesn't stop when you leave your own kitchen. Better choices in the real world make a difference.

    So, here's my encouragement to you: don't feel guilty for "cheating" when you can feel empowered by a positive choice.


    Faithfully, fluffully yours,

    Wednesday, April 4, 2012

    Fast Meat and Vegetable Meal for Single Girls on the Go

    So I played around in the kitchen this week and made something super easy and super yummy. This one should be good for Weight Watchers folks or low carb lovers. This one is easy, and you can swap out whatever veggies you like with your meat or as your side. Add a salad, too, and you have a feast! If you have family and want to extend it further, double the amounts of veggies and/or meat and add some multi-grain bread to the table.

    MEAT

    • 1 lb. of either extra lean ground beef or ground turkey
    • 1 packet of ranch dressing seasoning (dry)

    Mix together then either make into measured patties or brown in a pan as is. (I left mine loose and chunky to brown instead of patties cause it fills my plate up more. Tricking my brain!)

    VEGGIES to Mix in with Meat

    • 1 cup of diced onions
    • 1 cup of diced bell peppers (I found some already diced onions and bell peppers in the frozen food section. Score!) 
    • 1 cup of chopped mushrooms (I used canned mushrooms. Zero prep time, just open and drain.)

    I sauteed everything in a pan with Pam cooking spray. Salt/pepper/season to taste, but don't ruin it with too much sodium. I added lots of black pepper and dried minced garlic. After I measured out my meat serving, I mixed in tons of the veggie mix. If you choose to make patties, top the patty with the veggie mix or make it a bed for the patty.

    VEGGIE to have on the side

    • 1 steamable bag of asparagus or other veggie - NOT the ones with sauce in them. (I shop at Kroger and found a whole section of fresh veggies in steamable bags with zero sauces or seasonings. Cheap, too, and great for out-of-season veggies. Loving my bags of asparagus right now!)

    Stick steam bag in microwave a few minutes before your meat and veggies are finished and yummo!

    For WW folks, my meat cooked up to about 13 oz., so I split into a 6 oz. serving and a 7 oz. serving. Since I didn't add a salad to my meal, I kept my meat portions large, one for dinner and one as a leftover for the next day. Depending on the meat you choose, it's roughly 9-11 points. That's a lot of meat, but I am a country girl who likes her meat! If you add a salad, too, I suggest dropping to a 3 or 4 oz serving of meat. That will stretch the whole meal, too.

    WHY I LIKE IT:


    1. My veggies didn't cost me any points cause I didn't add butter or oil! This stuffs me full without making me miserable. I used asparagus both times I made it, so I got tons of fiber, too. DOUBLE WHAMMY!
    2. Since I used mostly used pre-chopped items and the steamable bag, the whole thing took me about 15-20 minutes start to finish, including boxing up the half for leftovers to take to work the next day. Super easy and saved me from eating out and absorbing extra preservatives and calories. Saved my $$$, too.
    3. Standing up to cook for a few minutes when I get home from work makes me less likely to plop onto the couch for the whole evening. Any movement is better than no movement at all!
    4. The ranch dressing packet gives tons of flavor to the meat without adding points to my WW program. NICE!
    5. My leftovers look fancier than they really are when I pull them out at the office. Having nice green spears of asparagus on top of beautifully seasoned meats and veggies looks pretty, gosh darn it!

    If you play around with this idea and find something yummy, let me know!

    Faithfully, fluffully yours,

    declaring battle and waging war

    Why is my new blog called, "Battle Cry of a Fluffy Girl," you might ask. Well, you can read from my first post to find out why "fluffy" has significance in my life. Now let me explain my battle tactics and perspective.

    Beth Moore, a Christian author and speaker extraordinaire, made a statement in her last Bible study that stuck with me and challenged me to the extreme. She told us to "declare war" on our sin and struggles because that is the only way we will ever truly overcome them.

    You can read and underline in your Bible and devotionals all day long. But unless you allow God's Word to actually change you, what good is it? If you don't walk away different, what is the point?

    At the time I took that study, back in January and all through February, her wise counsel to declare war rung out in my heart and mind over and over. It still does. Here's why...

    Back in December, I decided that I would take my fluffy rear back to Weight Watchers. I had done the program before and lost a little weight, but fell off the wagon right back onto my fluffy rear, just as I had done on countless other programs throughout most of my adult life. I own more specialized cookbooks, infomercial DVD sets, and elastic strengthening bands than a hyperactive personal trainer. The result thus far: I was the largest and most unhealthy than I'd ever been in my life. Miserable to my core.

    I decided that this time would be different. I say that every time I try to lose weight, of course, so what would really make this time different? What would make ME different?

    I decided that this time, I would see my overweight condition and the habits, mindsets, and attitudes that got me to there for what they really were: sin and sin-producing enablers. I can blame family members and schoolmates for treating me poorly and calling me names, and friends for taking me to the fattiest restaurants to celebrate special occasions, but they didn't put food in my mouth. I can blame my emotions and the fact that I'm a woman on every calorie ingested, but other women in this world do just fine on carrots instead of chocolate. There's no way on earth that I can retain this much water. Get real.

    The real issue is this: I am a sinful person saved by grace, but I have not chosen to live by grace. Instead, I've chosen:

    • Pity parties over victory dances
    • Miserable mentalities over edifying encounters
    • Unsatisfying stand-ins over the life-sustaining Spirit
    • Weakness as a shield over faith as my fortress
    For that, and so much more, there is truthfully no excuse. The battle I'm fighting is not a battle of my fatty tissue or flesh, it's a battle deep down in my soul. How can I expect to defeat flesh if I fight with the strength I have in the very flesh that is against me?

    I can't. Only God can win this war. This is His battle to sanctify me, not to make me skinny. While I desire a smaller size in my flesh, He desires to expand His space in my life and heart to overflowing.

    Bring it on, Lord!!

    Therefore, I declared war on myself. So far, God has dropped over 30 pounds out of my life and filled my Spirit with a greater awareness of Him in all that I do. PRAISE GOD ALONE!

    Let me assure you, I'm nowhere near where I should be... spiritually or physically. I took 32 years to get this "fluffy," and it will take a very long time to get healthy. Thank goodness I have a Savior sweet enough to stick by me for the long haul. He set eternity in our hearts, not our flesh, and it's the heart of me that is shedding the most undesirable pieces to make room for more of Him.

    So, if you find this blog and care to share the journey with me, know that the ultimate victory is way better than skinny jeans!

    Here are some things that are helping me:

    • Journaling: I've never been very good at keeping a diary, but I decided that I needed to write down how horrible I felt in the beginning in order to see the victories along the way. So I wrote down why I was declaring war, and once or twice a week I jot down how things are going, good and bad. Today, I re-read my journal entry from the first day and can already see victories. Praise God!
    • "Made to Crave Devotional" by Lysa TerKeurst: It's been a great source of insight to the spiritual side of this battle. It's a 60-day book, but I read one day a week, or more if needed, just to keep me in check. Then I add any phrases or nuggets of wisdom from that day's devo to my journal. Writing those words gives them more weight and helps me to think about them more throughout the day and week.
    • Wearing a pedometer: I genuinely loathe exercise. However, since I bought a pedometer, I have slowly but surely increased my activity on a daily basis. Just wearing it is a reminder at the office to get up and stretch my legs, go for a short walk at lunch, go get another glass of water. It has really changed my mindset on activity. Having a more active day does not require hours in the gym or long walks in the heat. 
    • Weight Watchers: Going to the meetings gives me a accountability each week as well a positive environment to share victories and struggles. 
    • Weight Watchers eTools: They come with my membership, but are totally worth getting on their own. Recipe Builder tool to help figure out what I'm cooking at home, ideas for cooking and activities, etc.
    • Committed Friends: I have friends doing the program with me, which makes going to the meetings even better. Plus, we can talk during the week to stay on track or share ideas for success. 
    • Family Praying for Me: I have two awesome parents who know the struggles I have and love me right through them with words of encouragement and prayer. Knowing they are praying for God's best in my life helps me stay on track. Find someone to pray for you besides yourself!
    I'll keep you posted if I find any other resources to help me on my journey.

    Faithfully, fluffully yours,

    define "fluffy"

    My background, career-wise, is marketing and public relations. When someone says or does something negative, part of my job is to take that negative and turn it into a positive. I can "spin" things, if you will, to make them better. In some instances, like political scandals, spinning is a bad thing. That's not my business and never will be! But as I've grown more comfortable in myself, my creativity, and my general desire to have a good attitude most of the time, I've started to apply my spin tactics to life in general. I especially work to spin the hard times or tough situations.

    Therefore, I choose to no longer see myself in the negative light of the following labels:
    • Fat
    • Chunky
    • Chubby
    • Husky
    • Big boned
    • Obese
    • A "trunk" full of "junk"
    • Etc.
    The new adjective I've chosen to replace these is "fluffy." I heard a comedian one time say that he wasn't fat, he was fluffy. I laughed and didn't think too much about it at the time. But as I'm currently losing weight and attacking these former terms with a new mentality, I've decided that I like the term fluffy. Not only does it give a new, happier spin to my current round condition, it also describes how I plan to be in the future: light as air!

    Therefore, the word of the day (and many days to come) is "fluffy." Enjoy.

    Faithfully, fluffully yours,