Forgive me readers, it has been 3 months and 2 weeks since my last blog

I can't believe it has been that long! You will be happy to know that I write this at my lowest weight in more than a year (possibly two).

And I realized something during my time away from blogging: exercise had become a part of my daily life. I cannot remember a time in my adult life when I could say that. Now I can.

The heat did cause me to pause, but my metabolism had built some momentum so I was surprised at the lower number today when my trusted friend and I looked at the scale. I am entering my third decade of pounds lost. I have heard that it is wise to take a break but hadn't really taken one. Now I see the balance and wisdom of letting a little momentum carry me forward.

While I was not exercising (about a week or two), I was looking at myself in the mirror and condemning myself. Knowing I hadn't exercised much, I thought I might be gaining weight back but I never get on the scale everyday (or every week) and I didn't know what my weight was. How funny, I let my eyes see me as gaining weight when I was still losing.

I have kept up my accountability by walking with my neighbor(s). During a very hot stretch of days near the end of June, we started exercising to the Prevention Workout Videos. Although I got them for free after purchasing a special edition of "Prevention" dedicated to Walking, my neighbor liked them so much, I found her favorite on Amazaon for a tiny price to give to her. I think their family is using them more than I am using mine. Four generations of her family have begun exercising with her. Let's give a standing ovation to J.S.!

I have a nice little collection of these Prevention videos: "Sugar Solution Workout", "3-2-1", and "Dance Fitness". The Sugar Solution is a walking workout where the exercises have been arranged so that when you finish, you have exercised the equivalent of walking a mile and a half. That's the only one I have completed. I will write about the others after I have completed them.

To continue my accountability with my readers, I will begin texting to my Twitter page "CherylsTraining" from the walking trail (or wherever I may be exercising) as the summer progresses.