38 days and 38 nights

i decided to jump on the band wagon a little late, hence the title. i haven't given anything up for lent in a really long time, i honestly couldn't even tell you how long. i was raised catholic, but don't believe in it now. i actually never really did. but since it was a subject in school my entire life [i went to catholic school k-13], i had to play along. i am giving up a few thing not because of what the sacrifice stands for, but because now is as good a time as ever to drop a few bad habits.

i originally vowed to give up french fries. they have become a staple in my diet for the last few months and it is absolutely terrible....no wonder my pants are just slightly tighter than they used to be. the vow has been extended to all fried foods....yikes. this list tentatively includes: french fries, onion rings, fried chicken/shrimp/veggies, donuts, you name it. i never used to eat so many bad things, but lately, i can't help myself. the winter season has made me eat a terribly unhealthy diet and gain a few extra lbs. that have actually kept me quite warm during these exceptionally chilly months.

pop is also on the black list. i shouldn't be drinking pop anyway. according to my dentist, i have soft teeth and they can't handle the acidity of pop. i have a cavity nearly every time i go to the dentist, that alone should be motivation for me to stop drinking pop, you would think. i am more of a water girl anyway. i don't think this one will be too difficult, but every once and a while i get a craving for a fizzy lifting drink.

this next item isn't something i am giving up, but something i am going to do. i want to do pilates at least 3 times a week and one weekend day. i bought these windsor pilates tapes off of an info-mercial about 7 years ago. when i first bought them, i did pilates all the time and loved it. then i fell off the wagon and haven't done it consistently since. the tapes have been collecting dust in my closet and have also become a place to stack t-shirts. well that is about to change. my cousin and i did pilates on tuesday. [just to give you a visual: you kind of need a lot of room to do pilates. my cousin and i were on the floor in my bedroom in an area that probably measured 6'x8'. not really a lot of space for two people to swing their bodies around on the floor. not to mention that we were almost always kicking furniture or each other in the face] i forgot how much i really liked pilates. i love the way my abs burn for about an hour when i'm done with the tape. it makes you feel like the effort you just put forth was worth the pain. it also delivers results in like a week. how can i not give up an hour of my time 4 days a week to get a little exercise and drop a dress size or two?

we'll see how my pledges will hold up. 38 days/nights and counting...