I've known I've needed to lose weight for years now. It's just a fact. As a 5'2, curvy girl, I know I'll never have a thigh gap or be a size 2 but I let that line of thinking give me excuses for not doing anything about my extra pounds. And there's a lot of extra pounds. Once I quit sports in the 5th grade, I've steadily gained about 5-10 lbs per year. Every fall season I have to buy one size larger jeans. I've just never learned how to work exercise into my life.

Over the past year or two, I would "commit" to eating healthier and working out. But I never did. I would go a few days, maybe a week but I would always give myself an out. "Oh I had a bad day, I deserve ice cream" or "It's raining, I can't go jogging in the rain" or even "I don't have money for groceries, I'll just get Chick-fil-a, that's healthier than Wendy's right?". Just excuse after excuse.

But this time, I'm serious. No fast food, no dessert, daily workouts in my bedroom if I can't go to the gym. So what was it that finally pushed me to seriously commit for the first time? I got new stretch marks...and they're red.

That's literally it. I have new stretch marks and instead of being white like my other ones, they're bright red and I think they're ugly and I don't want anymore.

Look I know that's not the best reason to get inspired to live healthier, but that's where I'm at. And so far, I've been following through. I've really been sticking to my commitment to getting healthier and being more active. All because of some stretch marks.

But hey, if this is what's going to kick my butt into gear then so be it. Should I have a better reason, probably? But those "right" reasons never got me fired up about changing my habits like these stretch marks are.

So that's my story. About how vanity has somehow become the thing that drove me to get it together and really, truly, seriously try to lose this weight.

Wish me luck!