Hello, My Lovelies,

I currently have 2,436 emails in my Stretch Marks Inbox, alone. And I read every single solitary one of them. I can’t always reply – but I can always read.

So, trust me when I tell you: I know what you love.

I know who you love.

I know what you look forward to.

I know who you want to spend your time with.

I know what excites you.

I know you looooooove your grandbabies.

I know you finally found love on that second marriage.

I know you love those kids of yours (that you so often want to strangle.)

And with the exception of the grandbabies (SOMEDAY!) and the second marriage (SOMEDAY! 😉) I love all of the very same things you love. That’s why you and I are so much alike. We don’t just get really mad when they get our order wrong at Chick-Fil-A or want to scream in the plus size section of Target…we also love the same things. We live and work and dream about all of the same things that take up the places in our hearts.

I love that about us.

This year, I’ve been writing to you all about my health journey and my desire to lose weight. But what I didn’t tell you was the reason I most wanted to lose weight. So here they are, in no particular order:

·        My two kids; that I adopted and adore and want to spend the rest of my life trying to strangle.

·        I want to have an incredible sex life with David Radke, where I don’t feel the need to cover up or hide.

·        I want to go to the beach with my girlfriends and not run for cover every time someone pulls out a camera.

·        I want to go to Disney with all 21 of my family members and wear matching t-shirts and look like idiots and not have to sit down every 17 steps.

Did you notice that none of the reasons I listed were because of someone I hated and wanted to get revenge on? I am not on this journey so I can get even with my high school nemesis. I’m not trying to change my life because I hate vacationing with my friends, and I don’t want to look good in a bathing suit.

We never change – truly change – our lives for the things we hate.

We do it – truly do it – for the things we love.

Which is why whenever I walked up to the counter in 2009 and joined YET ANOTHER DIET PROGRAM, they did not ask me about the things I loved. They asked me what I was sick of…and they asked me for my money. And that’s why I failed, again. Because I wasn’t working from the inside out. I was working from the outside in. I hated being fat – so I would never eat ice cream again. I hated being bigger than my friends – so I would weigh in each week. I hated not being able to run without getting winded – so I would pay someone to tell me if I was still fat.

Never once did anyone ask me WHAT / WHO I FREAKIN’ LOVED.

If they had…I might have worked smarter, not harder. I might have succeeded. I might have added “myself” to the list (“I love me. I like me a lot. She’s sad but man, I really like me.”) But again, no one asked.

I want to invite you to give me 5 Days. That’s it. Just 5 Days. I have come up with something I like to call the 5 DAY INSIDE OUT CHALLENGE. Give me 5 days. That’s it. A Movement that will take us FROM THE GAIN…TO THE BRAIN! Anybody feel me??

Let me tell you what will not happen: You will not be charged. You will not weigh in. You will not have to take a picture of yourself in a sports bra and post it. You will not have to eat celery. You will not lose 60 pounds.

Let me tell you what will happen: We will, like a good mechanic, open the hood and take a long look inside. We will assume that if something isn’t running properly then chances are it’s because what inside needs to be dealt with just as much (if not more) than what’s outside.

Imagine it’s the 90’s…you just walked into a brand-new weight-loss group that (you think) is going to solve all your problems…you’re a nervous wreck and you wore your lightest clothes because you know you’d be stepping up on that scale…you walk up to the counter…you see me…I say, “Hi. Are you here for the Inside Out Challenge?” …You reply, “Yes, is this the right place?” …I say, “It sure is.” …You say, “Great. What do I need to do to get started?” as you reach for your wallet…I say, “Nope, I don’t need anything from you. Just tell me a little about yourself. And start with this: What is it you love? What is it you are so crazy passionate about that brought you here today? I’d love to know.”

Wanna know something I love??

I love you.

Mel

P.S. You can sign up for the 5 Day INSIDE OUT CHALLENGE  by simply clicking this link.

You aren’t alone. Many, many, many will be joining us. We have each other & that’s all you need to know. I gotchu.