The Fat Fairy's Visit and Her April Surprise

When I woke up on March 1st, I realized I had been visited by the Fat Fairy. She is similar to the Tooth Fairy- I think they may be related! Only her mission is to visit me before my monthly weigh in day to take away all the pounds I lost for the month, or to leave me a little something as I start a new month. She came while I was asleep, and she left a surprise under my pillow- a notecard with the words "Remember the Power of Positive Thinking" written on it. The Fairy knew my mind is loaded with doubt and negative self talk, so she left me a simple reminder. Perfect for me! I thought about it, decided to try really hard to change my way of thinking during the month, and then charged into March with a lot of enthusiasm and positive motivation. I was on my way!

Well...somewhere around the beginning of the third week, I forgot all about staying positive. I started letting stress get to me. The only thing I was positive about was the fact that I would fall into my old habit of seeking comfort in food. I started to get bored with my exercise, barely logging minutes. My mantra for the month had been "Show up every day!" Well I did that...sort of. I showed up and put in my time to reach my 210 minute goal, and I put in my reps to reach my 210 rep goal- but I wasn't really there at all- working as hard as I could have been. The month ended up with a very disappointing gain of 4 pounds. UGH! All of my "positive thinking" went out the window. I was bummed!

So, as I trudged off to bed on the last evening of March, I knew the Fat Fairy would come and visit me again, and I did not want her to come. I had almost completely wiped out two months of progress in a handful of days. I had not remembered her message to me at the beginning of the month, and I wanted to avoid her, and my bad month, at all costs!

When I woke up, I sat for a minute before I reached under my pillow to find what she had left. Perhaps it would be a rotten candy bar- or a new pair of pants in a huge size...or a bathing suit!! Surely, she would be upset at my lack of progress and she would let me know it! After a brief search, I found her April message under my pillow...and it surprised me. She didn't leave a something that would "sting" my already bruised self image like I had thought. She knew that would serve no good purpose, so she left one that would invigorate and inspire me! It was a stop watch, with the number "720" on it.

Hmmm...this puzzled me. As I sat with the stop watch, I realized it started clicking away time. I thought and thought, and then I realized- there are 720 hours in the month of April! That Fat Fairy- she is one clever lil gal! She knew that I needed to focus- and focus hard! Her gift reminded me that I had wasted time last month, and wasted a lot of progress. She was looking forward....rather than back, with the gift she left. She was reminding me that I had a lot to do in the little bit of time I had in April....in 720 hours (minus sleep time, minus laundry time, minus carpooling time, etc etc....not too much time when you take out all that kind of stuff!)

I have 720 hours to make a positive change in my journey this month. There is so much work for me to do to make up for the bad month I had in March! I canNOT let an hour slip away without using it to it's full potential. If I am cooking a meal- I need to make it healthy! I do not have the time to be burning off calories from a chocolate binge! If I am exercising- I need to make every minute count- WORK HARD! If I am running errands- I need to sneak in a few extra steps by parking further. If I am cleaning the house, I could strap on my ankle weights. If I am playing outside with the kids, I can actually play and not just watch! If I am relaxing- I need to get my body rested, because I know that will help it progress towards my goals!

So, I am again inspired as I go into this month. I am inspired but cautious- I know how badly I fell last month, and I need to take care not to let that happen again. Time is ticking away, and I need to make the most of it! My mantra for last month was to show up every day...and I did that....but barley! I was not there in spirit- I was going through the motions. Now I need to really be PRESENT and ACCOUNTABLE as I move through this month!

The Fairy inspired me to pick a new mantra for April, and it is simple:
NOW

The time is NOW for me to make a good choice- not tomorrow or next week! NOW is what counts. What decisions am I making, right NOW, that will impact my result for April? I need to be in the moment, being thoughtful, and realizing that right NOW, I am deciding if I move closer to or further from my goals...all in this moment! All these moments will add up to be my progress. Wow- that's a lot to think about! THINKING WILL BE KEY for my success this month. I will not make decisions without considering their impact. I will be thoughtful in what I do.

Thanks for the stop watch, Fat Fairy! I will keep my eye on it, and I will look forward to your visit at the end of the month!! I am planning to have a load of pounds for you to take away...again...and hopefully, for good!