What a wonderful experience! What an interesting experience! What wonderful and interesting people I've met and what life enriching "aha" revelations I've had -- in the course of less than one year!

As I've stated time and again, the best thing fused into my lifestyle is being mindful of mindless exercising -- Taking my body and routine up a notch, incorporating different ways of moving that'll include my entire body, simply tightening my stomach and gluts or breathing consciously, even while simply strolling through the mall, all make measurable differences.

Am I the only one? For years, I did not believe it was necessary to work on the total being -- at the same time. As long as I was working on something -- anything -- that was OK. I noticed how diet fads, gurus and equipment gadgets targeted unsuspecting desperate 'dieters.' Because their superstar spokesperson swore by its effectiveness, it was suppose to be so.

Not long ago, I'd assumed that if I were dieting -- i.e. no carbs, the cabbage diet, the shakes etc. -- there was no need to exercise too. And I'd still expect to lose the weight.

Or, if I joined a gym, parked farther away from my destination or bought a new gadget from an infomercial, then I didn't have to watch what I ate -- and I would still lose weight. Dang it! It ain't true! At least not for me.

Total body health and feeling great takes a total mental makeover

If you weren't raised to eat only when hungry, work to a sweat doing chores, partake in routine family outdoor activities of any kind and were not taught what your body actually is and what each organ and tissue is used for, expecting to pick up the total mind and body makeover as an adult has its difficulties.

It's kind of like growing up in a household, on a block in a community where every last person is grossly overweight. How are you going to know if you are overweight? A diet to this person is adding a SlimFast to their scrapple, egg and cheese sandwich on buttered potato bread and mayonnaise (for dipping) on the side.

And will drive to a job that is a mere eight walking blocks from the house. Or 249-lb Aunt Tiny's lying on the couch as she does everyday after work, with the remote in one hand and a diet soda in the other and an empty carton of Snackwells proclaiming this to be the first day of her diet. How and where does a child acquire the knowledge and engrain the habit into their total being?

So folks, my metabolism isn't the way it used to be where I could hit the club and dance the carrot cake right off. My body has told me that I've got to exercise its lungs through cardio; stretch and utilize its muscles w/ strength building; and since I'm determined to eat what I want -- when I want to eat it -- at least pay attention to the portion size.

I said I'd quit smoking after I finished school; I thought I'd lose weight first then quit smoking. I tried one week of weight training only and slacked on my morning run. There was a stint where I even slipped back into my Krispy Kreme and egg-fu-yung habit, believing the daily run would at least "balance" me out.

Folks, it isn't called a total mind makeover for nothing. It's an essential piece of the whole me, that, to be honest, I haven't fully embraced. But thanks to New You; my pair, Frank Purcell; and the many well-wishers & bloggers, the journey toward knowing what it takes for me was quite an investment yielding life enriching returns. And knowing is half the battle.

So if you decide to purchase that shiny miracle Ab Lounge -- don't stop attending your Weight Watchers meetings. OK? See you on the dance floor!

OH! I almost selectively forgot. The pairs did a weigh-in update and I bought my scale in from home. Apparently, I'm finding out for the first time that my scale has blessed my ego with a 5-7 pound reduction. It seems every scale in my house gave me a sustained weight of 150 pounds. Anywho, New You wanted to weigh us again at the gym where they believed the scales would be accurate.

Ladies and gentlemen, I will go to my grave protesting the gym scale. I believe they inflate the scale by 5 pounds to make the member believe they need to continue their memberships. So we're at the gym ... on both the digital ... and the [sniffle] old fashioned scale, I weighed 159. But that was w/ my clothes on, the braids in my hair and the .04 lb microphone thingy. And who really weighs themselves at home w/ clothes on. Not me -- NEVER! IT'S A CONSPIRACY! But I've decided I'm going to leave my scales just the way they are and live in blissful ignorance. Besides I'm sexy with or without those conspiratized 9 pounds.

Peace, Stars & Butterflies