Countdown to My 40th Birthday!

OK, don't think I am crazy, but I am truly excited about turning forty! I mean, there are some things about my youth that I wish I could recapture (mainly my youthful looks and figure!), but I am beginning to embrace the exciting changes that being "over 40" can bring. And I like the idea of being able to say that I'm in my "early forties" as opposed to my "late thirties." It just has a better ring to it! :) I also feel as if I am about to join a fabulous club of women that I wasn't quite an official member of in my "thirties." Maybe it's because I live and breathe by magazines and books that refer to "women over 40" and how fabulous this stage in life can be! Whatever the reason, I am embracing the idea wholeheartedly and I am ready to begin my forties with a good attitude! My thirties were my "frumpy years" and I kind of "let myself go." As I neared the end of that decade, I began to awaken and pay more attention to myself. Now I am ready to enter the next decade with a whole new attiitude and a brand new me! Bring it on!

The only thing I am slightly disappointed about is that I probably won't quite make my goal weight by my birthday. I will be close, but not quite there. My goal was to lose 40 pounds by my 40th birthday. I am currently down around 30 pounds with about 10 to go. I am very proud of myself that I have changed my lifestyle to a healthier one and that I have lost quite a bit, but that last chunk is really being stubborn! And the way I am carrying that last bit of weight--still in my belly...still makes me look and feel slightly pregnant...still an eyesore to me! I HATE that flabby belly! I am ready to "give birth" to my 10 pound "bundle of blob"! When I lose the last 10 pounds, I better see a difference or I may seriously be considering a tummy tuck! Even though my goal weight is based on the ideal weight for a woman my size, I still was much smaller than that in my younger days. I wonder if an additional 10 to 15 pounds would make a big difference? I plan to keep living my new and healthy lifestyle--eating small healthy meals, drinking a LOT of water, and walking at least 5 miles a day. Maybe the pounds will keep shedding...I sure hope so. No matter what, I do feel much healthier and I truly feel much more energetic now. Losing weight is an added benefit, but overall good health is my ultimate goal.

So the countdown begins...12 days until I officially enter the club of women in their forties. I plan to go shopping for a stylish and youthful fall wardrobe, get my hair colored and cut into a fabulous style (so NOT like the middle-aged style of my mother's generation!), and transform myself into the woman that I want to be for this new decade. My birthday will symbolize my metamorphosis...I plan to exit the cocoon of my thirties and fly bravely and proudly into my forties. I am SO excited! :)