Four letter dirty word: d-i-e-t.

This morning, I was going through my daily routine. Shower, primp, dress...when I noticed my reflection in the mirror. Where did that extra little bit of fat come from? I've heard that after the first year of marriage, the average bride gains approximately 20 pounds. I vowed that I would not be one of those brides. I would be the same size that I was on our wedding day (at least until babies came along). And for awhile, I was. Slowly, I noticed a change. My college sized jeans were a little tighter. My work pants weren't as comfortable as they used to be. I refused to acknowledge this change. I continued to make myself wear the tiny-bit too small pair of pants because accepting it meant buying a bigger size. And that was NOT going to happen. For those of you that know me, I'm a faithful viewer of What Not to Wear. I LOVE Stacy and Clinton. Stacy, with her flippant attitude and her know-it-all fashion sense, is constantly lecturing women that are insisting on squeezing into their too small clothing. "It's not the number on the tag that counts, it's how you look in the clothing." I would scoff at the WNTW contestants and wonder why they couldn't accept going from a 8 to a 10 if it meant looking better and not wearing skin-tight clothing. Until I was that person looking at changing clothing sizes. It wasn't just a change from a 4 to a 6, it was accepting that I'm gaining weight. And before all of you freak out on me, I know I'm not fat. I have a small frame, but I have gained a few extra pounds that don't need to be there. And the result is a lower self-esteem version of me. I look at my wedding dress and wonder if I could even get it zipped. So here's my personal challenge. Lose 5 pounds. My stomach doctor has put me on a gluten free diet (which translates to no breads, no pizza dough, no pasta, nothing made with wheat) so I'm going to faithfully stick to it. I'm also going to go walking. Now that summer is coming to an end and it's not unbearably hot outside, I'm going to take a stroll. Heck, I might even start jogging (although I don't think my asthma will tolerate much of that...). Not only will it help me get into better shape, but it'll be relaxing. Starting today, I'm on a slim down a little and feel better about myself kind of diet. If Audrey Hepburn can make a vow that she'll never weigh over 103 pounds, why can't I make a similar pact?