PAH!!!

I've decided that I'm tired of not blogging simply because I have nothing new, incredible, or wise to say about losing weight! I've put off visiting with my best blogger buddies because I haven't been following a food plan to the letter. I've become disinterested in reading the ups and downs of numbers on scales and the accompanying jubilation or plunge into depression.

Confession? I love reading your blogs because I find you interesting as people...not dieters!

And I'm missing the people behind the weight loss blogs because one at a time we are taking breaks from our blogs. Is it because, like me, you are a little tired of talking about what you've eaten, how far you've walked, or how many points are in peanut butter?

Don't get me wrong...maintaining a healthy weight is important and sharing that battle with other bloggers is so helpful! But I want friendships too.

I've discovered so many delightful people in the past couple of years and I share much more than weight loss with them. I delight in their lives, their accomplishments, their stories, their families. If they never lost another pound, I would still care about them as people...as cyber friends.

When it snows in Milwaukee, I wonder if TB and his wife will get to work, if they will play in the snow with their kids, and if the latest baby is doing well.

When I don't see a new post from Skinny in a while, I wonder if he's ok and if he's working long hours again!

When I see Kate taking a break from her blog, I hope she is ok and not bothered too much by that last .8 she wants to lose. I want to hear about her baking and new recipes and if her Mom is doing well.

When I don't hear from Noelle, I hope she is well and the kids are having fun on their summer break. I see her canning and making jelly and taking a few minutes to knit something.

And I am always appreciative of Cathy's latest well-thought-out blog entries...I learn so much from her. But I also enjoy the little glimpses into her life...where they celebrate an evening out or her inspirational entries.

I miss celebrating NASCAR with Shannon. I could go on and on...Cammy, Tori, JC, Pattie, Cynthia, Sunny, Lora, Caroline...I love sharing a bit of your lives as I read your blogs. I care about your weight if you care...but I also love reading about your bar exams, your visits to the lake, your gardens, your trips to the farmer's market.

So...I've renamed my blog. It is now Kathy Calculates: Life...I still care about weight loss and that is probably how you found my blog in the first place. It may have been the only thing we had in common at first, but, over time, I hope it isn't the only thing we have in common and the only reason you return.

My hope is that, like me, your desire is to connect with people who share a common goal...that of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Connecting and caring involves so much more than numbers...it requires getting to know the person behind those numbers. I believe with all my heart that it is the connection with the people I've found through my blog that has helped me more over the past couple of years than their weights or the plan they are following.

By learning about the people behind the blogs, I have a deeper appreciation for the fact that these people face the same hurdles that I do...that there is nothing magical about having lost a few pounds...that no matter how far you've come with weight loss that there is still life to be lived every day. Family celebrations come and go...holidays have to be dealt with...and eating plans have to be figured out. But when I woke up this morning and looked out the window, my happiness came from seeing my flowers in the garden. I wasn't lonely even though the man of the house is in Canada fishing and out of reach for a week cause my faithful Kipper was right there beside me. I find joy in calls from my daughters and sharing funny e-mails with a grandkid. I find creative pleasure in my knitting. I am so much more than a number on a scale!

So, I am going to get back to my blogging because it gives me pleasure. If I have something grand to share about weight loss, I will write about that. But, I will also share my life...my excitement that my favorite driver came in second last week!!! That my favorite candidate has the opportunity to make history in the fall. That my flowers always make me smile!

And I will celebrate my blogger friendships! You are the best!