THE OPPOSITE OF YES.

The most powerful word in the English language: NO. It is a negative used to express dissent, denial, or refusal, as in response to a question or request according to the dictionary.

I'm very well aware that I cannot (and would not) swim the English Channel. I hate cold, choppy water. But if you were to tell me, "No, April. No, we do not believe you will ever swim the English Channel. You cannot achieve it and you will not do it. You are a ninny. " I would heavily consider proving you wrong.

"No" has played a key role in motivating me to do the following:

• Stick my finger to a heated cigarette lighter (No April, this is hot, do not touch it).
• Pick off the whipped curls from my mother's homemade lemon meringue pie. (No fingers in the pie April).
• Tear a hole in the bag of marshmellows small enough to squeeze out one marshmellow at a time while mom is driving. (No eating the marshmellows before we get home APRIL)

Maybe, just maybe, I did things because people told me no.

Our friend Kenny Gipson is a bodybuilder. If you read his bio, he specifically talks about when someone doubted his passion for the sport in the 'before' era. The guy said something like, you don't have the heart kid, you'll never stick with it. When Kenny heard that phrase, it transformed his life. That was 15 years ago. He sleeps, eats and breathes bodybuilding. There's no other 6'4" 280lbs. solid muscle man within a few thousand miles. Kenny's passion for the sport is a juggernaut.

It seems like NO propels people even more, to do the opposite. Only, with losing weight I feel myself saying NO all the time. No I don't want to get up. No I'm busy. Not now, I'm working. And the list goes on. Why did I let myself get so chunky?

Running at the track lately revved up this competitive spirit in me. I found this neat track by the house. I used to be a track runner. 400m and 800m. I have my dad's big quad's and horse booty. Its just a Greer thing. Was a really really good long distance sprinter type. My dad made it to the Olympic Pentathalon trial team. He consumed 8,000 calories a day during that time.

Since discovering this race track near the house, I find myself challenged in a real way. I ran for 90 minutes yesterday. Sprint. Jog. Run. Walk. I'm so sore, I can hardly move my legs today. My thighs were close to seizure last night, I stretched them until it was possible to walk. Perhaps if I tell myself, no its not possible to keep the pace, no I'm just not cut out for this sporty stuff,; maybe I can overcome this plateau. Maybe if I hear myself giving up my health at 26 it will force me to realize NO is not an option. Its worth a shot! Why? because I've ballooned past my comfort level in body fat, my blood pressure is up, nothing fits, and the next dress size is not one I'm ready to come to terms with. Its a big 'un. I have never been so overweight, so bloated, and so disgusted with my rolls of jiggle & jelly.When I sit down, my chin meets me halfway. I can't lay down horizontally without having my thighs falling asleep. How the hell did this happen?

Can someone just tell me I can't do it? Maybe that's what I need. :-)