By Emily Williams

A new year is around the corner and it’s time to get in shape.

My baby boy turned two Dec. 18 and the “I just had a baby” excuse is not working anymore.

It seems this is the time of year to gain extra pounds with all the Christmas goodies around the office and family gatherings.

Also in January, I will not be twenty something anymore, I will be hitting my thirties. I am not getting upset about the aging process but decided to do something about it.

I have noticed, visiting different schools, that healthier food choices are being encouraged for our children at a young age. There’s an increased emphasis on exercise, too.

“Mississippi in Motion” is an effort by the Extension Service to help our state get out of the “number one” slot in obesity. Pope School’s faculty recently completed the 12-week diet and exercise education program.

My personal effort to fight the weight gain started at a local gym with the help of a personal trainer.

When I inquired about the fitness “boot camp” I was very intimidated and scared to find out how out of shape I really was.

After my first week of camp with my new friends and trainer, I felt like I could take on the world.

The camp can be done by anyone. Though the first few days I was sore, it was surely worth losing two pants sizes after the two weeks was over.

We walked on the treadmill with an incline to warm up, we then did intense cardio workout exercises like kick boxing, jumping over a bench, “burpies” or what I like to call them “up downs” and elbow punching a bag along with several other calorie burning exercises.

All these workouts can be done but are very hard to do without that little voice of my trainer saying “you can do it.”

I decided I would NOT be another fat statistic.

Life is full of choices. Choices are what make us who we are and influence how we feel.

My new favorite quote is “Nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels!”

I have a two-ear-old to keep up with and there is no stopping to catch your breath when you have realized he’s running full speed through a Chuck E. Cheese.