I cheated this morning. I ran. I ran two whole days earlier than I should have. Now I may be obsessed at times about exercise, but I'm also a by-the-books kind of girl so breaking my doctor's six-week exercise restriction rule isn't exactly in my nature.

I just couldn't wait any longer. I cracked. I crumbled. I broke under the pressure I felt to get back out there and move my legs like I did so long ago. So I threw on my running gear, strapped on my MP3 player, and conquered a 2.5-mile run. It felt great. I mean, it was hard -- my legs hurt and my breathing was more labored than usual -- but it was great. The best part: My tummy-tucked belly didn't hurt or pull or strain at all. Six weeks, just like my doctor said. It takes six week to fully recover from such a major surgery. Yep, it does. Give or take a day. Or two.