So I gave up diet soda 2 weeks ago today. I was a serious junkie- I'm talking 4 or 5 diet sodas/day. It's a wonder I was able to lose 55 pounds while still drinking it to that extreme. I decided to give it up because it's horrible for you and I knew all along that it was. I just kept telling myself that I was making so many other healthy changes that drinking soda wasn't going to kill me. There are worst things I could put into my body. Well, there are but that's still such a lame excuse. I'm not going to go on and on about why diet soda is bad for you. I think we all know by now that it is and you can do your own research if you want to know.
I went cold turkey and I was amazed at how easy it was! What helped me the most was throwing myself into my new addiction: fruit-infused water. It is SO good for you and it tastes really good and I am having so much fun trying new flavors. You can check out my Vitamin Water Pinterest board here. I have pinned a lot of really great recipes. My favorite so far and the most refreshing is cucumber mint. I also love raspberry lemon. I put all of the fruit (sliced thin) in the bottom of a big pitcher and top it with water and let it chill overnight. The flavors from the fruit come out into the water and the result is pretty much amazing.
Here are some benefits of drinking fruit-infused water (or even just plain water):
-Being hydrated improves your health and naturally flushes toxins out of your body
-Water keeps your skin plump and elastic (because who likes wrinkles?!)
-Water fights bloating
-Fruit-infused water makes drinking water more enjoyable because it has flavor
-There are natural antioxidants and vitamins from the fruit
-Drinking water speeds up your metabolism
Since switching to water, I feel so much more energetic, happy, my mind is clearer and my skin looks really good. I was having major breakouts on my face and that is now pretty much gone.
I hope I have inspired some of you to try fruit-infused water! You won't be disappointed!
Monday, April 29, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Dining Out....Without Blowing it.
This can be the biggest challenge you will face. It's one that I struggled with and still struggle with. Here are some tips and tricks that I've learned:
1. Do your homework. If you know ahead of time where you're going, go online and look at the menu and see what the healthier options are. That way you're not in a situation where the server is waiting on you to make up your mind and you make a spur of the moment bad decision.
2. Avoid buffets. No matter how much willpower you THINK you have, all of that goes out the window when you're loading up your plate. If you absolutely have to go to a buffet for some reason, try to just stick with the salad bar and maybe some grilled fish and grilled chicken. Even the vegetables at buffets are usually swimming in butter and/or oil. Gag. Instead of hitting the soft serve machine, opt for fruit and a little piece of pound cake.
3. Drink at least 1/2 liter of water before you leave the house. This will help you to not feel as hungry. Eat a snack about an hour or 2 before so you're not completely ravenous when you get to the restaurant.
4. Always get salad dressings on the side. You will use 50% less dressing and the dressing is the most caloric part of a salad usually. I dip my fork in the dressing before each bite and don't use nearly as much dressing that way.
5. Avoid anything with the words breaded, fried, creamy, buttered, scalloped or smothered. If something has mayonnaise on it, get it on the side and use about half of what they give you. Better yet, use mustard instead if possible.
6. Red sauce vs. White Sauce. If you're eating Italian, red sauces are always a much better option than white sauce. Have you ever re-heated alfredo sauce the next day when the butter has separated from the cream? Makes you realize what's in it. Yikes!
7. Don't be afraid to ask for substitutions or for the chef to prepare it differently. If something says breaded, ask if they can grill it instead. When ordering fish or any kind of seafood, ask for no butter to be used.
8. Eat slowly and take your time. If you inhale it, you won't have time to feel full before you've eaten the whole meal. I always try to not eat more than I would eat at home. So for a huge bowl of pasta, I would only eat about 1/3 of it and take the rest home.
9. If you're full and don't want to take the rest home, cover it up with a napkin or cover it with pepper so you won't be tempted to keep picking at it. I'm horrible about that. I'll say I'm full and just keep shoving food in my mouth because it's there.
10. Stick with your favorite places. If you know of restaurants that serve healthy meals that you love, there's nothing wrong with going back over and over again. Some of my favorites are Applebee's (love the 550 calorie menu), Crazy Bowls & Wraps, Subway, Panera (love how they list the calorie count on the menu), and Fazoli's (I get a kid's meal for 300 calories).
11. Skip dessert. It's tempting, but you really don't need it. Go home and have a little scoop of frozen yogurt with fruit or something you can control. Restaurant desserts are ridiculously high in calories.
Fast food can be a tricky one, but it's something we all have to eat sometimes. Here are a few of my go-to fast food choices:
- Anything on the fresco menu at Taco Bell
- Santa Fe Salad from McDonalds (390 calories WITH dressing!)
- Chicken, cranberry apple salad from Burger King (about 500 calories with dressing)
-Jimmy John's - Turkey Tom with no mayo, sub Dijon mustard, add peppers and onions and no cheese (about 300 calories and full of flavor)
- Fazoli's Kids meal
Whew, now I'm hungry! ;)
1. Do your homework. If you know ahead of time where you're going, go online and look at the menu and see what the healthier options are. That way you're not in a situation where the server is waiting on you to make up your mind and you make a spur of the moment bad decision.
2. Avoid buffets. No matter how much willpower you THINK you have, all of that goes out the window when you're loading up your plate. If you absolutely have to go to a buffet for some reason, try to just stick with the salad bar and maybe some grilled fish and grilled chicken. Even the vegetables at buffets are usually swimming in butter and/or oil. Gag. Instead of hitting the soft serve machine, opt for fruit and a little piece of pound cake.
3. Drink at least 1/2 liter of water before you leave the house. This will help you to not feel as hungry. Eat a snack about an hour or 2 before so you're not completely ravenous when you get to the restaurant.
4. Always get salad dressings on the side. You will use 50% less dressing and the dressing is the most caloric part of a salad usually. I dip my fork in the dressing before each bite and don't use nearly as much dressing that way.
5. Avoid anything with the words breaded, fried, creamy, buttered, scalloped or smothered. If something has mayonnaise on it, get it on the side and use about half of what they give you. Better yet, use mustard instead if possible.
6. Red sauce vs. White Sauce. If you're eating Italian, red sauces are always a much better option than white sauce. Have you ever re-heated alfredo sauce the next day when the butter has separated from the cream? Makes you realize what's in it. Yikes!
7. Don't be afraid to ask for substitutions or for the chef to prepare it differently. If something says breaded, ask if they can grill it instead. When ordering fish or any kind of seafood, ask for no butter to be used.
8. Eat slowly and take your time. If you inhale it, you won't have time to feel full before you've eaten the whole meal. I always try to not eat more than I would eat at home. So for a huge bowl of pasta, I would only eat about 1/3 of it and take the rest home.
9. If you're full and don't want to take the rest home, cover it up with a napkin or cover it with pepper so you won't be tempted to keep picking at it. I'm horrible about that. I'll say I'm full and just keep shoving food in my mouth because it's there.
10. Stick with your favorite places. If you know of restaurants that serve healthy meals that you love, there's nothing wrong with going back over and over again. Some of my favorites are Applebee's (love the 550 calorie menu), Crazy Bowls & Wraps, Subway, Panera (love how they list the calorie count on the menu), and Fazoli's (I get a kid's meal for 300 calories).
11. Skip dessert. It's tempting, but you really don't need it. Go home and have a little scoop of frozen yogurt with fruit or something you can control. Restaurant desserts are ridiculously high in calories.
Fast food can be a tricky one, but it's something we all have to eat sometimes. Here are a few of my go-to fast food choices:
- Anything on the fresco menu at Taco Bell
- Santa Fe Salad from McDonalds (390 calories WITH dressing!)
- Chicken, cranberry apple salad from Burger King (about 500 calories with dressing)
-Jimmy John's - Turkey Tom with no mayo, sub Dijon mustard, add peppers and onions and no cheese (about 300 calories and full of flavor)
- Fazoli's Kids meal
Whew, now I'm hungry! ;)
Thursday, April 25, 2013
My Top 10 List for Getting (and staying) Motivated
This is a tricky one because everyone is different and motivated by different things. I'll preface this by saying that I'm not an expert at this, but these are things that worked for me.
Now before you even begin your weight loss journey, you need to think long and hard about WHY you want to lose the weight. This can be a number of reasons: to feel healthy, to look better, to fit into a wedding dress, to be better at sports, etc. My main reason was to be a good example for my children and to be the woman that my husband married 10 years ago. I had changed not just physically, but emotionally. I was more withdrawn because of my weight and I was not comfortable in my own skin. It was affecting my marriage and affecting my life. THOSE were my reasons.
The next step is to set a goal. My goal at first was to lose 30 lbs. At the time I thought that's all I really could lose. I didn't set my sights high enough, but that's okay because as time went on I realized what I was capable of. It's okay to start with a smaller goal: let's say 20 pounds. Once you have your goal in place and you know your reasons for wanting to meet that goal, keep it in your mind and remind yourself of them EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Here's my Top 10 List for Staying Motivated (in no particular order):
1. When my alarm goes off on my cell phone in the morning, it says "REMEMBER WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS". It helps me get in the right frame of mind before my feet even hit the floor.
2. I have pictures on my refrigerator of myself (skinny and happy) in college and I printed out some of my favorite quotes like "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels" and "When you feel like quitting, remember why you started." Having reminders in your kitchen will keep you focused.
3. Keep at it. If you take a few days off, it is so hard to get your motivation back. You have to keep at it every day. Don't lose focus and just tell yourself that a cheat day here and there is okay, but do not get derailed for more than 1 day at a time. The longer you veer off course, the longer it takes to get back on track. For example, we went to stay in St. Louis on our 10th anniversary last month and you can bet that I cheated like Tiger Woods (only with food and booze, not hookers). But I got right back at it the next day and no real damage was done. Same thing with holidays. It's okay to indulge a little but don't let it turn into an entire week of binge eating and couch surfing. It's not worth it to lose so much of your hard earned progress.
4. Find a partner in crime. Having someone to be accountable to is huge. You can encourage each other and give each other crap when you are slacking. It helps.
5. Think healthy, not skinny. To really lose weight and have it stay off you have to not think of it as a diet. Honestly if you want to get thin and healthy, there is no finish line. It never ends. You have to keep doing this forever if you don't want to gain it all back. Focus on changing your eating habits to be healthy and the skinny will follow. Crash dieting and not eating enough calories will have adverse affects. It takes longer to lose weight with a lifestyle change vs. a crash diet, but it's worth it because you have changed your ways and you will be able to stick with it long term.
6. Don't eliminate foods, limit them instead. If you tell yourself you can never eat ice cream again and pizza is forbidden, who in their right mind would commit to this lifestyle change? Everything in moderation. There are lots of low calorie ice cream options at the store or allow yourself a mini blizzard every once in a while. They're like 300 calories, so just work them into your daily allowance. And make homemade pizza and you can control the amount of calories that go into it.
7. Celebrate the small victories. I know I said this the other day, but I'll say it again. 1 pound lost is a big deal and so is 1 inch off your waist. Look at this graphic below and keep it in mind when you want to whine and say, "Only 1 pound this week!"
8. Get rid of your "fat clothes". As soon as I outgrew them, I sold them or gave them away. It was a way of telling myself that I was never going back there. Don't give yourself the option to grow back into them.
9. Pace yourself. Know that this new lifestyle is the healthy way and doing it this way means it will take longer. Be realistic and come to terms with the fact that it could take you 6 months to a year to reach your goals. Another one of my favorite quotes is, "One year from now, you will wish you had started today." A year goes by SO fast. Have something to show for it at the end.
10. Buy some cute workout clothes. Having something nice to wear will encourage you to get out there more. If you're wearing your husband's old t-shirt, it's just not as enticing to go to the gym or go out for a walk/run. I love Wal-Mart's Danskin brand and Target's C9 brand.
I hope some of this helped you in some way. I'm sure there are things I'm forgetting, and there are probably some things you could teach me. Whatever it takes to motivate you, is what you need to do. Getting motivated in the beginning is the easy part. It's staying motivated that takes dedication and drive. You can do it!
Now before you even begin your weight loss journey, you need to think long and hard about WHY you want to lose the weight. This can be a number of reasons: to feel healthy, to look better, to fit into a wedding dress, to be better at sports, etc. My main reason was to be a good example for my children and to be the woman that my husband married 10 years ago. I had changed not just physically, but emotionally. I was more withdrawn because of my weight and I was not comfortable in my own skin. It was affecting my marriage and affecting my life. THOSE were my reasons.
The next step is to set a goal. My goal at first was to lose 30 lbs. At the time I thought that's all I really could lose. I didn't set my sights high enough, but that's okay because as time went on I realized what I was capable of. It's okay to start with a smaller goal: let's say 20 pounds. Once you have your goal in place and you know your reasons for wanting to meet that goal, keep it in your mind and remind yourself of them EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Here's my Top 10 List for Staying Motivated (in no particular order):
1. When my alarm goes off on my cell phone in the morning, it says "REMEMBER WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS". It helps me get in the right frame of mind before my feet even hit the floor.
2. I have pictures on my refrigerator of myself (skinny and happy) in college and I printed out some of my favorite quotes like "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels" and "When you feel like quitting, remember why you started." Having reminders in your kitchen will keep you focused.
3. Keep at it. If you take a few days off, it is so hard to get your motivation back. You have to keep at it every day. Don't lose focus and just tell yourself that a cheat day here and there is okay, but do not get derailed for more than 1 day at a time. The longer you veer off course, the longer it takes to get back on track. For example, we went to stay in St. Louis on our 10th anniversary last month and you can bet that I cheated like Tiger Woods (only with food and booze, not hookers). But I got right back at it the next day and no real damage was done. Same thing with holidays. It's okay to indulge a little but don't let it turn into an entire week of binge eating and couch surfing. It's not worth it to lose so much of your hard earned progress.
4. Find a partner in crime. Having someone to be accountable to is huge. You can encourage each other and give each other crap when you are slacking. It helps.
5. Think healthy, not skinny. To really lose weight and have it stay off you have to not think of it as a diet. Honestly if you want to get thin and healthy, there is no finish line. It never ends. You have to keep doing this forever if you don't want to gain it all back. Focus on changing your eating habits to be healthy and the skinny will follow. Crash dieting and not eating enough calories will have adverse affects. It takes longer to lose weight with a lifestyle change vs. a crash diet, but it's worth it because you have changed your ways and you will be able to stick with it long term.
6. Don't eliminate foods, limit them instead. If you tell yourself you can never eat ice cream again and pizza is forbidden, who in their right mind would commit to this lifestyle change? Everything in moderation. There are lots of low calorie ice cream options at the store or allow yourself a mini blizzard every once in a while. They're like 300 calories, so just work them into your daily allowance. And make homemade pizza and you can control the amount of calories that go into it.
7. Celebrate the small victories. I know I said this the other day, but I'll say it again. 1 pound lost is a big deal and so is 1 inch off your waist. Look at this graphic below and keep it in mind when you want to whine and say, "Only 1 pound this week!"
8. Get rid of your "fat clothes". As soon as I outgrew them, I sold them or gave them away. It was a way of telling myself that I was never going back there. Don't give yourself the option to grow back into them.
9. Pace yourself. Know that this new lifestyle is the healthy way and doing it this way means it will take longer. Be realistic and come to terms with the fact that it could take you 6 months to a year to reach your goals. Another one of my favorite quotes is, "One year from now, you will wish you had started today." A year goes by SO fast. Have something to show for it at the end.
10. Buy some cute workout clothes. Having something nice to wear will encourage you to get out there more. If you're wearing your husband's old t-shirt, it's just not as enticing to go to the gym or go out for a walk/run. I love Wal-Mart's Danskin brand and Target's C9 brand.
I hope some of this helped you in some way. I'm sure there are things I'm forgetting, and there are probably some things you could teach me. Whatever it takes to motivate you, is what you need to do. Getting motivated in the beginning is the easy part. It's staying motivated that takes dedication and drive. You can do it!
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Losing Weight on a Budget
So here is the story of my love affair with Aldi.....
One of my excuses before was that healthy food was too expensive. Sound familiar? They built an Aldi near my house and I ventured in there one day and I was shocked! Whole wheat spaghetti? Hummus? Flatbread with flax? Almond milk? Stevia? This is not the Aldi I remembered. They have evolved and if you aren't shopping there you are missing out! Every time I go in, there is something new. I swear I almost cried the day I saw that they now carry natural peanut butter and it was less than $3. I was paying over $5 for natural peanut butter at Walmart. Regular peanut butter is TERRIBLE for you with hydrogenated oils that will spackle your arteries. Gross. I beg of you, switch to natural peanut butter. You can't tell a difference at all. In fact, ransack your kitchen and if anything has hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup, get rid of it. Hydrogenated oils are so 20th century. Sorry, I'm getting off track here, but I'm passionate about that.....
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One of my excuses before was that healthy food was too expensive. Sound familiar? They built an Aldi near my house and I ventured in there one day and I was shocked! Whole wheat spaghetti? Hummus? Flatbread with flax? Almond milk? Stevia? This is not the Aldi I remembered. They have evolved and if you aren't shopping there you are missing out! Every time I go in, there is something new. I swear I almost cried the day I saw that they now carry natural peanut butter and it was less than $3. I was paying over $5 for natural peanut butter at Walmart. Regular peanut butter is TERRIBLE for you with hydrogenated oils that will spackle your arteries. Gross. I beg of you, switch to natural peanut butter. You can't tell a difference at all. In fact, ransack your kitchen and if anything has hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup, get rid of it. Hydrogenated oils are so 20th century. Sorry, I'm getting off track here, but I'm passionate about that.....
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These are just a few of my staples. Protein bars (for breakfast), 50 calorie OJ,
Flatbread, yogurt and low fat cheese
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These little peppers are so good dipped in Greek Yogurt dip or just by themselves.
And this is pretty much the greatest thing ever. I spread a little on flatbread
with turkey, cucumber, spinach and tomato and it's like a little gyro.
For our family of 4, I spend about $70-$100/week on groceries. Not bad. Their frozen chicken is all natural and I cook with it at least 2 nights/week. I use it to make baked chicken, chicken and brown rice, chicken fajitas, etc. In the summer we make chicken on the grill a lot. They sell Jennie-O's ground turkey, which is good in my spaghetti sauce. I love their frozen seafood, especially the salmon and tilapia. Thaw it out and sautee it with just cooking spray and some seasonings. Super healthy and really tasty.
Also, you can't beat Aldi's produce. Sometimes the strawberries and grapes are hit or miss but it's like that at any store. Their asparagus, peppers, broccoli, apples and potatoes are the best and way cheaper than even Walmart.
So are you getting the picture here? I LOVE Aldi. I love Aldi more than my daughter loves a good fart joke. I love Aldi more than my son loves flinging yogurt. I.love.Aldi.
It's possible to feed a family of 4 healthy food for less than $100/week. I lost all of my weight eating food from Aldi.
Jeez, I should get an endorsement deal!
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
In the beginning.....
I'm going back to the beginning of my weight loss story in late 2011. I've thought a lot over the past year about why this time was different. Why I was able to stick with it this time. I have made many attempts at weight loss over the years and I wondered why this time feels different. Here's what I think....
I think in order to truly change and lose weight you have to admit to yourself that YOU and YOU ALONE are the reason you are overweight. It's not because you have an office job where you sit in a chair, or that you have kids (I was claiming baby weight when my daughter was in preschool), or that you just don't have time or don't like fruits and vegetables. Blah, blah, blah. I had to face the fact that I had gotten this big on my own and I was the only one to blame. (I know sometimes there are medical conditions that can cause weight gain, but that's rare)
Once you realize that and take ownership of it, you realize that you can take control of the situation and change it. Once you see that it's not some out of control circumstance that made you fat (trust me I blamed everything but myself), then you see that it is something that you yourself can change.
It started small at first. I started going to the gym 3 days/week and doing 20 minutes on the elliptical and I started using myfitnesspal (Which I love! I'm Kbeatty32, so look me up) to track my calories and once I lost the first 5 pounds I really started to feel like I was taking control of my health. Just take baby steps and feel proud of every single little accomplishment. Just don't treat yourself with food! I told myself once I lost 10 pounds I would get my hair highlighted. And I did. When I lost 20 pounds, I bought some new jeans. Just last weekend I hit 55 pounds and treated myself to an amazing swimsuit I have been eyeing for about 6 months.
So, to sum it all up, just take ownership for it and take steps (big or small) to change it. I know it's easier said than done. Trust me, I know. But keep focused on the outcome and that is to feel good about yourself and to feel healthy and younger. I know it's such a cliché, but for months I had a piece of paper on my fridge that said, "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels." Oh, so true. That piece of cake at 10 pm is going to taste good for about the 3 minutes it takes you to eat it, but once it's gone all you're left with is a horrible feeling and regret. When I get hungry late at night, I chug water and just go to bed. I wake up feeling proud of myself for not eating crap. THAT is motivation in itself!
I think in order to truly change and lose weight you have to admit to yourself that YOU and YOU ALONE are the reason you are overweight. It's not because you have an office job where you sit in a chair, or that you have kids (I was claiming baby weight when my daughter was in preschool), or that you just don't have time or don't like fruits and vegetables. Blah, blah, blah. I had to face the fact that I had gotten this big on my own and I was the only one to blame. (I know sometimes there are medical conditions that can cause weight gain, but that's rare)
Once you realize that and take ownership of it, you realize that you can take control of the situation and change it. Once you see that it's not some out of control circumstance that made you fat (trust me I blamed everything but myself), then you see that it is something that you yourself can change.
It started small at first. I started going to the gym 3 days/week and doing 20 minutes on the elliptical and I started using myfitnesspal (Which I love! I'm Kbeatty32, so look me up) to track my calories and once I lost the first 5 pounds I really started to feel like I was taking control of my health. Just take baby steps and feel proud of every single little accomplishment. Just don't treat yourself with food! I told myself once I lost 10 pounds I would get my hair highlighted. And I did. When I lost 20 pounds, I bought some new jeans. Just last weekend I hit 55 pounds and treated myself to an amazing swimsuit I have been eyeing for about 6 months.
So, to sum it all up, just take ownership for it and take steps (big or small) to change it. I know it's easier said than done. Trust me, I know. But keep focused on the outcome and that is to feel good about yourself and to feel healthy and younger. I know it's such a cliché, but for months I had a piece of paper on my fridge that said, "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels." Oh, so true. That piece of cake at 10 pm is going to taste good for about the 3 minutes it takes you to eat it, but once it's gone all you're left with is a horrible feeling and regret. When I get hungry late at night, I chug water and just go to bed. I wake up feeling proud of myself for not eating crap. THAT is motivation in itself!
I'm on Facebook! Check out my Facebook page here! I will post updates there when a new blog post is up and I will post some things there like recipes and pics.
Monday, April 22, 2013
My Weight Loss Story
So I technically started this blog a year ago with the intentions of posting weight loss tips and about my running, etc. At that time I still wasn't sure of myself and I didn't feel like anyone wanted to read it and I didn't feel like I was any kind of expert on the subject. Flash forward to a year later, I am still not an expert but I'm a hell of a lot smarter about this lifestyle that I now lead and I feel like I should pay it forward and inform/motivate others through this blog. Thanks for checking it out and I'll start with my updated weight loss story. I originally posted this after my first half marathon back in October 2012. The before pic below is from 2007 at my highest weight ever non-pregnant (193). The after pic is from last month on our 10-year anniversary getaway (133 lbs)
MY WEIGHT LOSS STORY
MY WEIGHT LOSS STORY
I have reflected a lot lately on how I got here and how much
further I still want to go. These last 10 pounds are going to be the hardest I
think, but I am totally fine with taking my time and doing it the healthy way.
I think back to the very beginning of this...Christmas night
2011 to be exact. I had gotten a new sweater or something like that and I tried
it on and was just SO unhappy with how I looked. My husband had gotten some new
running gear and I was always so amazed at how healthy and fit he was. I
thought to myself that he deserves a wife who cares about her health as much as
he does. I thought about the woman I was when we first met. Totally fit with
rock hard abs. I know he didn't fall in love with me for my appearance but I
still thought about how it's not sending him a very good message that I had
just completely let myself go. I love him and I want him to know that I still
love him enough to want to be healthy and fit for him. I also thought about my
daughter and the message I wanted to send to her. I want her to know the
importance of staying active and being healthy. I don't want her to obsess
about her weight or about being skinny, but I want to show her by example that
hard work pays off and she can accomplish anything if she puts her mind to it.
So I started this journey for THEM. Along the way my motivations have evolved
and once I lost the first 20 pounds it also became about me and proving to
myself that I could do it. I felt so awesome after the first 20 pounds that I
briefly felt like I should just stop where I was. But I quickly gained 5 pounds
back and I realized that I was far from done and I still had a long way to go
to change myself. That was around April, which is also when I decided I was
going to do the Rock N Roll Half Marathon. I started the Couch 2 5K that month
and completed it in June. I did my first official 5K in August and then a
4-mile run after that. For most of June and July I was convinced I didn’t
really want to do the Half Marathon. I loved running, but I had myself
convinced that I didn’t want to run 13.1 miles. But I realized that was the old
me talking and the new me wouldn’t back down from it just because it sounded
hard and miserable. I was going to do it. I didn’t get to train as much as I
wanted to, but I still finished and the next time I run a half marathon my time
will improve. I’m not striving to be an elite runner or even to really compete.
I just want to do it to prove to myself that I can. And to also show my
daughter and son that hard work pays off. So in a way running has changed me
and it has definitely changed my body. It has brought me and my husband closer
together and made me realize even more how amazing he is. The whole 8 years
that I was overweight he never ONCE said anything to me about my weight or
asked me to lose weight. Sometimes I wonder if he even realized that I was
overweight, but I don’t know how he couldn’t. He was just being nice. That’s
who he is and he inspires me every day to be the best I can be. I’m sharing
this because if I can inspire just one person to start their own journey then
that just makes my journey all the better. You don’t have to settle for
anything. Grab life by the balls and make it YOURS! J
UPDATE AS OF 4/22/13-
Since writing that weight loss story in November 2012 I have
lost 5 more pounds and I am down a total of 55 pounds. I still run and I have
now realized the importance of cross training. I do Jillian Michaels Ripped in
30 6 days/week and have 3 new Jillian DVDs on their way this week so I can
change it up a little bit. I gave up diet soda a week ago and I have seriously
never felt better. My energy level is much higher, which I wasn’t expecting. I
have discovered a love of fruit infused water, so I’ll be posting some of my
favorites on here.
Me after my run tonight. It's not a pretty sight, but damn it felt good!
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