Running

Over this past very busy weekend I unfortunately ate a lot of unhealthy things (burger and fries, cheese fries, bagel, chicken nuggets, fast food burger, chinese food just to name some of it) and am definitely paying the price. Not only did I eat crap, but I didn't get to the gym on Friday, Saturday OR Sunday! It was just ridiculous! It was nice to be social and have fun with new friends but I can't let my new healthy lifestyle get pushed by the wayside every time there's an Ugly Xmas Sweater Party to attend. Sunday I was doing really well with my eating until I got home after work. Then I ate myself stupid with whatever I could find. Though the only good news about that is that I polished off the tempting bread and cereal! I had gained about 3-4 lbs in just one weekend from all that junk.

So yesterday I officially jumped back on the wagon. I ate well and I hit the gym. I ran 2.1 miles (25 minutes) at the gym, then walked for another 20 minutes for a total of 45 minutes of cardio. I also went on a walk during my lunch break so I burned about 700 calories yesterday. My calorie intake was about 1,500 which was on the high side, but I'm aiming to keep it in the 1,300-1,500 range. And this morning the scale is already heading in the right direction.

On my walk during lunch yesterday, I saw a poster for Cupid's Chase 5k. It's a race to support a company that supports people with disabilities. It's the day before Valentine's Day and it's right in Princeton! I know I wanted to gear up for Maddy's 5k, but I think this one would be a good start. If I could run a 5k last week on pure emotion, then i'll be able to runa 5k in two months on pure adrenaline. My issue will be moving my training from inside on the treadmill to outside. Especially as the weather gets colder.

I always hated running. Mostly because I was terrible at it. But now that I'm actually trying it and finding my rhythm with it, I realize it's a lot of focus and not just putting one foot in front of the other. It's a completely mental activity, and I finally understand why people enjoy it. At this point, I can't say that I enjoy it yet, but I love how I feel afterwards. While watching the Biggest Loser last week, Kathryn told me "That's all marathon running is: pain management". And I'm realizing that's definitely the case. My ultimate goal will be to run a half marathon in the next two years.

Ran my first race - against myself

Today I ran my first 5k. I don't know what came over me. I just got into an argument with someone this afternoon and I decided I was going to take out some frustration at the gym. I told myself I was going to run for the first time in months. I thought "Yknow what? I'm going to run a 5k today. I want to see if I can do it without training for it" And guess what.....I DID IT!!

I ran a 5k in just under 36 minutes with no previous running training. I'm THAT strong! This was very well timed as tonight is the Biggest Loser Season 8 finale. Go Danny!!!

Self Appreciation

I'm coming to realize that no matter how much weight I lose I may never be considered "skinny". I may always be a girl that guys see as "thick" and intimidating. Here are some things I've come to accept, and love, about myself:


1. I have curly hair. It's not Pantene Pro-V beautiful long hair. It's curly. And it's beautiful despite.
2. I speak my mind.
3. I'm passionate. About EVERYTHING. Either for or against.
4. My mind is always running and makes me appear to be random. The truth is I just think quickly.
5. I'm bold and sometimes shameless.
6. Sometimes I can be moody..but my good traits far outweigh my bad.

I'm worth it. I'm worth it all.

Excited again

Today (Wednesday) was the first day I've been to the gym since I hurt my back on Friday evening. I must say I felt guilty not going to the gym for so long. But the cool thing is that I really missed it. I was afraid to just go home after work because I knew I wouldn't be active however I was very good about my eating in those 5 gym-less days. I managed to lose 3 lbs somehow and break the plateau I've been on. I've now officially lost 52 lbs and I'm 188.

I've been reading my book The Biggest Loser: Simple Swaps as if it were literature and not technically a cookbook. It told me that to lose weight, your calorie consumption should be Your current weight times 7. Well, at 191 lbs before, I should've been eating 1334 calories. Considering you're not supposed to consume less than 1,200 calories a day that seemed awfully low to me. Previously I'd been aiming at consuming anywhere from 1,500-1,800 calories a day depending on whether I was having a very active day or a sedentary day. I readjusted my diet to intake 1,300-1,500 calories a day instead and figured it would be best to stick to this while not gymming. I guess it works! And I don't feel like I've been starving myself in the process. I'm just making myself very low-cal options.

I'm thankful to be 98% back. My back still hurts a teeny bit if I move a certain way or when I first wake up in the morning, but I'm able to work out again which I'm thankful for. And now that I have this concern off my mind, I've gotten excited about starting my martial arts. I'm looking into non-credit fitness classes through Mercer County Community College. Now the fun part will be figuring out which one I want to try first!