August 25, 2011

Fat Girl Running

A few months back I started Couch to 5k program I Want To Start Running click that link and learn about this GREAT program. Since using this program I'm running 5 miles a day now! Running is something you would NEVER have caught me telling you I enjoy. But I do, enjoy running. Once I have my ipod loaded with all those great running songs I hope to be running 5-7 miles a day. The only reason I even started this program is so I could join the US Army and pass their PT test.

Which leads me to this next 8 weeks. It will be about eating real, clean food (close to nature, unprocessed, five ingredients or less) as possible. Between my HIIT, my running, and my food charting I think I finally have a plan that works for me. Once I have changed my eating habits and it becomes a normal day to day routine for me I think the weight will just come off naturally. No more letting myself give into JUNK because my husband is deployed and I'm stressed and lonely or my monthly period arrives. Oh no!

Thought I would share some of my thoughts about losing weight.


Weight loss isn't everything. This one is hard to even type out, because often I've thought: what's the point in exercise if I don't lose this weight quickly? What has changed is this: I exercise because it's healthy and it makes me feel good. This doesn't mean I don't weigh myself or get excited to see that I've lost 2 pounds (because I'm thrilled) but because there is a part of me that always thought...it's ONLY 2 pounds, what's the point? My perspective has shifted from exercise to lose weight, to exercise for life because it's a good thing to do. I would have (and have many times) given up in the past. Just thrown in the towel because I was only doing it to lose weight. I'm okay with exercising everyday for the rest of my life if I never lose a single pound.
This has nothing to do with exercise (well, a little) but never (ever ever) weigh yourself during PMS. Just don't do that to yourself. I can gain and lose eight lbs. in a weeks time from water weight alone.

My clothes fit better. I feel better.

Perfection is not a sustainable goal. I've had to really challenge myself to "do it anyway". To exercise when I didn't have a good day or a good week, to get back on track even if I missed a couple of days. The truth is, a "poor week" of exercise which was(6-7 days instead of 5) is what a good week used to look like. I always aim for 6, but I know a couple weeks out of the month aren't going to be perfect. I have to get over it. There are weeks when I eat way too much, more than exercise could work off. I have to get over it and keep moving. There are weeks when the scale goes up and down and settles and moves around. I really have to stop aiming for a "perfect week" or a "perfect situation", forgive myself and move on. I just have to get back on track and always get some sort of exercise in! This is going to go on the rest of my life, I'd better get use to it.

Thoughts about food:
 I have destructive food patterns that I've been able to FINALLY pinpoint in the past weeks:
- If I'm overwhelmed, stressed, don't know where to begin or procrastinating: I overeat.
- Keeping busy, staying focused and organized = better eating
 -During my time of the month I need to stay focused on what I'm eating, this is where my food journal comes in handy. I noticed a pattern of JUNK sabotaging my weight loss.

Keeping a food journal, regardless if I count calories or not, truly helps me. Writing thoughts and emotions in this journal is also helpful. Being on the right path, having a plan for the day and staying on track with tasks makes it easier for me. The next 8 weeks will be about eating real, clean food. My goal is this: to keep a daily food journal no matter what (good, bad or ugly) and to eat as much real food (close to nature, unprocessed, five ingredients or less) as possible. I want to really push myself to completely change my eating habits to[healthy]eating...wish me luck because it's going to be a rough 8 weeks. I know in the end it will be worth it! My eating habits will have changed and I will be healthier than when I started this 8 week program. And no I'm not just going to eat salads everyday silly :)~


It's all mental, you know that quote: if you think you can or think you can't, you're right? So true.
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