I was thin for the first thirty years of my life, and overweight for the last ten years. What I have never been is strong and fit. I used to equate being thin with being healthy, but that really isn’t the case. When I was thin I didn’t eat any differently than I did when I gained the weight. I had one of those amazing metabolisms that allowed me to eat half a pizza in one sitting and not gain a pound, but that all changed with my second child. I gained 35 lbs, which was less than I gained with my first child, but it didn’t come off after his arrival. I got pregnant again very quickly and gained an equal amount, and then struggled for years to lose it. One last pregnancy added to the challenge and this summer I found myself at my highest weight ever. It’s not a good feeling.
Thanks to Disney Social Media Moms, I started running early this year. It was so hard. My knees hurt, I had shin splints and I quickly developed a very sore hip. I kept going and slowly gained some endurance and strength, and I also lost some weight. The weight loss was short lived though because after my Disney run I reverted back to my previous lifestyle. As a work at home Mom, I spend a lot of time sitting at the computer and it’s easy to grab a snack from the kitchen while I work. So easy that I gained back everything I lost before my trip.
I want to change and I’m someone who needs a goal in order to find success. My husband and I signed up for a new runDisney race. It is a 5k that we will run on the morning of our 11th Anniversary, and we signed the kids up for their own runDisney races so it could be a family affair. We started training and I was starting to build up more strength but I wasn’t really losing any weight. My goal is to be strong and healthy, so I know that weight isn’t what I should focus on, but I do want to lose it and I can’t keep myself off of that scale. A couple of months ago I started making sure that I run or walk at least 3kms every day. Then I realized what really needed to change, and I started focusing on what I eat and my portion sizes. In the last two weeks, I have lost 9 lbs by running every day and watching my diet. I can feel muscle tone in my body and I’m finally seeing the weight come off. I feel good and I’m looking forward to feeling even better as time goes on.
The thing I really love is watching my children get into the routine of regular fitness. They are training for their races and my daughter even joined the Cross Country team. I can run 5k now, although not at a fast pace, and I have my mind set to run a 10 mile race in 2014. I’m enjoying this active life. Maybe someday we will head into Jeep Canada, get a recreation vehicle and become a real outdoorsy type of family, but for now I’m thrilled to be making small steps every day.
What are you doing to be active today?
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