After eating myself into oblivion since Christmas, I’ve strengthened my resolve to get fit before my half marathon this May.
It was all going so well. Last September, after 8-weeks straight of travel and a 10 pound weight gain (those hotel buffet breakfasts will do you in!), I started a hardcore fitness and healthy eating regimen. I was tired of avoiding my naked reflection in the mirror, annoyed at being lethargic, and fed up with feeling uncomfortable in my ever-tightening clothes. At my 30th birthday party at the end of August, I struggled to find something that would cover my added girth and was ultimately unhappy with how I ended up looking. On a trip to Northern England a week later for work I was astounded by how much heavier I looked in pictures.
Now, I’m far from being a big girl and my message here is not to fat-shame in the least. Being fat or being skinny doesn’t validate/invalidate a person — we are more than the size indicated on the tags on our clothing. But as someone who is fairly conscious about their overall health, putting on this amount of weight in a fairly short time bothered me — it was merely a reflection of the poor eating choices I had made over the summer (hello, three croissants for breakfast and MacDonald’s for dinner!). I had no excuses for my weight gain other than pure gluttony. I also had a half marathon coming up in mid-October (my first!) and knew that in my current condition there was no way I’d be able to run 21 kilometres without seriously injuring myself. Months ago I wrote a post about how I keep fit on the road, but I wasn’t following my own advice at all. It was time to make a change.
So I ate differently, worked out more, and ran a lot. By the time my half marathon rolled around six weeks later I was looking and feeling fine. The half? Twas a breeze. I ran 21 kilometres (13.1 miles for you non-metric folks) in an unbelievable 2 hours. I flew to Canada for a week right afterwards to attend a wedding and could really see a difference in my physique.
But this story isn’t finished yet. Because then Christmas happened. Christmas with all its family feasts, friendly get-togethers, freaking fantastic fatty food that you (well, I) just couldn’t say no to. Christmas, coupled with the awful weather winter months that followed, made me fall off the wagon big time.
So now I am basically up five pounds and entirely unprepared for my second half-marathon in Edinburgh at the end of May. I’m thinking that it’s time to re-employ the “get fit” mindset that worked so well for me last autumn.
Here’s what I plan to do:
- Run at least three times a week
- Do strength training at least two times a week
- Cut the carbs
- Eat more vegetables and lean meats
- Integrate healthy snacks (bye bye cookies!)
- Work out with Liebling as he is a health nut!
Do you have any tips for staying fit or dropping those pesky excess pounds?
66 Comments
Like you I am not a big girl so those few pounds make a big difference in how we look and feel about ourselves. I am still in my lazy mood but the spring sunshine of Barcelona makes me think of beaches and bikinis and if I want to wear mine without falling out the top, bottom and sides I need to get back in gear and running. After injuries (especially the hamstring & IT band) I am less inclined to pound the pavement but you are motivating me to get up and get going.
Best of luck to you.
Littlefoot
I know what you mean, Mickla! Even 5 pounds makes a huge difference on my frame. You are lucky that the weather is better in BCN than here in London — it’s so difficult for me to motivate myself to work out! Hopefully you can work through your injuries. Happy running!
You go girl! You look amazing no matter what weight.
Aww, thanks Andi!
Like LadyLittleFoot, I’ve just been so lazy lately about exercising. And I hate exercise that feels like exercise. If I’m hiking, dancing, etc., I feel like I’m just having a good time and not exercising. I do take samba lessons regularly on Saturdays which I absolutely love, but I need a routine for at least 2-3 more days each week. I’ve been thinking about trying Insanity, but I don’t want to start and then stop in the middle of it – I’ve heard it’s well, insane. I need some motivation! I guess it should be the sheer fact that summer is coming and it’s time to trim down my thighs! :-/
I soooo hear you on hating the exercise that feels like exercise! I have to do something where I’m engaged. I don’t love running, but it’s easy to do and barely requires any equipment, which is why I do it! I also see results fast! I also want to take up Insanity, a friend of mine lent me her DVDs and I tried them out for a week… It is killer!
I am too lazy to exercise. I went vegan a year ago and naturally lost weight over a period of about 10 months.
Wow! How did you implement going vegan into your diet? What did you cut out first?
You look adorable in that first pic with all your high tech running gear and smoking hot in the last dress! I don’t think there’s anything wrong with indulging a little, and it sounds like you’re back on track to feel your best again just in time for summer.
I feel like strength training is where it’s at…it’s the key! Though I still don’t feel prepared for the half coming up in MAY!
I am a half marathon runner but would kill for finishing it in just 2 hours. That is my plan for October. By the way did you have texturizer in your hair on the above photos. You hair looked really nice, I have hair similar to yours and its very difficult to maintain. Right now I have it really short because I am swimming a lot but I need a style slightly longer that looks nice. Sorry I am going off topic.
Good luck with you fitness plans. Keep watching what you eat though. I have kept up with exercise and sometimes I do 50 miles a week but my food choices have been poor. As a result I have gained a few kilos that I need to shift now. I am eating low carbs and have just started eating more healthy.
Thanks Sharon! For me it’s really difficult to control what I eat when I up my fitness routine since I am so much hungrier! As for the hair, no texturizer, my hair was just blown out with a blow dryer in those pics. My hair is super kinky (4C) and shrinks up unless I blow it up. It’s actually pretty damaging to apply so much heat on a regular basis which is why I went back to dreads — my baby locs are about 5 months along now. 🙂
You go girl! You look absolutely gorgeous in those photos! And I’m so there with you. Getting fit though is the key, right? I’m taking May and the entire summer to get in shape. Desperately need it after the longest winter ever. I’ll be rooting for you!
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