The Long Road Ahead...

I spent most of my twenties pretending to work out and live a healthy lifestyle. I joined (and quit) three different gyms.  I spent hundreds of dollars on fitness books, workout DVDs and healthy living books and cookbooks.  I had a long list of healthy living blogs that I would spend hours reading.  I loved reading the stories of women training for and completing races, I drooled over the delicious and healthy recipes they would whip up.  They looked so happy and healthy. I dreamed of the time I would finally feel that way.  I knew I'd never get there by just reading about it but I never did anything about it.


I just recently turned 31.  Thirty one.  I don't know how that happened but it's here.  I'm  officially in my thirties.  When I was in  my twenties I always envisioned my thirties a little differently than how they're starting but I'm learning to take it one day at a time.  I try to be comfortable in my own skin.  I'll get compliments and I just don't believe them.  I've heard "you look great, you don't need to lose weight" from several friends and yes, on the outside I don't look all that unhealthy.  I am able to squeeze myself into an average size but I'm not comfortable.  I see pictures of myself and I cringe at the fat around my elbows or my double chin.  I rarely wear shorts in the summer because I hate the way my legs look.  It's not just about how I look.  With a family history of high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes and obesity I definitely need to take the reins on my health and lose the weight.

This morning I completed day 1 of the Couch to 5k program and it was rough.  By rough I mean I had to stop twice to catch my breath and got extremely nauseous about halfway through.  I was not expecting it to be so difficult considering I had started this program once before about three years ago and jumped right in, even skipping the first week.  But, like a lot of things I start, I quit before I could get to that 20 minute run.  I'm about 12 hours post run/walk and other than sore thighs I feel great.  I'm actually looking forward to W1D2 on Tuesday!  You would think that great post-workout feeling would be enough to keep me going!

I'm also logging what I eat on My Fitness Pal. I know when I log what I eat, I make better choices.

It's not going to be an easy road.  There will be set backs.  I'm going to miss a workout or grab fast food after work some days.  I'm human.  I just need to keep reminding myself that I have goals.  Goals I cannot achieve by putting junk in my body and not moving.

For someone that can't even run a single mile without walking it might seem strange to have such big goals but it's nice to dream big :)

I want to cross the finish line in both Nashville and Las Vegas