Progress!

BEFORE (April- about 6 weeks after Kate was born)

That was pretty brave of me to post those. :)

AFTER!! (today)

I am wearing the same shirt, if you couldn't tell. I am 3 lbs from my goal weight, but I might try to lose a couple more pounds after that. We'll see. Counting calories works! I have also been eating clean and that works very well too. I am so happy to finally be close to my goal!

Cramming

You know how people often cram for a big test in school? Well, I'm pretty much CRAMMING for my half-marathon. It's kind of crazy. I definitely have not been running as much as I should have been, so now I have just 5 weeks to really push myself.

Sometimes I think that I hate running. But that's usually right before I head out the door. After the first mile is over, I start to think, Hey, I actually like this!

And remember when I said I only like to run on the treadmill? I feel the exact opposite now. Running outside is so refreshing, and now the treadmill sounds like the most monotonous thing ever. I'm not looking forward to running at the gym this winter.

Stress-eating.

I am totally a stress-eater, if there is such a thing. I never realized it until recently. When I'm stressed out I eat constantly, thinking that it will help somehow. It actually just makes it worse.

It's a really hard problem to fix. I wish it were as easy as, "just chew some gum instead" or "go for a walk." I'm sure something like that would help, but I feel like this is a bad-habit that I've had for so long that it will be pretty hard to break.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Seattle Half-Marathon and an update

I'm definitely doing the Seattle one. I'm having such a hard time getting back into running. I started really enjoying it when I was getting ready for the 5k, but I'm not there yet this time. I actually dread running. I know it will get easier and soon I will probably look forward to my runs. Maybe.

I have been more strict with eating well lately, and I'm really seeing results! I am now at my pre-pregnancy weight and I have about 8 lbs to go until I am at my goal weight. I just need to start doing weight training again at the gym. That always makes a huge difference (when I'm consistent).

The hardest thing about losing weight is that it takes time. You have to be patient. And when you are not seeing immediate results, it's hard to stay motivated. I hope I can keep this up and get to my goal weight in the next 4 or 5 weeks.

10/10/10

Here's the plan:

On October 10th, 2010 I will be running a half-marathon here in Spokane.

However, if I don't feel ready as that date approaches, I will run the Seattle half-marathon, which is on November 28th. The Seattle one sounds a lot cooler, so I might do that one.

Goals

I've realized that I need goals to keep me going. When I knew I had a 5K coming up, I ran about 4 days a week. But since that race, I have run just a few times. I'm bummed because I was really starting to like running. So I've set another goal!

Nate and I will be running a half-marathon. Yay! I've never had a strong desire to run races, but if it keeps me motivated then I think it's a great idea. Nate could probably run a half-marathon tomorrow. He's been running a lot for the past few months. But he is going to train with me and that will help us both. I'm not sure which race we are going to do, but I will keep you posted.

So there you have it. I'm back in the game!

Contest Results

Remember how Nate and I made a goal to each lose 10 lbs by July 4th? Well...

I lost 6. Not 10. Dang it.

But Nate lost 12! Go Nate! He has actually lost over 25 lbs in the last 3 months. I am so proud of him.

I'm just glad that I am losing weight at all, even if it is not coming off as quickly as I'd like.