I would count this week as a success. I ran as much as I had planned, including not just a four mile run as my ‘long run’ for the week, but actually ran 4.5 miles today.
I’m ending this week feeling strong and capable. I ran 13.6 miles this week, all totaled. I did my strength training, and even discovered that long lost feeling of wanting to run. On Friday, after work, I considered a run in the neighborhood, remembered that Friday was just a weights/strength training day, then instantly I became full of sadness that I wouldn’t be out in the sun, running. I caught myself mourning the run that wouldn’t be and celebrated how much I missed running! That was such a good sign! I felt so proud of my body.
When I started running this week, I also started eating. I more than doubled my mileage from all of the winter weeks where I maxed out at 4-6 miles and the result, for the past few days, was ravenous eating. I was soooo hungry! It would start as soon as I woke up and all day my tummy was gnawing at me- FEED ME SEYMOUR! So I did. I let my gut guide me and I fed it, all week, to keep up with the running. I figured that getting in the condition to earnestly run again was worth the sleeve of Ritz crackers, the m&ms, the almonds, the extra bags of Pop Chips. My nutrition goal this week is to journal twice so I can look more closely at what I’m putting into my body and, generally, get back to some weightlosing eating habits again.
My other goal is to copy the fitness from this week exactly. I need to take three runs of three miles a piece, one run of about four miles, two days of strength training and one day of rest. Tomorrow I’m running three miles with a newer friend of mine. She is faster than me, so hopefully she will be challenged enough to enjoy the run. At the very least we can chatter like chickens for the duration. 😉
***
I had a few celebrations this week for people I know and love.
I want to give a shout out to my friend who approached me on Friday to tell me how she is finished being the fat girl* and she’s been walking every day, she’s lost 16 pounds and she is determined to lose more. She cited me for being her trigger, her inspiration, but I find that ironic since a few years ago she was one of my primary sources of inspiration for my own weight loss project. I felt so proud of her and her courage in owning her project and taking the first steps to becoming her healthiest self.
Another friend of mine shared about how good it feels to fit into her jeans again. You know the ones- you tucked them away in the back of your closet as a depressing reminder of how slender you used to be…? Well, she fits them again. Doesn’t that just feel good? (Actually, I have two friends to whom this story belongs this week!)
An old friend of mine is following her husband’s footsteps (he’s lost about 100 pounds now, I believe) and is going in for a gastric sleeve herself, now. I’m so proud of her for committing to making this change! Cheers for a brighter future with a great jump start!
My cousin has lost 90 pounds in one year after having weightloss surgery! I’m so proud of her stick-to-it-iv-ness after staring in the face of so much adversity and making such a big decision. Amazing, strong woman.
One of my immediate family members has been running races and jogging all over the place whenever the opportunity arises.
I get so proud of people when they start making strides towards their happiest self. And to be clear, when I say happy, I totally equate that with the sense of self these women (and man) share, the healthiness they’ve achieved. As I’ve often said, if you’re fat and happy, please, enjoy. But if you’re fat and unhappy, that’s a hard place to be. Besides, making changes that will make you happier and/or healthier is infinitely more meaningful than just the number of pounds a person has lost.
*
For years I was the fattest girl in the room, the fattest girl at my place of employment, the fattest one in my family, the fattest one in the circle of friends and I hated it. It was like being slapped in the face when she said that she was done being the fat girl because I totally understood. Even if it’s a false sense of self perception, it’s no fun being the gold standard for fatness that everyone else compares and measures themselves against. The fatness litmus test… I’m proud of my friend for standing up and saying she refuses to be that anymore and that she is being proactive about it. You go girl!!! 🙂
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