At dinner last night my friend Candace told me she had started running again. She just got out of a four year relationship with a guy and is now running to get back in shape and start dating. I was really excited for her because she had been running a lot and training for a marathon when she stopped because of her relationship with that guy. She stopped running, she stopped learning German, she stopped doing a lot of things because of the guy she was with.  I hate when people stop pursuing their goals and passions because of the people they are dating.

I hate it even more when people stop pursuing their goals for no apparent reason, which is what I have done lately.  I have reached a low in the up/down cycle of weight loss.  I am slowly coming back out of it but its hard since I have not exercised regularly or eaten healthy at all for about a month now.

But I am making baby steps.  And those baby steps will hopefully get me back to the place I was at before: pursuing a healthy lifestyle and completing a triathlon.  So here are the baby steps I have been taking lately.

Step one: last night I chose a healthy option at Olive Garden.  I had the parmesian encrusted tilapia.  It was delicious and only calories.

Step two: I decided to start working out with my mom 3 nights a week at her gym.  I think part of the reason I haven’t worked out as much this month is my reluctance to go to the gym where the guy I was dating works.  I used to go work out there and then talk to him, but now I just don’t want to.  We are friends, but I feel much better/calmer/happier if I just don’t think about him or spend a lot of time around him.  (Side note, wow, blogging makes me realize things I never thought about before.  Sooo helpful.)

Step three: I told Candace I would start running again.  At one point I was running almost 3 miles a couple times a week.  I doubt I could run one right now and my body would hate me for attempting it with so much weight.  But I told her I would start again and I will.

Step four: walking my dogs.  I haven’t walked them for several months but lately I have been walking the female to give her a little time outside and get some exercise for myself.  We have had really nice weather lately so its been wonderful.  I’m hoping I can keep walking more everyday and work back up to what I was doing before.

Step five: went shopping and bought deliciously healthy food.  My haul: strawberries, bananas, blueberries, oranges, yogurt, sugar free pudding, fiber one cereal, chicken breasts, and tilapia.  All yummy, all healthy.  I will enjoy this food.

So that is what I have been doing lately.  I realize that wanting to lose weight is not enough to succeed.  It requires action to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle.  I have to work out.  I have to eat right.  I have to avoid some of the bad habits I’ve picked up in life like emotional eating.  I have to take action to achieve the things I want.  I can’t let other people or silly reasons distract me from the goals that I have.  I know that I can do this and I know that I will keep getting healthier.  :)