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. :)