Run, Forrest, Run
Years ago, I scoffed at anyone who ran long distance. Oh, I would ooh and aah at the fact that these crazy mo-fo's would jog 26 miles at a pop. (that's a marathon. 26 miles. Yikes.) But my standard saying was: "I only run when I'm chased."
I've always been overweight, ranging from slightly to more than slightly. I have a heavy frame (I am big boned, and I build muscle quickly), and I was never "huge". But, about a year after my first son's birth, I was hitting the scales at about 200 pounds. As I am only 5'4", that's kinda large-marge-ish.
Hitting the pool just wasn't working it for me. I lost about ten pounds over a four month period. In one last-ditch effort, I joined Weight Watchers.
The first week, I lost six pounds.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Anyone who knows about weight loss knows about water loss. Watch the first two episodes of NBC's The Biggest Loser and you'll see what I'm talking about. But, for me, I stuck with weight watchers, and week after week, the weight came off.
One thing that helped me a tremendous amount was the bargaining for food. If you exercise a certain amount, you get to eat more! So, I started running.
I started slowly, in January of 2002. I started jogging around my block. It seemed to take a long time, so I took the car out to see how far I was going. I was going 1.5 miles! So I started looking for more interesting paths. By June, I was running five to seven miles a day, five days a week. I got down to 137 pounds. I was SO psyched.
Then I got pregnant. (and there's another story there...)
I gained 37 pounds in my second pregnancy, and I've lost all but 10 of them. I know how to lose that weight if I choose. But I choose to eat more than I should. I'm 4 pounds above my weight watchers "goal weight", but I'm very happy.
And I still run.
I don't run as much as I did PT (pre timmy) (I'm trying to save my knees through my 50's at least), but I still put in from 3 to 7 miles, 4 to 5 times a week, depending on how I feel.
Some days, still, at 100 metres out, I want to turn around and go home. Other days, like Saturday, seven miles down, and I probably still could have gone another one or two.
Running has changed my life. I'm not a racer. I don't have any t-shirts. But it's changed me. And it works. For me.
When people ask me how I lost weight, I say "diet and exercise". They ask "which diet?" I say weight watchers, but am careful to note that different strokes for different folks and all that.
One thing that always amazes me is the amount of unsolicited advice people give when they find out you're trying to lose weight. "Why do you diet so much? just exercise more," says the man who is at least 30 pounds overweight. "You're doing the wrong kind of exercise. Running isn't the best one," says the skinny kid who still has a metabolism that allows him to eat out daily. Can't wait til he's 35! But the people who have actually fought this battle - we all know. Whatever works for you. Find it, and use it.
I never, ever thought I would sy this, but running is it for me!
(*)>
I've always been overweight, ranging from slightly to more than slightly. I have a heavy frame (I am big boned, and I build muscle quickly), and I was never "huge". But, about a year after my first son's birth, I was hitting the scales at about 200 pounds. As I am only 5'4", that's kinda large-marge-ish.
Hitting the pool just wasn't working it for me. I lost about ten pounds over a four month period. In one last-ditch effort, I joined Weight Watchers.
The first week, I lost six pounds.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Anyone who knows about weight loss knows about water loss. Watch the first two episodes of NBC's The Biggest Loser and you'll see what I'm talking about. But, for me, I stuck with weight watchers, and week after week, the weight came off.
One thing that helped me a tremendous amount was the bargaining for food. If you exercise a certain amount, you get to eat more! So, I started running.
I started slowly, in January of 2002. I started jogging around my block. It seemed to take a long time, so I took the car out to see how far I was going. I was going 1.5 miles! So I started looking for more interesting paths. By June, I was running five to seven miles a day, five days a week. I got down to 137 pounds. I was SO psyched.
Then I got pregnant. (and there's another story there...)
I gained 37 pounds in my second pregnancy, and I've lost all but 10 of them. I know how to lose that weight if I choose. But I choose to eat more than I should. I'm 4 pounds above my weight watchers "goal weight", but I'm very happy.
And I still run.
I don't run as much as I did PT (pre timmy) (I'm trying to save my knees through my 50's at least), but I still put in from 3 to 7 miles, 4 to 5 times a week, depending on how I feel.
Some days, still, at 100 metres out, I want to turn around and go home. Other days, like Saturday, seven miles down, and I probably still could have gone another one or two.
Running has changed my life. I'm not a racer. I don't have any t-shirts. But it's changed me. And it works. For me.
When people ask me how I lost weight, I say "diet and exercise". They ask "which diet?" I say weight watchers, but am careful to note that different strokes for different folks and all that.
One thing that always amazes me is the amount of unsolicited advice people give when they find out you're trying to lose weight. "Why do you diet so much? just exercise more," says the man who is at least 30 pounds overweight. "You're doing the wrong kind of exercise. Running isn't the best one," says the skinny kid who still has a metabolism that allows him to eat out daily. Can't wait til he's 35! But the people who have actually fought this battle - we all know. Whatever works for you. Find it, and use it.
I never, ever thought I would sy this, but running is it for me!
(*)>
posted by birdwoman | 7:34 PM
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