The last 5K of 2015

So this morning I got up in the blustery cold and met my daughter and her fiancé to run our last 5K of the year...Seattle's Jingle Bell Run.  I knew this was going to be a tough race.  The last time I did a training run was Thanksgiving morning.  The weather has been nothing short of abysmal and all I want to do after work is to come home, start a fire, and settle in.  So I was not expecting great results...and I did not get great results!  My last race I finished in 40:50 and my goal for this year was to run a sub-40 minute race...that was not to be. Today's official time was 41:40.  In some ways, I was disappointed...in others I was grateful.  Disappointed that I did not reach the goal I set for myself back in June of this year...but grateful that I (at the age of 55) have developed a love of running and that my daughter is willing to share in this with me!  I plan to run a 5K every month in 2016 and so I know that my goal will eventually be met!

I have been doing much better with my food choices.  After a month of getting further and further off track, this last week saw a return to my good habits.  It also saw the scale go back down and so I lost the 3 pounds that I had gained in the last month.  My plan is to continue these good habits and to make it thru Christmas and New Years with no weight gain.  Once the holidays are behind me, I am going to rededicate myself to getting these last 20-25 pounds off!  Once I am below 140, I can begin to plan for my tummy tuck surgery and this is something that I really want to have done.  I really feel like until the skin of my middle is tightened back up, I won't feel like my journey is complete.  So I am motivated and focused on that end goal.

Other than these things, I have been doing great.  I am getting ready for my daughter to come home from college for Christmas and the house is all decorated and festive.  My mood is light and work is not kicking my ass too hard.  All in all, things are looking bright.

Until next week...

Struggling

A random mid-week post to admit that I am struggling with making good food choices.  I have really fallen off the bandwagon of cooking and making sure I have enough healthy food choices to last me all week.  I am falling back on protein shakes, carbs, and protein bars to get me through the day and night.  Because of that, I am constantly hungry.  And that leads to grazing...

Just to add insult to injury, because of early darkness, I don't feel safe running after work.  I know that I should go to the gym and get in at least an hour of exercise 3-4 times a week...but I am just not doing it.  I am scared.  This feels way too much like the old me...and I honestly thought I had left her behind.  I thought that feeling this great would be its own reward and that to keep feeling this way I would be willing to do anything!

And let's just throw the holidays in the mix...too much sugar...and it's a recipe for disaster.  For the first time in this whole journey, I have gained weight.  I am embarrassed to admit it...but there it is.  My demons run deeper than even I realized and I have got to get this turned around - NOW!

My philosophy is...you can't change it if you don't own it.  So I am owning it right now.  Tonight I am going to make a food plan for the rest of the week and I am going to stick to it.  And right now I am going to put on my workout clothes and get busy burning some calories.

I'll keep it real...and keep you posted.