No Shortcuts

A few months ago, I signed up for a marathon. I think I'm still in shock that I committed to do it. Two years ago, as I watched a friend cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon in record time,  I was inspired. I told Hank "if I'm not pregnant by the end of the year, I'm signing up to run one." Well, the pregnancy never happened. But I kept putting off the marathon idea, along with other things, "just in case". After a lot of soul searching, I decided to stop waiting, and start living my life.  I was tired of holding off on plans while holding on to the hope that by some small miracle I would get pregnant.

One small wrinkle in this new plan- I was in absolutely no shape to run, or even train for, a marathon. I've continually gained weight over the past 3 years, and reached a new low when a recent body mass test revealed that I was borderline obese based on my body fat percentage. I was on a roll with running earlier this year, until a chronic cough sidelined me for almost two months. I kept coming up with excuses to get back at it, until a friend posted a picture of me from 3 years ago. It almost stopped me in my tracks, the physical difference between then and now. I knew that if I didn't find a way to make sustainable changes, I was going to head into my 40's at a weight that wasn't healthy for me. Marathon or not, I owed it to myself to find a way to improve my overall health and fitness.

Enter Earn that Body, and the wonderfully inspiring Kim Eagle. I had noticed that a girl from my training group was really looking good. Not that she didn't before, but there was a noticeable difference in her physique, and she looked amazing. Healthy and strong, but not too skinny. She looked the way that I wanted to look again. So I asked her what she had been doing, and she mentioned Kim's programs. It wasn't for the faint of heart, she said. But that's why it's called EARN that Body, and not WANT that Body. I emailed Kim a few times, and decided to try her 30 day ETB-tox program. It seemed worth a shot.

I was nervous heading into it, not really knowing how restrictive or hard it would be. I've tried countless programs before, only to completely fall off the wagon afterwards. That's totally my MO. But I had a different determination heading into this, and was pleasantly surprised as I went through the program. It was realistic. It made sense. It wasn't so restrictive that I couldn't find a way to make permanent changes. It was as simple as this- Real Food. Real Work. Real Results. There is no special food to buy, no drink powders or pills to take. Just good old regular food! The biggest challenge for me was no alcohol for two weeks. I didn't think I would be able to survive, but I honestly believe this one was a game changer for me. I'm now a "alcohol on the weekend only" person, and my life hasn't changed for the worse because of it.

So I did the work. I feel like I gave at least 95% for the entire 30 days, and my results are plentiful:

1- I've never slept  better in my life. Before, I used to maybe get 5-6 hours or restless sleep, and now I'm getting 7.5-8 if I go to bed early enough.
2- My skin looks amazing. I think that eating more fruits and vegetables, with hardly any processed food, had made a tremendous difference. I also drink a ridiculous amount of water.
3- I feel amazing. I might be tired after a long run, but overall I have great energy and feel....healthy!
4- I lost 6.5 pounds!! My clothes fit more loosely, and I can see the weight loss in my face for sure.

Before

After

I still have about 6-8 pounds to go before I reach a weight that I think is healthy and sustainable. To put it in perspective- I weighed nearly as much as my husband just 30 days ago. I'm not ok with that! But I'm doing it slowly, and doing it the right way. I'm continuing to make great choices each day (see previous post about meal planning), and I feel like I'm set up for success. They say that weight loss is 80% what you eat, and 20% exercise. While I do work out 5 days a week, I think it was the change in diet that lead to such a successful start for me, and that's what is keeping me motivated to continue making better choices.