Great Weekend
I had a really great weekend--did my 9-mile run on Saturday with no problem (but was EXHAUSTED, can't believe that's only 1/3 of a marathon!!), did pretty well with eating, and did very well with drinking. I went to a barbecue at my coworker's house on Saturday, and successfully resisted the pressure to down margarita after margarita and eat a ton of crap. Sunday was a rest day, but I still did well with my eating. Hooray!
I was looking at the calendar and I realized that I have a little more than ten weeks until my wedding dress shopping weekend (I invited my parents, his parents, and our sisters to come with me and that was the first weekend that everyone's available). Of course, my first thought was "I have to lose weight before then." You know how that goes... crazy fad diets and insane exercise regimens and endless misery.
That got me thinking about what I'm trying to accomplish with my diet and exercise and overall health. Here's my list of reasons why I want to whip myself into shape:
- I know that I have the breast cancer gene (I got tested after EVERY female relative on my mother's side had it, include my mom). I know that alcohol and excess weight contribute to breast cancer. I want to minimize my risk.
- I love running, and one day, I'd love to actually be competitive in 10k races. I've done a lot of reading, and I know that elite female runners tend to have around 15% body fat. I have roughly double that. I want to lose fat and build muscle to improve my performance.
- I've struggled with using substances (including food) to comfort myself for years. I want to break that pattern before I start my new life with my fiance.
- I want to feel great about myself on my wedding day and every day.
My goals for my diet are 1) eat more fruit and veggies; 2) eat less processed food; 3) get enough protein to build muscle; and 4) eat enough GOOD carbs to have energy for running. My fitness goals are 1) stick to my marathon training program; 2) strength training 2-3x per week; and 3) Pilates 1-2x per week for flexibility.
I'm trying to keep myself focused on reducing my risk of breast cancer and other medical problems, improving my running performance, and improving my emotional health instead of what I ALWAYS focus on, which is looking skinny. Help me stay in line if I start ranting about fitting into a size 0 wedding dress or something insane like that!
Have a great day,
Jen