Caution: running causes cute outfits to jump out of nowhere because you can NOW fit into them!

  So I have a little bit of a success story.  I am not going to lie.  The reason I ever discovered I liked running in the first place was birthed from my desire to lose excess pounds and be into that body I had soon after my second child was born. Notice I didn't say high school, because let's face it...some things just won't happen till heaven.

  Not so long ago I got on the scale and it gave me the number I have been wanting to see for about 4 years.  It's only been in the last 2 years that I got serious to do anything about it.  My weight stayed at that number for 3 whole days!  I decided I could safely say that I was there.  Though 5 more pounds might be cool, I will be happy here for a while.  Of course I still have insecurities social issues...but I am glad I have hang ups...keeps me humble.

  So the other day my kids and I were in the Good Will (some of you have heard this story) and my Daughter pulled a pair of jeans off the rack and said here mom, try these on.  I got one leg in and said "oh no...these are skinny jeans"  I was half way in, so I decided to go the rest of the way, and boy am I glad I did!!!  Skinny jeans be darned!  They fit nicely!  I have no idea if they are still in style, but if they aren't I DON'T CARE!!  Why??  Because I am making up for lost time when I couldn't wear them!  Honestly you would think I have been sleeping in them every since I got them.  Here's why I like them.

I cannot believe that is me in the mirror.   

Maybe this is not the place to express the shear excitement of my achievement, but I figure I have brought you through all the struggles and trials, that I should share the accomplishment of my physical appearance, as well as physical endurance.  I am so thankful to Jesus who goes with me on all my runs, and for the support system of my friends reading my blog, and being there for me when I am feeling blue, angry, or happy and excited!  Sheesh, it sounds like I am accepting an award, I am not going to delete though.  I am just going to say even though there is no award, there is reward.  

The photo all the way to the right is the one that catapulted my journey the one on the left was taken just a few days before.

This time frame was December 2009, only 2 months after we moved into our new house and about a month after I had completely quit smoking.  I had to take a look at my lifestyle to realize how sedentary I had become.  I wasn't moving at all.  Most of my time was being taken up by knitting.  Sure I was keeping my house clean and doing all that stuff, but for the most part I was sitting a LOT.  And eating large portions, and probably going back for seconds.  I was only about 14 pounds away from the heaviest I had ever been.  So I got a membership to the YMCA and lost 10 pounds in 4 months.  I kept it off for about a year, but fell off of working out and was eating more portions again.  But keeping the weight off and my body being the same as when I was working out were two different things.  Exercise makes a world of difference.  The word "toned" is not a figment of fitness minded peoples imagination!  

  November of 2011, we decided it was time for our family to attend the Disney Cruise we had been dreaming of for so long.  That was IT!  I had dreamed of walking along a tropical beach in a flowing summer dress and being thin, and dar gone it, it had to happen!!  I had to train myself to ignore the signal to eat "just because I had eaten at this time every other day", I had to drink lots of water, and decrease portion size.  I had take 20 minutes to eat my food so that the chemical that tells my brain I was full could kick in.  I had to wrap my food half way through the meal and save it so that If I needed it I could go back.  I had to fight with the disappointment of the numbers.  I had emotional, and weather related eating struggles.  I had binges, I had bad weeks, but I always got back on.  I also had to find what worked for me exercise wise.  You all know what I found, but after my big half marathon I am going to get into strength training as well as running, take it up a notch, get those muscles working in my favor!  I am so glad I did this.  My family is glad I did this.  I was having a conversation with my daughter the other day and she had said she didn't like it when I was crabby and I said "since I have been running, have I been crabby?"  she said "No, actually you haven't".  I love my runners high, and I hope I never stop signing up for races so I never stop running!