Weighting A Year

A year ago my husband and I embarked on a weight loss journey.  I had gained weight from two children, lost some of it via delivery of said children, eaten far more calories than my metabolism cared to burn via my sloth-like, sitting-on-the couch ways and it was time to get the rest off.

My friend asked me if I wanted to try out a running program with her--a running program I didn't read carefully or I would have seen that 5K end-goal and said, "oh hell no."  But I did do the program; it was both easier and more enjoyable than I would have ever expected and now here I am a year later, more worried that I won't be able to run in the future due to injury or weary, old-mama body syndrome (that is a syndrome, right?)

By that age old weigh-loss plan of "diet and exercise" I managed to lose the last bits of weight and regain my pre-pregnancy, pre-thirties weight and get back into my fun clothes I'd only been looking at with disdain and contempt that had been sitting in my closet for years.  And even better, I got muscles.

I have muscles that complain if they aren't exercised.  I have muscles in my stomach region that were firstly, not there before and secondly, not visible because there was most recently a baby mucking up the workings, or previously some extra poundage blocking the less than a one-pack muscles underneath the flab.

After I reached my weight-loss goal, I kept watching my weight and what I ate.  I do feel like most days I'm still on a diet, but that's not that unexpected: I overate for years, I can't expect to reset my food consumption hunger levels just because I need a few less calories each day.

But it's been going well and this Monday, the day we we returned from our family reunion/vacation to ski in Colorado, I weighed in and was still at my weight-loss goal.  And that was a relief.  It's hard not to worry about the extra muffin you had for breakfast and if the three ounce muffin may well have added four pounds to your hips.  This was the first time I was away from a scale for a whole week, and I didn't know how I'd do.

But I did okay.  I exercised some, or at least I heard skiing down mountains pellmell, for hours at a time, burning extra calories due to higher altitude and colder weather conditions would let me eat more than I normally did without paying a weight-gaining penalty.  And so it was.  I had fun, I ate a lot, and I maintained my weight.

So my confidence is higher that I can maintain my weight effectively and continue to exercise for fun and health.  Next year this time I'd better see a "Still maintaining" post.  Or at least that's my plan.

The Big Boy Update:  Correct responses.  He can answer questions posed on children's shows on television now.  "What does Daisy wear on her head?"  "Bow!" 

The Tiny Girl Chronicles: Circle.  She noticed a circle on her shirt.  She said "circle" and then she kept saying circle.  She has more words than we give her credit for as we seem to be focused on her brother, who has scores of new words every week.

Fitness Update: Five and Five.  Five miles with my neighbor, five alone doing some speed work.  Three hours between the two runs.  My knee didn't bother me one bit, to the point that I never noticed it while in Colorado and skiing.  Running, it's back some, which is more evidence that I need cross-training to help balance the pull from calf to thigh.

Someone Once Said:  At least once every man should have to run for his life, to teach him that milk does not come from supermarkets, that safety does not come from policemen, that “news” is not something that happens to other people. He might learn how his ancestors lived and that he himself is no different—in the crunch his life depends on his agility, alertness, and personal resourcefulness.