Quest to Lose a Half Marathon

It's certainly no secret that in February 2011, I took the first steps to make my health a bigger priority.  Approximately a year later, I celebrated here over losing 50 lbs.  I was pleased to hit such a milestone, but I had never set a particular weight goal. I have been trying to go with the feel of my body and just go with what feels fit and healthy, not continuously seek "skinny." My continued running has allowed me to more or less maintain my weight and still enjoy plenty of treats (chocolate and beer being favorites!)  However, I have noticed that I have gained and lost the same 5 lbs over and over and seem to be on a slight "gain" streak.  More bothersome is that the amount of "treats" has steadily increased, irregardless of the miles I run.  In short, I've slowly but surely chipped away at those healthier habits I took so long to establish. : /

Then - at quite the opportune time - in pops Jess with her "Marathon Weight Loss Challenge!" I was hesitant to sign up at first. Not that I wouldn't mind losing another 26.2 lbs by fall (!) but I also knew 2 scenarios were likely: (1) I would dive into the challenge full-on, drop 26 lbs and then gain them all back by Christmas (which is what has happened to me in the past in similar situations...), or (2) I would get all fired up and then NOT change a thing and possibly gain weight - feeling like an utter failure.  Neither option seemed desirable.

But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to renew my focus to healthier habits - particularly since the opportunity for poor eating seems even more prevalent during the summer! I decided a more conservative goal would work with my health patterns - rather than lose a full "marathon", I'm opting for the half - to lose 13.1 pounds by September 17! If I'm truly honest, I'm doing my best not to be terribly fussed about the actual weight dropped.  Getting back into healthier, cleaner eating is my ultimate goal. But I also know what motivates me - and that number on the scale often does.  So, I'm going to let that guide me again, at least for awhile. And I'll have the support of over 1000 other participants in the challenge and the mini goals which Jess sets (e.g. this week to drink more water). I'm also making an effort to track what I'm eating and keep an eye on the amounts (and variety) of fruits and veggies I'm eating daily and back to limiting processed foods.

I debated about posting my goals here - I wasn't sure I wanted public accountability. :) Also, I don't want people getting all freaked out that I'm obsessed with my weight or anything. That's really not the case. I'm committed to life-long healthy habits and I know that there will be seasons in my life I will battle to keep good habits. This is one of them. If a weight-loss challenge helps get me refocused on fruits and veggies and to back away from the bread and beer, well, I'm going to give it a try!

I signed up for this challenge about a week and a half ago. Today was the first weigh-in and I was down a pound.  I have a feeling that the marshmallows from the weekend haven't fully registered, but I'll take it to start. :)