Speaking of running. The reason I wanted to hit 50 is because I signed up for another marathon...even though I told myself I was just going to do 10ks & Halfs this year. But here I am again, signing up myself for 3 hours of pain. Hoooopefully less than 3 hours. I think that's why I signed up, honestly. I have yet to get that sub 3 though I've been real close. I've never really put my heart into full blown specific marathon training yet so I'm going for it this time. I'm already nervous because that means getting my miles up to like 80+ a week with hard workouts and the whole shebang. Um, yikes. buuuuut I already signed up so....#herewego.
Kinda on that health/fitness note, with the new year being here you hear a lot about new health goals and diet plans. As I was doing 6 of those 12 miles it was on my mind a little because I could feel those 7 lbs of baby fat I still have yet to lose. With this new year here it's been very tempting to adhere to one of these said 'diet' plans and drop those last 7 lbs quickly. But every time I am tempted I step back and remember that it just is not worth it in the long run. All these low/no carb, high protein, 0 sugar, special pills/drops/supplements, can't eat this or this or that, I can only eat veggies type diets are just a bummer to me. Do people lose weight? Yeah, most of the time. But the real questions are, Does losing weight actually make you healthier? Depends. Is it sustainable for a lifetime? usually not. Is it enjoyable? Maybe for some, but I would DIE. And really, how healthy is it?
I love to run & be active. And a lot of what I do diet wise is so I can stay able to be active. Luckily, I have a smarty pants husband who has a master in exercise physiology which is basically how to maximize human performance and a big part of that is nutrition. If you came to him and told him you wanted to do well in running/any sport or activity and told him that you didn't want to eat any carbs or sugar he would chuckle and do a little eye roll. The reason is because you need a LOT of carbs for activity & even sugar. Before I go on a rampage and start citing scientific journals I'll just cut to the point: a healthy lifestyle & moderate diet is key! Your body truly needs all food groups & exercise to maximize it's potential. When I first started running as a little 9th grader with no knowledge of what was actually good and bad I thought all sugar & fat was bad & thought the fewer the calories the better. I wanted to be a good runner so I stopped eating sweets, ate fewer calories, and wouldn't even really but cheese and butter on anything. Did I lose weight? yes, a bunch. But I was MISERABLE. All I could think about was when I was going to eat next and what. Some days I remember my stomach just hurting cause I was so hungry. Luckily, I learned quickly that that lifestyle was absolutely not worth it. So I started eating & exercising moderately. Yes, I gained weight, but I have ran so much faster, felt great, and stayed the same weight pretty much for 10 years. I have learned to eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full. If I ever over eat one day or week, i don't freak out about it. I just try and eat a little healthier the next week. I try and eat a fruit or veggie with all my meals. I try and eat primarily whole grains. I don't eat a ton of meat but I eat all types of meat. I love milk & cheese but I try and not go crazy with it. I occasionally love to eat Taco Bell and it's cheesy, beefy, not-the-best-for-you goodness. I'm not very good at it, but I try and drink lots of water. And I eat some kind of sweet almost every single day. Why? Cause I love treats. And I figure life is too short to live stressed about what I'm going/not going to eat everyday. To bring it 360 - I could easily jump on to the fad diets that are going around and lose my last 7 lbs. But I know that although I would be skinnier, I wouldn't be as happy or truly healthy. So I'll keep running, eating moderately, and losing my 0.5 lbs every 2 weeks like I have been :)
ANYWAY.
The last thing that's been on my mind is how much I love my neighbors & people up here in Pocatello. Ames has been bored out of his mind this week as we've been stuck at home trying to get baby sis healthy. When I finally took Corra to the doctor I didn't want to make him even more miserable so I decided that I would call someone to see if he could play for a bit. And instead of trying to think of one person...my thought was, WHICH one. There were a handful of people that came to mind of who I could call. And sure enough, the first person I called happily took him right in (this was like 10 mins before I dropped him off) and then even watched him for much longer than planned as I went and grabbed medicine afterwards (thanks, Sara!). I owe our neighbor a thousand baked goods for his snow plowing services (he always beats us to clearing our driveway). And this week I went out to dinner with some friends. Guess how we all met? THE LIBRARY. That's how Pocatello rolls. You go out with your kids, and other Moms just talk to you, make you feel welcomed, you exchange numbers, and after awhile you become actual good friends! I really just love it. We've only been here for 1.5 years and I already know that if we move it's going to be hard. So thanks, Pocatelloians, you guys are amazing.
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| had to include this picture: she turned 8 months this week and although she was feeling miserable I still caught a smile. Love this baby girl. |
Lastly,
I AM SO OVER WINTER.
- till next week -
