100 mile month

Boy this fitness thing can really be addictive. The thing is, that for people who aren't into fitness, it can be really annoying. I spent a lot of years being annoyed by the "exercise junkies", preferring the much easier form of "cookie junkie" and I truly perfected the art. In fact, if you head over to my other blog, addtova.com, there are some cookie recipes that might just knock your socks off. 


Next month is my birthday month, and it is so tempting to start thinking about all the yummy ways one could celebrate. Between those evil and amazing cadbury mini eggs for Easter, and the promise of cake at the end of the month, April might as well be December for all the calories I typically eat. 


But not this April. 


This April my gift to myself is going to be some self control, and the adrenaline rush from seeing the scale stop on a lower number every week. 

The 100 mile month

I have decided to do a 100 mile month- to challenge myself to really feel like my working out is accomplishing something. 


Here is the challenge: In the month of April, on your own steam, travel 100 miles, just for the purpose of exercise. April has 30 days, so if you plan to do it daily, that is 3 1/3 miles per day. (5.4 kilometers for you metric folks) 


You don't have to run, walking or biking, or hiking  is totally acceptable. They can be actual miles, outside, or figurative miles in a treadmill in the gym. 


Document your progress, however you want. Link here to your blog, or keep a note in your phone. Make a chart and hang it on your fridge, or take notes on the back of an IKEA receipt from your purse. 


You can make a plan, make a calendar of all the different ways that you can travel, or just play it by ear. I am doing this as my birthday gift to myself, why are you? 

15 down

I am 15 pounds lighter than I was a month ago, when we decided to start working out.

I have never seen progress like this before. The last time I pushed hard and tried to lose weight was before my wedding. I had 2 goals;
1) look good in the most expensive piece of clothing I would ever wear, and
2) Have the endurance to dance all night and enjoy the amazing party that was my wedding.

I definitely got into better shape. I went for a run one day on my lunch break and realized it was a nice break from work. For at least 6 months before the wedding I ran at least 30 minutes 3 days per week.

I think the reason I didn't lose the weight was the eating. I made an effort to eat healthy foods and make healthy choices, but so often "healthy foods" are full of unhealthy calories. For example- Salad- Healthy- 4 tablespoons of full fat blue cheese? Not so much.

So I met part of my goal. I got into better shape. The morning of my wedding I went for a run and it actually felt good. And I danced all night. It felt great. But that morning of the wedding was the last time I ran. Somehow I just never got back into shape to get back out there, and without the motivation of the wedding there was nothing stopping me from putting it off until tomorrow.

So What is different now?

Calories.

Counting calories lets me do things like eat a spoon of Nutella if I am craving it. And still wake up in the morning and look down at a smaller number on the scale.

In order to be full and not stabby due to crankiness I need to eat a lot of nutrient rich low calorie foods, like veggies. (Veggies sans dressing) which I really like.

I like working out a little less, but I always feel so proud of myself after the fact.

And 15 pounds down feels good.