Town & Gown 5K Run

Lisa and I completed our first 5k together--Town & Gown for ISU Homecoming on October 17. It was really chilly, and we weren't used to running in that weather, but we ran it in about 33 minutes. We were very excited and can't wait to run more races together!

So I gained a little bit of my weight back from Weight Watchers since my last post, but then I started tracking what I ate again and have lost a total of about 10 pounds, and hopefully more when I go to my meeting on Wednesday! I'd like to be at my goal weight at the end of this year...if not, hopefully early next year!

Weight Watchers

I joined Weight Watchers two weeks ago and have lost almost 8 pounds! =)

Couch 2 5k Complete

Tonight Lisa and I finished the C25K Program! I'm so happy for us. We took a week off because it's been so hot outside, but we finally finished! I'm still trying to decide what type of running program to do now. We can run 3 miles in around 33 minutes.

Week 7 of Couch 2 5 K!

Today I start week 7 of Couch to 5 K! I am able to run 25 minutes now! I never thought I'd be able to run for a long period of time again, so I'm very happy, and I actually look forward to running now. I weigh 165, so I've lost four pounds so far.

Ever read the book, Skinny Bitch? It's so great and informative! The authors promote a vegan lifestyle and so much more. I've decided to become a vegetarian and my goal is to become vegan eventually (I can't give up cheese just yet!). After reading that book and doing more research, I think it's definitely a healthy option for me. In addition to not eating meat for the past few weeks, I haven't been drinking milk or eggs either (except when they are in ingredients). I can't wait to start trying new recipes. I feel a lot better not eating meat and have more energy and feel happier in general! It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

I have only been keeping track of how long I run instead of distance, so today I want to time my mile.

Couch to 5K

Last week, I completed Week #1, Days 1-3. I completed Week #2, Day #1 yesterday, and it feels great! The first week, we alternated 90 seconds of walking with 60 seconds of running. Week #2 is alternating 90 seconds of running with two minutes of walking. I thought it wouldn't be that much harder, but it was! I feel good though after completing it. It was perfect outside yesterday, and Autumn slept almost the whole time in her stroller! I also got a cute pink helmet for her at Vitesse, but she doesn't like it so much yet.

I found some cool articles on the Couch to 5K plan all over the internet...I didn't know it was so popular among beginner runners. There are also a few free Couch to 5K podcasts on iTunes, but I haven't had the chance to listen to them yet.

It is kind of hard to keep track of the time to start and stop running because it's such short intervals, but once we get to running for a long amount of time, it will be nice to be able to listen to music for motivation!

On Friday, Adam watched our niece, Ellen, for a little bit while Melissa was out of town and then I had Autumn and Ellen while Adam and John went out for a few beers and to pick up pizza for dinner. We went for a walk outside and here are a few cute pictures!

Ellen giving Auttie a hug outside after the walk:

They ganged up on me and started tickling! They were so cute saying, "tickle, tickle, tickle!"

Jogging Stoller

A few weekends ago, I purchased a jogging stroller from Vitesse Cycle Shop in Normal. This week I have used it twice so far to walk/jog. One of my sisters, Lisa, and I are trying to fit more exercise into our days and have started this beginners running program called The Couch-to-5K Running Plan. We are starting out slow and will hopefully be running a couple miles at a time at the end of two months. Wish us luck!

Autumn seems to love the stroller so far. It's such a smooth ride--I'd highly recommend it (Giant PreRunner LX). It has a fixed front wheel which takes a little getting used to, but it is much safer than a swivel front wheel. Speaking of safety, I need to get Autumn a helmet before we pick up the pace! :) I wonder how she'll deal with that...

Wednesday Weight Week #7

My weight this morning was 167...down two pounds!

Wednesday Weight Week #1

My weight this morning was (gasp!) 169.

Hopefully it will only go down from here!

Goals

I've gotten into the habit of not exercising enough, eating too much fast food, not drinking enough water and generally just not caring what I am taking into my body! I want to be healthier my last half of my twenties than I was the first half!

This blog is for me to keep track of my progress toward a healthier lifestyle. My long-term weight loss goal is to lose 30 pounds by June 3, my 25th birthday (16 weeks away)!