How to Look Good Under Your Clothes *Blush!*

I know it has been a VERY LONG time since I have written.  A lot has happened since my last post.  I got a new job where I was a contingent employee for a large investment firm working for a girl who was on maternity leave.  I worked in Foreign Exchange for seven months, and it was the best experience I've ever had in my entire life!  Then they had to end my contract when the girl I was working for came back from maternity leave and it was really sad.  I had to look for a new job and I was unemployed for five months.  It sucked and I was super bored during that time, but I would still never trade that experience for anything.

Unfortunately, a life without order (no job, no structure, basically being a bum) is not good for someone like me who struggles to stay healthy.  I got complacent.  I ended up gaining ten pounds in that time.  Ten pounds isn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but ten pounds this year turns into five pounds next year, and one day I would have gained the whole 60+ pounds back.  I did NOT want that.

My dedicated readers (if I have any left) will know I've already struggled to lose 60 pounds.  I've played this game.  I know what it takes.  I've been there, done that.  I've gotten to a point where I have felt like I can look good.  However, I can look good in my clothes.  This isn't good enough for me anymore.  I'm BETTER than that.  I want to look good UNDER my clothes.  Someday, if a boy ever decides to get anywhere near me, I'm gonna want to look good for him!  This means I can't just lose weight by eating less like I did last time.  I have to exercise and get toned.  I'll need some muscle.

This last March, about two months before I started working again, I recognized this issue and got into a health kick.  I've had health kicks before, where I try to eat healthy and go running a lot for about three weeks, and then I lose my steam and go back to my complacent ways.  This is the longest I have ever lasted on one of my "health kicks."  I'm planning to make it last and turn it into a way of life.  I joined a gym in March.  This forced me to get out of the house while still looking for work.  Running is tough.  Once your leg muscles are up to the challenge, they are good to go and it seems as though they can go forever.  The real problem is breathing!  It took me a very long time to learn to breathe and run.  One day it just clicked and now it is just a mind game.  My mind thinks I want to stop to walk and I have to remind myself that my legs are fine, and I'm breathing okay.  I can go as far as I want.

Then I got into the spirit of running.  I signed up for races.  I'm not a competitive person, so I'm not worried about winning or being fast, I just needed something to train for to keep me motivated.  I did a 5K on June 2nd and accomplished my goal of getting through the whole race without stopping to walk and doing it in under 45 minutes (I did it in 42).  On July 14th I am doing a 10K, and I am super excited for it!  I keep track of every mile I run, and to reward myself I am treating myself to a full body massage for every 50 miles I run.  I started keeping track in the middle of May, and I get my first massage this Tuesday.

Running makes me feel so great, and I have loved it.  I love going at night under the stars and feeling the cool air on my face.  I love running fast down hills.  I love the sense of accomplishment I feel after each long run.  My goals have changed.  I want exercise to be a way of life, and I want to keep training for competitions.  Next summer I'd like to do a triathlon and I've added biking and swimming to my exercise routine.  I also do weight training and a butt exercise video I'll talk about at some point.

In my next blogpost I will talk about the biggest milestone I have come across in my journey to becoming more toned and healthy looking.

Today I am grateful for good running shoes and my patellar straps.

Please send me your thoughts, suggestions, and questions!