It’s been FOREVER since I’ve had time to write a blog post. I’ve spent the last two months feeling like I’m treading water- just enough to keep afloat.
My new shoes!
Chicago marathon training is going well and I’m up to 17 miles. I’m running more during the week than I have in the past- mostly because I need it mentally. No matter how exhausted or crappy I feel after a long day of work, I always feel better after a 10-mile run. On Wednesdays I’m running 6-miles with a group and I’m usually able to get 2-6 miles in before I meet up with them, which is great too.
The stresses of life also caused my weight to fluctuate. At first I was losing weight… then the dreaded gain began. I was running my butt off and I would still gain. I knew it had to be my food intake, so I decided to try the Simple Start plan from Weight Watchers. I’ve been counting PointsPlus for 5+ years and never tried Simple Start/Simply Filling. Quite frankly, I was terrified to do so! What if I overeat? How can this possibly work?
For those of you that don’t know… Simple Start is a WW program that includes filling foods. You eat from the list without ever counting Points. The only Points you count, are your indulgences (7 PPV a day). The list includes non-fat dairy, lean meats, fruits, veggies, light bread, healthy oils, and a variety of condiments and spices. More info here.
Week one of trying Simple Start was a success. I realized that while I was eating a lot of healthy Points, I was tending to “save” my Points for a lot of empty foods (ice cream). I was thrilled to eat egg sandwiches after long runs- something I pretty much wrote off, because they were too many points. I enjoyed drinking some milk and cottage cheese too! The best part: I lost 4.6 lbs in the first week!
I’ve heard people time and time again say that if something wasn’t working, shake things up. I had been eating the same foods and doing the same exercises for far too long. This is just what my body needed!
Have you ever tried to change up your diet or exercise?
Runner's Re'treats' 