Motivation and Re-examination

On June 13th I will have hit an important anniversary. On June 12, 2007 I sat up strait in bed and came up with a plan...that then kept me up the rest of the night. Thank God for bedside post-its!

It will be exactly one year after my 29 by 29 campaign. Inspired by some pictures that were taken at the first annual "Girls Gone Wild" weekend hosted by my mom, an overall lack on energy and enthusiasm and a need to not end up looking back after Dave and I started having kids thinking that I should have gotten in shape before babies.

Very few people were privy to details...and most people didn't even know the dramatic life style change that I undertook. Thank-you mostly to Mom, Dave, Mark, Maureen and Martha for your constant encouragement!

Step one: I dumped 5 liters of Mountain Dew down the drain. For those who know me well...you are probably sucking in air. But honestly...it has been proven to be one of the easiest ways to kick start a weight loss program.

Step two: Make a plan. I love spreadsheets...this was fun. And while making the spread sheet I had the idea that I could lose (safely) 29 pounds by my 29th birthday. I kept careful track of my weight, measurements and exercise. I wrote out my meals and played around with balancing different food groups to maximize my energy during the day (don't forget I was still working and going to school at this point).

So did I succeed...yes and no. I did not hit my goal. But I did lose 20 lbs and have been hovering in the 15-20 lb range since I moved to the south. I felt so much better about my appearance. Do you know how uplifting it is when someone says...I have noticed that you lost some weight and really look great! ***Jess pats herself on back*** because it was HARD! I lost 2 (and in girl sizes that's actually 4) pant sizes. And most importantly can see the healthy options available...and the unhealty traps that can ensnare people.

I had started running in that time and now I am training for the tri. When I started I couldn't run 2 minutes without dying...I was up to 28 yesterday...and it was 90 degrees with 86% humidity. Not to mention I am much faster now.

So now I am looking back. Its time...afterall...to make sure that I am not slipping back into my old ways. And...I am! Yikes. So I am going to stop with the soda again (though I never drink as much as I did!), give up the excessive sweets (no one needs a banana split) and keep training for the tri. I am also dumping the fast food...which has become a fall back for the evenings when Dave and I are both running to get somewhere and don't have time to sit down and eat.

Do I think I will ever get down to that -29. Not sure. With all the muscle mass from the training and the need to stay hydrated...I am thinking that it might be an unhealthy weight for me at this point.

Thanks again to all my cheer leaders out there! For my healthy lifestyle, for my tri training...and for life in general! And...anyone who wants to jump on the band wagon...there is always strength in numbers!