February 7, 2013

Running, Duh (Size 10 to Size 2)

It’s Thursday, and I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it.  Yep, I just sang the song. 
Don’t forget to enter the giveaways here and here.  Dresses and chocolate – what woman doesn’t want that?!

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I’ll go ahead and apologize for today’s long post.  Yall know I love fashion and mainly do posts about that, but today I decided to something more out of the norm, so bear with me.  I would hate for people to see my outfit posts or see pictures of me working out and think that I’ve always been this size.  First, let me say that I do not think I’m in wonderful shape or anything like that.  I still want to tone up A LOT, but I’m finally pretty happy with where I am for right now.  The grass is definitely not always greener on the other side.  Everyone struggles with something at some time in their life.  I’ve been around a size 2-6 most of my adult life, but a couple of years ago, I got up to a size 10.  Double digits.  Even looking back now, I’m still not quite sure how it happened.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to say that a size 10 is even big, but when you go from a 2 to a 10, that is a big difference, especially when you’re 5’2.  I know my story may not be as significant as others’, but it’s important to me.  I knew that person wasn’t me; that wasn’t who I wanted to be.  I’ve always been really active my whole life.  Dance, gymnastics, cheerleading, track, cycling, pilates, kickboxing, karate, rock climbing, water skiing, snowskiing – I love it all, especially if it involves the outdoors.  And even when I gained this weight, I was still really active.  I was working out at least 5 hours per week, but usually more.  I was running 12 5K’s per year and did a 150 mile bike ride in the summer, and did hundreds more of miles cycling in the spring and summer even preparing for it.  I felt like all the working out I was doing was really just keeping me where I was.  I kept thinking what if I didn’t work out this much or eat pretty healthy, what would I look like then?  I was scared to know the answer.  At the time, I always thought I ate pretty healthy.  I only drank water (not coke, tea, etc.), didn’t really drink alcohol, didn’t eat sweets or anything fried.  I ate lots of fruits and veggies.  Of course I also ate lots of carbs too – mainly bread.  It was on the food pyramid, so it must be healthy, right?  Apparently not.  I thought I was eating healthy, but it turns out I wasn’t.  Just because something isn’t fried doesn’t mean it’s not chock full of processed crap or sugar.  I didnt’ even eat sweets.  I thought that was enough for cutting out sugar.  I finally decided to completely change the way I ate a couple of years ago and ended up losing 24 lbs in 2 months.  24 lbs, I didn’t even realize I had that much to lose, but how quickly we don’t notice little weight gains like that.  I went from a size 10 to a size 2 and have remained within 3 lbs of that ever since then.  Though most people advise against it, I weight at least every other day to try to make sure that I haven’t lost track of where I’m at.  I am by no means an expert, but I just realized that exercise alone does no good for me.  I have to focus on diet and exercise or else I’m just going to stay where I’m at, and that’s not what I want.  Thank goodness I love eating meat, fruits, veggies and nuts, so it works out.  I also stopped counting calories a couple of years ago, and it’s worked out perfectly.  I eat when I’m hungry and don’t when I’m not.  It turned out to be much easier than I ever thought it would be.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my ups and down with eating paleo/primal, but anytime I’ve cheated I’ve immediately regretted it.  A stomach ache after eating dairy or a cupcake, I can count on that every time.  Everyone is different, but for me I don’t just do anything halfway.  It’s either all in or all out.  I’ve been known to go a little overboard on things sometimes, oops.  So for me I have to completely cut out the dairy, sweets, carbs, etc because if I don’t then I suddenly think it’s okay for me to do it again.  Now I’m getting excited about all these runs coming up over the next week with my friends.  It’s time to get toned for bikini season!  Though running is a great workout, I orignally started doing it again because it is my me time when I can just relax.  I know it sounds crazy that you could relax while running and barely being able to breathe, but it’s so peaceful for me.  Just me and the road (and my iPod!)  That is the same thing that attracted my husband and I to cycling too.  When we pull up at Shelby Farms and take our bikes off the rack, we immediately forget any problems we were previously consumed with.  It’s such a nice escape.  I promise I’ll be back tomorrow with a good outfit post, and something a little more fun and not so serious.  = )  By the way, I completely typed this up and then it got deleted so this is the second time I’m typing this entire post so I can guarantee you that I left something out that I thought was important.  I hope you enjoyed the post though.  And if you’re in the Memphis area (or St. Louis for the half) and want to run some of the races with me below, let me know!  I’m always looking for more running buddies.

   

My 2013 Race Calendar

 
1. Valentine’s Day 10K 2/09/13 9:00am
2. Move it Memphis 5K 2/16/13 10:00am
3. Chucalissa 5K 3/02/13 9:00am
4. Germantown 5K 3/17/13 7:30am
5. Kick It 5K 3/24/13 2:00pm
6. Go St. Louis Half Marathon 4/07/13 7:00am
7. Go Lucy Go 5K 4/20/13 9:00am
8. Rebel Run 5K 4/27/13 9:00am
9. Eyeopener 5K 5/04/13 9:00am

My new Nike Tights ($20 instead of $60) and Half Zip Top ($15 instead of $60) I got from the Nike Outlet in Memphis this past weekend. 
 
 
 
December 2012. 
American Apparel 3D Flower Mesh Jumper.  $88, but you can find them for less on eBay or Poshmark.

December 2010.
I probably cropped the bottom half out on purpose in 2010.  I think I’ve probably deleted all the other evidence lol.  I loved tanning beds back then too, but no more.  Look at that chubby face!

Some beautiful pictures I took while out running and driving around downtown the past week.
 
 
 

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23 thoughts on “Running, Duh (Size 10 to Size 2)”

  1. I'm currently there staring at almost being a size 10, Like you I'm 5'2" and somewhere along the way I stopped being a size 2. I've just started running and I'm in the process of training for a half in November so I am absolutely so excited I found your blog!

    Sarah J
    {BLonde Southern Lovin'}

  2. I think this was a great post, thanks for sharing! Whatever diets or meal plans work for you then that is great! I'd love to be a size 10, but we are all on different journeys and like you said going from a 2-10 is a big thing for someone and you've worked hard to get back to where you want to be! Good for you! Good luck on all your races!

  3. Great post! It's always good to know that not everyone is perfect and that we have all struggled with our weight from time to time. I'm just curious though, switching to the paleo diet alone took you from a size 10 back down to a size 2? Did you change up your workouts at all during that time?

  4. Great post and Im sure I am showing my age – but every time I here "Im so excited" I think of the Saved by the Bell episode with jesse and diet pills – Im so excited..Im so scared 🙂 Anyways, I love your honesty but questions – what were you doing wrong with your diet and how did you fix it? Thanks!

  5. I have quit eating sweets too except for those Stacy's cinnamon and sugar pita chips…those aren't that bad. I came in from running the other morning and Brian was eating a chocolate truffle and seeing it and thinking about how rich it is almost gagged me. I had to leave the room. Yuck! I never drink anything but water unless it's an occasional glass of wine and I never eat fast food. Yuck! I got up to a size 8 after I had Aubree. I was eating fast food all the time and was probably depressed at that point in my life too. I've never been a size 2 though. I am 4 and have been for years and I am ok with that. I just want to stay in shape and maintain what I've got now.

  6. I've cut out sweets and anything white and it's soo hard!! I used to hate water and its all I drink now!! At first, healthy sucks (couldn't think I more appropriate word) but eventually it gets easier. I could now live off of meat and salad!!

  7. Okay okay! Reading your post and all the replies has got me wanting to get back to eating healthy again. I don't know why I eat unhealthy anyway. It makes me feel so bad, both physically and mentally. A couple years ago I cut out sugar and flour and lost down to a size 10 which is good for me at my height and bone structure. I'm going to do it again. Starting tomorrow! No really I am!

  8. Thank you so much for sharing your story! I definitely need to commit to better eating habits – I really want to do the paleo lifestyle, I have to find the motivation. Hopefully I can do a few of those 5K's…that would be awesome!!

  9. Stopping by from FFF…I love races! I have one coming up at the end of this month and I'm running in the Color Run in March when it comes here to Nashville! Your race schedule looks awesome. Love the Nike outfit. Happy Friday!!

  10. Officially in love with you. Love when I can see another side of a blogger, and weight issues are so sensitive that it's a really great moment to have that confidence and talk about it! Are you full time paleo now? I was for a bit, but anytime I had slip up I could not handle those tummy aches! Plus, it was getting expensive 🙁 Must get back to my goal size!

    xoKatie

  11. Great pictures 🙂 Makes me miss some things about home. I am a primarily fitness/runner blogger, so I am definitely throwing my 2cents in for this post! Super active all through highschool and even had the nickname Beka-bird. I can totally relate to the up and down (weight) roller coaster after HS though! I was skinny, then not as much so, then after starving myself skinny again, then gained a few back. I remember the day I bought a size 11 skirt. I immediately went on the yo-yo diet again. It wasn't until this past year that I finally realized the real benefits and how to actually eat healthy. I haven't changed much regarding the numbers on the scale, but the way clothes fit are much much better. I am 5'2 and I'm right around 126-130lb. I try to maintain a partial paleo diet. I still go all out occasionally on a cheat meal and I can't give up my Chobani. I'll be in town in March(20)! We should go for a run! 🙂

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