My Road to a Healthy Lifestyle

So I know it's been a LONG time since I posted. I just couldn't really keep up with everything going on in my life. 

But I feel like trying to pick my blogging up again, so I figured I'd pick things back up with the story of my "healthy turnaround" this past year. 

I guess I should start with the beginning of the summer. I was dating a cute boy, but we didn't have anything in common, other than the fact that we were dating out of boredom. 

I've struggled with my body image all my life, and dating a tall, thin guy only made me hate my short, soft figure even more. I went through a diet rollercoaster, eating obscene amounts of junk food and then throwing up. Horrible, I know, but I wasn't in a good place.

Me before my turnaround.

Near the end of the summer, we broke up and I turned my focus back to running, something I was set on doing, but not very good at. My diet and extra weight was holding me back. But luckily, I have one of the best coaches on the face of the planet. I was going to the Summer practices, and Coach (seeing my commitment) promised me a spot on the Cross Country Disney trip. 

That was just the push I needed. I wanted to prove that I deserved that spot. I started to turn my diet around and run more often. School started, but I could still barely push past a mile without huffing and puffing. 

But I stuck with it. My distances increased, my times decreased, and the fat started disappearing. I ran the Disney 5k, and although my time wasn't that hot, I was proud of all that I'd accomplished, and I had a great time. 

Getting healthier.

Once the season ended, most of my running buddies dropped the activity for the year, but it was just the beginning for me. I've been steadily bumping up my mileage, and I'm up to about 30 miles a week. I've continued to drop weight, and I've added yoga and strength training to my schedule. 

I rarely crave junk food now. I can't remember the last time I had a Dorito (an old favorite). I love fruits, vegetables, whole grain, and fish. I weigh every week just to make sure I'm not losing too much weight, but I try not to let the number on the scale influence my body image. The important thing is that I feel healthy and happy. 

 Feeling a lot better.

 I plan to continue training, and want to work my way up to a half-marathon.