Running Class

As most of you know (if you read this blog) I am new to running.  I hate it actually!  I always compare myself to other people and by what they have already accomplished!  BAD BAD BAD!  I Really have to stop doing that!  Anyway, in my endeavor to find out when the Wounded Warrior Race was in my town, I came across a running class at a local running store.  So guess what I did?  I signed up!  I needed SOME kind of insight as to what I could be doing better as to form, stride, aww heck, who am I kidding!  I needed all the information I could get!  Well, tonight was the night for the class!  I was so excited but really scared and I shared that anxiety on my personal facebook page. (shameless plug coming!  I have a facebook fitness page as well - kim gets fit) if you want to follow!  Anyway, when I finished my class, I had a response to my status which was simply this,


God did not give you the spirit of fear...but


 of love, and power, and a sound mind. (II. 


Tim.1:7) You can do it! You go girl!   

What a GREAT reminder and motivation that was!  Please don't ever forget that when you are fearful to try a new class or something new at all!

Ok, so back to the class.  Well, one of my biggest fears came true, I was the BABY runner in the class!  That didn't matter though because what they taught was great information for all the runners!  I did come out on top for one thing, my stride! YIPEEEE  (sorry, the competitiveness came out).  I really learned a lot, now just to ensure I actually can make the suggestions happen!  This may call for private running lessons!  My suggestions to all of you just starting out in the runner's world is two things, Don't forget the above quote and take a running class!  It was well worth the little amount of money it cost me!

Don't Give UP!

Sometimes when we have started a fitness journey, we tend to want to give up because we do not see results quickly enough.  I wanted to upload this photo for you to encourage you!  Don't Give UP!

Progress Is Progress

Today, I will be short and sweet!  Sometimes we get down on ourselves because the pounds are not coming off fast enough, or the inches aren't melting away quickly enough.  But I am here to tell you, that if you are really trying and putting your all in to it, you have already progressed!  Whether it's a fast progress or a slow paced one, it's still progress!

The one thing that I have been slowly progressing in is running.  I am not going the distance that I really want, but you know what?  If I can take two more strides over what I had done the time before, then I made progress!  It doesn't matter how fast I go or how long it takes me to FINALLY run a 5K, what matters is my effort and the progress I make in accomplishing my goal!

So, if your progress is slow.  Don't give up on yourself because I haven't given up on you or me.  Progress is Progress no matter what the pace or distance is!

<3, Sweat, and Peace!

Does Your Inside match your Outside?

All my life I have struggled with my weight.  I come from an obese family and pretty much accepted that I will be heavy for my entire life.  I was the FAT kid that was made fun of.  The Fat teenager that none of the boys wanted to have anything to do with (i'm sure the BIG HAIR didn't HELP! :)  My senior year in high school, I turned it around, I pretty much starved myself so I would lose weight and look descent for my Sr. Prom and graduation.  I lost TONS of weight and I felt really good about myself.  The unfortunate thing was, that I didn't do it in a healthy manner and it didn't last long.  My freshman year in college, I gained most of it back!  I struggled with yoyo weight loss and gain the entire time!  My Sr. year in college, I lost a lot of weight again.  This time, it was due to depression and an over exhausting schedule.  I started feeling good about myself though.  I liked how I looked and it showed.  My confidence level was finally up!  Boys that never would speak to me, asked me out.  OMG!  He asked me out!  But yeah, I turned him down.  I wasn't good enough before, so why now?  Anyway, after college, I became that yoyo person AGAIN!  There went  my self esteem!!!!!!  I was NOT confident!  I did NOT feel good in my own skin, and I absolutely HATED getting dressed to go anywhere!  I went through this for a few years and then I met my husband.  What a wonderful man he was/is!  He accepted me the way I was and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me!  Early in our marriage, I got pregnant with our first child.  I really had a hard time with the pregnancy because ALL I could see is me gaining more weight!  I couldn't even embrace that a beautiful baby was growing inside.  Again, I was NOT confident, I did NOT feel good about myself nor could I even feel pretty!  After I delivered my baby, I went on a massive diet!  I only ate 1x a day.  I found yoga and started doing that multiple times a day while she napped.  I then had my husband come up with a routine for me at the gym and started going to the gym.  The weight came off and my body started changing, I was at my lowest weight EVER!  But what didn't change is how I felt about myself.  I still was NOT confident and I still didn't Like myself.  The weight loss didn't last too long because 2 yrs. after my first child was born, I became pregnant with my twins.  Guess what!  Yep, all the things I was NOT was there AGAIN!  After they were born, I started taking diet pill, and again eating 1x a day and yoga.  The weight came off, but because I did it in such an unhealthy manner, it would just keep coming back on.  I struggled like this for 7 yrs.  Up and down, up and down.  Last year, I found Tone It Up.  They have changed my life.  I have lost weight in a healthy manner, have come to enjoy working out, and I absolutely LOVE spreading the work about them!  What I have come to realize is that my inside hasn't caught up with my outside!  I am still that FAT girl who is NOT confident, NOT happy with what she looks like, NO self-esteem, and NOT comfortable inside my own skin.  Do I see this as a hindrance? Absolutely!  What I need to learn is how to get over these feelings!  How do I do this?  I'm not sure.  It's a struggle every single day!  But, I am taking it one day at a time!  I thought I would share in pictures where I was to where I am today.  Yes, there is a HUGE change, but not on the inside!  The inside is still a work in progress as well.

Admitting

The weekend is just around the corner, and I admit, the past two weekends, I have fallen off the healthy wagon!  Why?  I am not sure.  I thought I was stronger than the urge!  This is what I think has happened.  I got cocky!  Yep, I did!  I got cocky in how I felt and how I looked and thought, "Oh, I can have a little"!  Well, that little turned in to absolutely NO SELF CONTROL!  What's worse, I have stomach issues and eating that food literally doubles me over in pain.  So why do it?  I had NO SELF CONTROL!  Self control and regulation is important.  I know that and still didn't listen to myself or what was good for my body.  This weekend, I vow to myself to NOT EAT UNCLEAN FOOD!  Can and will you make this promise to yourself?