The Holidays: My Take

I went for a seven-mile run this morning.  It was, to say the least, nippy!

 

 

I have a new, thermal headband that I bought before Jamie’s 10k (which I then didn’t need since it was 59 degrees for that race!).

 

 

At first, I was lamenting that I didn’t have my tried and true orange deer-hunter hat. However, after about a mile in, I was warm enough and the headband worked out just fine.  I ended up with a good run, nice and easy, with a few stops to take some pictures on the way.

 

 

That shot of me above was taken at the end of my run.  My run actually started before dawn, and I got to watch the sunrise.

 

 

I do love watching the sun come up.  It’s one of my favorite parts of running, something I never thought that I would enjoy.  (Believe me when I say I like to sleep in!)  But I’ve come to realize that being up before most of the world, and enjoying the peaceful beauty, is really amazing.

 

 

Can you see the frost on the grass in that picture? Dude, it was definitely frosty this morning!   It actually reminded me of when I first started walking to lose weight, two years ago this week.

This past Thursday, my sister said some nice things about me online in regards to how I have been a cheerleader for her in her weight loss journey. (Which I hopefully will write about another day).  Thursday also happened to be the two-year anniversary of when I decided to start my final push to lose the rest of the weight I needed to, both with the walking regimen mentioned above, and my re-commitment to Weight Watchers.  My motivation had been seeing my friend Katie on the Dr. Oz show three days earlier.   (You can read all about it on my I Lost to Gain page.)

After seeing my sister’s praise on Thursday, and thinking about my own healthy lifestyle milestone, yesterday I was feeling both nostalgic and motivated, and I ended up posting this on social media….

“After the nice things my sister said about me yesterday, I feel like being EVERYONE’S cheerleader today! So, to that end, for those of you who are looking toward the upcoming holiday season with dread in regards to your health–don’t!! Instead, choose to look toward it with confidence…the confidence that you can do what you need for YOUR health. Don’t let outside influences change your focus or your commitment! This is exactly what I did two years ago this week–3 days before Thanksgiving!–and by New Year’s, I was 9 pounds lighter! Now I’m even lighter than that, AND I’m a crazy runner girl.  So I think I speak from experience in saying…take the time to plan, commit, and be in charge of your choices—you can do it! (Crazy runner part is totally optional. 😉  ) And now I will put my pompoms away for a while.  But if you need motivation…come find me, I will do my best to give it to you!!”

And that goes for YOU, too–if you need an extra dose of motivation, let me know, by emailing me or replying to this thread, and I’ll do my best to help give you the support you need. 🙂  I definitely know how it feels to be unhealthy and miserable, and while I’m not perfect, I am a pretty darn near perfect cheerleader. 😉

I suspect some of my family and friends find me a bit annoying (kind of like that recovering alcoholic who preaches to anyone who will listen 😉 ), but I really don’t care.  I know that *I* benefited from Katie’s inspiration at a moment when I needed it most, and it’s my hope that anyone who reads my blog or hears me speak about my experience might find the motivation they need at that moment to change their life.  I can say from experience that when the moment is right, and you’re really ready to receive the message, hearing just the words you’ve been looking for can make all the difference! 🙂

I wish you the best in your journey, no matter where in it you are, and I urge you not to fall into the trap of letting the thought of “the holidays” keep you from achieving your goals. Instead, make today, and tomorrow, and all your days, GREAT!!

Thanks for reading!