Yeah for Jenny!

This blog is meant as kind of a journal for our family, and what we're up to, so even though I'm kind of embarrassed to make this post, I'm going to anyway because it's a major life change for me and I want to have it recorded and because it's something that has consumed a lot of my time and thoughts for the last year or so.

I've lost almost 50 pounds!!!

Indeed, it is true, from my heaviest to now, it's about 50 pounds, and that's certainly not counting pregnancy or immediately after. That fat picture isn't even at my heaviest, you could probably add another 15 lbs on to that. I started walking last spring in Arizona when I got our double jogging stroller and amazingly I've kept it up. When we moved back to Utah I started going to a tough class that involves a lot of strength training and cardio and that's helped me lose a bunch, too. I work out HARD 4 or 5 times a week. We're also trying to just have healthier hobbies, Jared and I got bikes and a bike trailer for the kids.

I've been eating really, super healthy, including a cleanse and I cut out all white foods (sugar, white flour, rice, potatoes, etc) for the last month. I drink a gallon of water a day, I try not to eat after 7 or 8, I don't eat processed foods, I've started making my own wheat bread (Jared and the kids love it), and generally being really conscious of what I eat. I know I can't maintain that forever, the goal is our trip to Hawaii at the end of this month.

None of my clothes fit, which is good and bad. Even the pants that I'd been holding on to hoping would fit someday are all too big. Here are my biggest pants which once fit snugly.

This last Saturday I ran my first 5K. I did it because I'm going to do a half marathon in August, and I wanted to try out a little one to see if it was something that I would like. I was really nervous because even though I've been jogging for a long time, I always just focus on time and my heart rate rather than distance, so I wasn't sure if I could do a 5K, which is 3.1 miles. Jared and I went for a jog and used GPS to measure the distance and we did 7 miles without much difficulty, so I knew I was good to go. I was still really nervous anyway, because I thought that everyone would know that I didn't really belong there and everyone would make fun of me, nobody said anything, which is good. The night before I had 3 different race dreams, it was weird.

The morning finally came and it was terrible weather. It was cold when we started and as soon as we started raining it started to rain, then sleet, then hail. As I was running my head and hands were freezing and I was soaking wet. At the end I was totally steaming. I did good though and didn't have to stop or walk at all and kept up a good pace the whole time. It wasn't hard at all and I actually had a good time. At the end I got a massage and free soggy french toast. It took me about 2 hours to finally warm up after I got home.

I'm pretty proud of myself even though I still have more to go. I started trying to be healthy to be a good example to my kids. I read somewhere that if both parents are overweight that kids are something like 80% more likely to be overweight, too, which scared me a lot. Being healthier and having healthy habits we are able to have a lot more fun together. I have a lot more energy and confidence, even though I'm still embarrassed to post this.

This video is awesome, I'm coming in next to an 8 year old girl and an 80 year old man. HA!