Let’s be honest: I could totally benefit from having this as a poster. I’m pretty bad about giving myself a harder time than is necessary even though I’m actually very comfortable with my body shape and size (special thanks Marilyn Monroe for starting the trend and to other curvy ladies like Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, the Kardashians, and Christina Hendricks for bringing it back in style). This is a special note I want to make, because there’s been an outcry against me working out & losing my figure. I don’t think that’s even possible; in the last year I’ve trained for and ran a half marathon, tried a month of HcG, went on a strict 12-week strength training program, retrained for a 10k, and maintained a healthy, balanced, and calorie restricted diet. I’ve lost 2 lbs.

Needless to say, this body is likely here to stay. I’m okay with that because it’s the only one I have and, more importantly, the only one I get. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to get stronger and more defined, and there’s a lot of baby fat to lose along with that process. I am currently (or last I checked) at or around 30% body fat. The healthy weight range for women (non-athletes) is 20-25%. That’s a good ways to go, but not an unreasonable challenge, especially with the adverse effects of carrying the extra weight so numerous. So yes, I do want to lose some weight. Slowly & healthily. I accept that this may or may not happen but I also realize that if I don’t take care of myself, my quality of life will decrease dramatically and I could very easily end up one of those 300 lb. moms who can’t walk up stairs (Exaggeration? Maybe, but then again most of you have never seen me put away some pizza rolls).

So yes, I ride myself a little hard, and no, it’s not necessary. That’s why I could use this poster! All the same, today, I feel really good. I’m up early and about to go running (have to drink some water first!) and I’m making a lot of headway regarding establishing good habits for the summer. I’ll be traveling and eating out a lot during training, but luckily I’ll still have 9-10 months before the wedding when I land somewhere steady and can get a real gym. The key is to stay on track over the summer.

Diet goals I’m striving for this summer:

1) Only ever eat half of a restaurant meal.
2) Absolutely no dairy (I’m lactose intolerant, and travel exacerbates my tummy troubles enough as it is)
3) Restrict starchy carbs to oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and quinoa. If I can’t get those at a restaurant, I’ll “hold” the starches completely.
4) Carry healthy, balanced in-purse snacks for blood sugar lows in the mid-morning and afternoon.
5) Stay active & busy.