Day 15: MY FIRST MILE

I found this photo on the wonderful world of the Internet this morning. I have loved ones who suffer or suffered from diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. Some have had strokes and have to take a billion pills just to stay well because they've made poor choices with their health. They know what they need to do, and yet they still don't change. As for me, I'm too scared to NOT to take preventative measures now. Why keep hurting yourself and why make your loved ones suffer for something that can be avoided by making some relatively easy changes?

As someone who has a huge addiction to food, I KNOW that it sucks to eat right when there are so many more convenient options available out there. Eating right can be more expensive, it can take up more time and effort to prepare meals, and it seems like there isn't as much variety. Well, I've begun to discover that those are all excuses that most of us come up with to avoid doing the work. I'm on a VERY limited budget, and although I know I'm not eating the healthiest of the healthy foods, I know I'm doing the best I can on my income.

Even today on the way home, I had cravings. These cravings can be powerful, and I feel so pathetic when I think about how easily my mind strays when I think of a certain favorite greasy or sugary food. This happens to me EVERY DAY on the drive home, and EVERY DAY at work. I drive by so many fast food restaurants during my commute. Sonic, Jack in the Box, Happy Donuts, Rao's..... I could E A S I L Y stop and get a quick, cheap bite to eat and scratch that short hunger itch for something bad for me. Every day is a mental battle of why I SHOULDN'T stop and get something bad for me. EVERY. DAY.

But when I am able to resist the temptation, I feel like I've won. This feeling is SO much more empowering than the regret and the guilt I feel when I do succumb to the aromas of cheap, crappy food. I'm doing a wonderful service to my heart, my arteries, my liver, all my organs...and to my wallet. I've saved SO much money just by limiting how much I eat out per week.

In the long run, these little daily sacrifices will add up to something huge. I can avoid clogged arteries. I can avoid diabetes. Maybe not COMPLETELY, because I do know those conditions happen even when one does watch what they eat, but at least I can rest with the fact that I've done my best to work with what I can control.

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Breakfast was another bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats with 2% Milk.

Lunch was at 1:20...I had leftovers from last night. Again, my apetite just isn't that big, so I ate until I was full.

Before

After

Dessert!

I had a snack of about 8 honey roasted almonds at 3:30.

I had to work late and photograph a ceremony at 6:30, so I didn't get to work out until late. I resisted eating this delicious monster, though...

I'm all pretty & I'm here to ruin your day.

After resisting that delicious cake and getting home later than usual, I was STARVING. I didn't want to spend a million years cutting up vegetables, so I made some quick scrambled eggs and wheat toast for supper. I always use olive oil spray and about 3 tbsps of 2% milk to make them. My department's wonderful and lovely senior administrative assistant Kim sold me some fresh eggs from her farm! Can't complain about that!

No salt on these eggies!

I couldn't eat anymore!

I hit the gym at about 8. I started out strong with a good 3.6 mph powerwalk. At 5:00, I decided to start running. I felt great! I kept focusing on my reflection in the window and the creepy people outside in the swimming pool, and it was actually a major help in keeping my mind off of being tired or winded. I decided to block the clock on the treadmill with my phone so that I couldn't see how long I was running. Before I knew it, I ran through TWO songs! Then THREE! I was starting to breathe more heavily than usual after the 3rd, so I decided to look at my distance. I RAN OVER A MILE (at 4.4mph)! WITHOUT STOPPING! I waited until the calorie burner said I had burned 100 calories, and then I slowed down to 3.6mph again. I took the phone away from the treadmill clock, and the time read 22:05!  I ran for over 17 minutes!! Being the big goober that I am, I let out a big "WOOOOOO!!!" and an "AHHHHHH!!!" There was also a lot of laughing and almost some crying! I still had over half of my workout to go, so I got my act together and I kept on trucking!

At 24:00, I decided to start running again. I think it was too soon and I was still in shock from my mile achievement, so I only lasted till 26:30, but I was SO happy. I maintained a fast powerwalk at 3.6 mph and I increased the incline of the treadmill to 6. I try to make the incline more challenging when I slow down so that I'm still working hard. At 40:00, I decided to run again at 4.3 mph, and I FINISHED the last 5 minutes at a run!! I was at 2.95 miles, and I wanted to go ahead and finish at 3 miles, so I pushed the time button on the treadmill to give me more time, BUT IT FREAKING CLEARED EVERYTHING! I WAS SO UPSET THAT I STOPPED!  DAAHHHHHHHH!!! There might have been some profanities yelled in the gym tonight. Oops. At least there weren't any other people. Haha!

I was so mad that I slapped the treadmill.
Sorry, treadmill. User error. 

9:48 p.m.
As you can imagine, I am bloody freaking ecstatic right now! I, the little girl who was terrified to run... I, the little girl who used to have to pray the rosary while doing the middle school physical fitness test just to get through ONE MILE, I the one who couldn't last two minutes running just TWO WEEKS AGO, ran OVER ONE MILE today in 17 minutes without stopping. 24 minutes total. 
You couldn't slap the smile off my face right now.

Goodnight, all. And here's to Day 16 tomorrow.