Healthier Curvy!

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately that are about women's experiences losing weight and their adventures in dieting and exercising. I commend these women for putting themselves out there. That takes courage. So, I'm going to follow in their example and talk a little about my quest for a better bod.

Honestly, I've never had the best self-esteem when it comes to my body. I've always felt that I would look and feel so much better about myself if I were to lose some weight. I know that I'm never going to be skinny and I'm totally fine with that. I'm curvy. I just want to be a healthier curvy. Does that make sense? We all have something that we want to improve about ourselves, this is mine.

Over the past few months, leading up to my Half Marathon over Labor Day weekend and continuing now, I've been super focused on becoming healthier and happier with my body. Thus, I've followed a serious work out regime at the gym. Of course, I have had days where I slacked off but for the most part, I've been good.

This month, in particular, I've stepped it up a notch. Last week I introduced the dreaded sit ups with your legs crossed up in the air into the mix. I hate them with a passion but my trainer (and by 'my trainer', I mean, she was my trainer for one day) told me that sit ups are great for an ab workout which is what I'm working really hard on. I've always worked out here and there but never with this kind of gusto and drive. Yep, that's right, I got gusto and drive now. Ha!

Of course all the training for my half marathon and now for the full marathon I'm doing in March are helping me along immensely. Knowing you have an upcoming athletic event really do wonders for your drive. Signing up for that Half Marathon and this Marathon were probably two of the smartest decisions I've ever made.

So, has all this hard work paid off so far? Yes, actually since I've moved to LA, drum roll please, I've lost a whopping.........20 pounds! I know, it's crazy! The odd thing is that the only time I can really tell is when I put on older clothes. That is the best feeling ever-throwing on an old shirt or a pair of jeans and practically swimming in them. It's so awesome! But I'm not done yet, I'm going to keep working out and training for the LA Marathon and hopefully this time next year, I'll be at my goal weight.

Something else interesting that I've been thinking about is whether or not living here in LA has been a factor in my quest to lose weight and I answer, yes. Of course LA is full of lots and lots of beautiful skinny people. I would have to be blind not to be affected by all of them. Yet the bottom line is that I want to be healthier for me and for no one else. I think that's the most important thing to remember in life.