The Quest to Lose A Marathon

I'm on a misson to LOSE a marathon and could not be more excited!  I have nearly 800 online friends in the fight with me. With that kind of support, I know I can succeed... and so can you! This little challenge has grown way beyond my wildest dreams - in just a matter of days. It's a powerful reminder of how many people are struggling with weight issues. I know firsthand how disruptive obesity can be in all aspects of life. My work, personal relationships, and overall character suffered as my weight soared. I turned things around the day I started to run... and this summer, I want to finish the job by reaching my goal weight before the Air Force Half Marathon on September 15.

Registration for the Marathon Weight Loss Challenge is still open to new participants until June 25. You can sign up here.

I'm ready to start the challenge!

Rarely will you convince an investor to back a new endeavor without a business plan. The same holds true with weight loss. The more you plan, the better chances for success.  A plan provides direction to keep you on track.  It helps to identify your objectives and outlines how best to reach those goals.  Poor planning is one of the top reasons for failure.  No plan is foolproof and it should adjust when necessary.   The mini challenge in week 1 is to MAKE YOUR PLAN, so here is mine!

My plan to Lose A Marathon
I want to lose 26.2 lbs to feel healthy, strong and confident in my own skin. Losing weight will also help me run faster... which is just more fun!


FOOD. I will count calories by journaling my food intake on My Fitness Pal because what gets measured gets managed.  I've also had a lot of success with a Photo Food Journal, taking a photo of everything I eat. My goal is to stay at 1200 calories each day - allowing for 3 real meals with 2 snacks. I will focus on consuming lots of fruit and vegetables throughout the day. Carbs are runner's fuel, so I allow whole-grains through lunchtime and then limit them in the backhalf of the day. Meal planning and preparation are the key to my success. The question "What's for dinner?" sneaks up on me and we too often resort to takeout meals like pizza or chinese. Sitting down to eat as a family is very important to me, so my dinner creations must also be 'real food' that the whole family can will eat. I aim to drink at least 96oz of water each day, three refills on my big water jug.

EXERCISE. This really hasn't been a problem for me in years.  I love to sweat! My problem is that I overeat afterward because I "earned it". I will continue running roughly 30 miles each week.  I also plan to increase the frequency of my cross training - biking, Spinning, swimming, boxing and lastly strength training (which I totally slack on). In the past, I found Two-A-Days have really helped me lose weight. Two-A-Days are simply two workouts in one day - one in the morning, one in the afternoon/evening. Each time you workout, your heart rate increases (burning calories) and tapers off gradually after the workout conclusion (still burning calories at a faster rate than normal). So by doing Two-A-Days, I take advantage of two heart rate spikes and tapers, increasing my overall calorie burn.

MOTIVATION. My best friends these days are my fitness friends. They are daily encouragement to make the right choices. And now I have another 800 online friends to keep me accountable too!  I will also have a visual display of my progress sitting in my kitchen with a new GOAL JAR.  Every time I lose a pound, I get to add pebbles to the jar. You know I don't want to take any out!

How would you like a GOAL JAR like these?
Check out RunnerDecals.com.  Susan made custom decals specifically for this challenge that can be applied to any vase, jar, or cup.  Click here if you have a 26.2 goal or here for a 13.1 goal.  They are $5 each and come in a variety of colors to choose from. She has also donated some of these to be the Challenge Prize for week 1!  Winners will be announced on June 26 - so don't miss the first weigh-in!!

I feel ready to go with this plan.  Writing everything down certainly focused me... and taking those dreaded 'before' pictures definitely motivated me. Ick!  I have my plan... now it's time to work it.  Good Luck to everyone!

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, 

but anyone can start today and make a new ending."

~Maria Robinson

Note:  I'm getting bombarded with emails this week with the start of the challenge.  Please be patient with me as I try to answer everyone's emails. My food prep and workouts must come first. In the meantime, please read over the week one newsletter HERE. It will probably answer your question and save you an email.  Thank you so much!  
Reminder - Your starting weigh was already recorded at sign-up. Your first weigh-in is not until next Monday, June 25.