Monday's Workout: 1hr 2min bike ride

36min swim

Tuesday's Workout: 21min run

Wednesday's Workout: 1hr 17min bike ride

22 min swim

Thursday's Workout: 28min run

Friday's Workout: 29min swim

Today's Workout: 35min run / 9:28 pace

Today's Weigh-in: 152.8

Week 3 Loss/Gain: - 2.2

Total Loss: -18.6lbs

Wow- another amazing week. I want to apologize in advance for not writing this week- I kept on meaning to get on and then, apparently, I never did. Both kids have been battling nasty colds all week and then we started house hunting, so that took some time.

I've started to make an extra effort to work out at a higher intensity- I figure, I have this time away from the kids to do with what I want- why half-ass it? So, my swimming is a little more intensive- I drive myself a bit harder on the bike- and I try to keep a faster pace on my runs. So far, I think I'm doing better and the scale continues to drop, so that's also a good indicator.

You know- a year or so ago, I thought that running was truly the only (and best) way to lose weight at a good rate. When I was pregnant with Ladon, I had to stop running since my heart rate would go above a certain level that wasn't recommended for women in my position. :) So, I went back to swimming- which I really enjoy (and the waterproof mp3 player doesn't hurt one bit!) As for biking, I never really considered it while I was pregnant- of course it would have been tougher once my belly got really big, but it didn't even occur to me before I started to show. Anyways, I'm really amazed at how I'm now running less than I've ever ran before (maybe 5-7miles a week?!) and I'm losing weight at a great pace. So, apparently, mixing your workouts up can make a big difference- I just had to try it myself to really believe it.

On another note, I just received the best e-mail EVER from a mom in my mom's group. I just met her for the first time and she wrote me to tell me how she really admired all the hard work I had put into this and (this one really touched my heart) how strong I looked. I have to tell you, that e-mail made my whole year. When I walk into a room of people I don't know, I immediately start comparing myself- "her hair is prettier than mine", "she's skinnier than me", or "she's better dressed than me." I never consider the fact that someone looks at me and thinks "she looks strong." It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. While this journey is my own- it's also something I want to use to inspire other people. To know that, even if you've gained and lost weight before, if you gained some, all, or more of it back, you can lose it again. And, you WILL feel better losing the weight- like I read somewhere "No one gets to the top of a mountain and says "I should have just stayed at the bottom."

Now, you may say, "well, Jenny, I can't live on salads and grilled chicken my whole life! That's a mountain I do not want to climb!!" And, I totally agree. I think anyone who tells you never to eat fried food, candy, cookies, or carbs ever again is nuts. You absolutely can eat those foods- just in moderation and not every day either. For instance, we made a casserole last night that had ground beef, tomato sauce, sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and spaghetti squash (instead of noodles.) Nothing was low-fat (although it was lower carb) and it was delicious!! And, I was still down from yesterday morning. Now, I'm not a fan of low-fat diets (check out Tom Naughton's "Fat Head" to see the movie that completely changed the way I view carbs), but I know what we ate last night is good for me and I didn't eat a ton of it. I wanted to eat about twice the amount I did, but I restrained myself and ate at a normal pace and didn't go back for seconds.

Also, today is free day. I won't go into what I ate today, but let's just say it involved Girl Scout cookies and McDonald's. Again- not healthy, BUT, after a week with sick kids, it was really nice to just sit down and eat a few Thin Mints. And, because I allow myself a free day, I have even more of a reason not to dive into the pantry on Wednesday night when I'm hitting Hump Day Hunger! :)

So, I hope that I can inspire more and more people to eat better, exercise, but not to give up the foods they love. To know that they can go out to eat once a while and pig out and STILL lose weight (or maintain). It really is possible- I promise.