Running and Weight Loss Experiment, Week One

I've decided to try an experiment.  I have body image issues, like most women.  I have come along way in the weight loss department.  If you don't believe me, I'll show you.  This is a picture of me at my heaviest.  198 pounds.  Almost 200 pounds.  Pre-diabetic belly and all...

Looking back, this picture disgusts me.  I don't like anything about the person in that picture.  It is a painful reminder of how fat, depressed, negative and physically and mentally unhealthy I was. When I brought my son home from the hospital, things changed. I decided to forgive myself for every bad decision I ever made.  I decided I would make a fresh start and be happy.  After all, those fertility treatments and dark nights screaming for a baby, any baby, were definitely behind me.  If you are experiencing infertility, you know what I mean.  With every friend's or family member's pregnancy comes overwhelming anger and sadness.  But that is not the point of this post.

I started running in September 2010 and instantly fell in love.  I had many obstacles to overcome.  One being the damage I did to my lungs from smoking.  Secondly, I had to learn how to eat like a healthy person and give up my nightly bottle of wine.  Yes, I said bottle.  Remember how I just told you I was sad, angry and depressed?  I was self medicating.

I have been running now for a solid 19 months now.  A half marathon is just a few weeks away.  I will be scheduling a full marathon and two 50k's in the next 8 months.  This is all training for my Grand Canyon Rim2Rim2Rim run that I hope to cross of my Bucket List in 2013.  I started thinking, how much weight would I shed if I stuck to this partly Vegan diet and all these weekly miles?

Well, let's find out together.  I already put that fat picture out there, so these two won't hurt as much.  This is Week One.  Today (April 15th, 2012).  A full frontal and a side view of yours truly.  I'll try and keep up this series on Sunday.  I have no idea what I weigh in pounds.  I do not own a scale.  My cycling instructor and sometimes run trainer Julie, told me to "throw that scale out the window".  Which is exactly what I did.  Well, I put it in the trash anyways.  I pay attention to the way my body feels, how my clothes fit and that is exactly what every other woman should do.  It doesn't hurt to measure your inches either, but I am lazy and that means more work.  So getting to the pictures:

Let's just see what all this hardcore run training will do to this 35 year old body, shall we?  I'll keep you updated weekly, so please check back.  For the record, only a few, very few, people read this blog so it was easy to post embarrassing pictures of myself.  Unless you share it, then I'm embarrassed.

Happy Running!

Mallorie


Edited to Add:

Just a little fun I had....