Hi, I'm Petra and this is my weight loss/fitness blog.
I used to be on Weight Watchers from January 2011 to October 2012, dropping approximately 45 lbs. I've made the transition from unhealthy and unhappy to athlete and this is my journey to becoming a healthier, happier me. I frequently post about my exercise (mostly running, yoga and lifting), the foods I eat, recipes I liked and my daily struggles. You'll also find the occasional tree hugger post, (travel) photography or anything else I find worth remembering and collecting.
I follow most blogs back that follow me. However, I do stay away from blogs that promote EDs, unhealthy methods of weight loss or negative body image.
Feel free to say hi any time!
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
This morning I went for a run and I had a sort of eye-opening moment.
Waking up at 5:15, it took me a good while to stop hitting the snooze button. I didn’t want to get out of bed and I certainly didn’t want to go outside to run. I was tired and exhausted, but I’d run every day since Friday and I knew that I wasn’t going to run tomorrow because I weigh in at my Weight Watchers meeting on Tuesday mornings, so Tuesdays tend to be my rest days. I have a business dinner tonight at an Italian restaurant that I’ve been looking forward to for a while and yes, I want to eat pasta and drink a glass of wine. I knew that I needed to get my shit together and just do it.
So I forced myself out of bed and out the door. I hadn’t even reached the corner of my block when my knees, quads and hamstrings started screaming at me. I knew it was going to be a tough run. I told myself that instead of the 5.5 – 6 miles I had originally planned, I was only going to do 4.5. I felt slow (even though I started out really fast for the first 10 minutes) and just lifting my feet felt like an impossible task. As I was struggling along, headed toward Cat Hill (dread!) I saw this extremely skinny walker from behind, pumping their arms weirdly and generally just moving really, really awkwardly. When I bypassed the person, I glanced to the right and noticed that it was an old man, possibly in his 70s or 80s, struggling and possibly in pain/discomfort.
Two things hit me right then:
- Sometimes, I need to stop taking my running for granted. I need to be grateful that I’m in good health and that my minor discomforts are just that. Minor discomforts. I am healthy and perfectly capable of running and pushing my body a little farther each time. No, not every run I do is going to be my best one – and that’s ok – but generally, my runs are pretty decent. I run because I can. And I need to continue being grateful for this. Thank you, body.
- I have a whole lot of respect for this man. Not only because he was old and still active (as much as he could in his condition), but it also takes some serious dedication to go for a walk/run/waddle/bike ride/whatever outdoor exercise on a freezing NY winter morning just a handful of minutes past 6. Chapeau, Monsieur.
That said, today I got approached by one of our business partners to put a fun event on our calendars. I work in advertising as a buyer, so we are treated to lots of free stuff. Mostly it’s food (cupcakes, ugh), dinners, happy hours, gift cards, manis/pedis, invitations to sporting events or concerts, etc. I lead a pretty decent life, but yes, most of it is food related. It’s ridiculous. Today, I got approached by a representative from a major sporting site that we work with, inviting me to a spin class next week. I’ve never done a spin class before. I’m excited! If not for the fact that it’s a new experience for me, but then for the fact that the outing for once is not going to make me fat but actually help me lose fat. Win!
