You Gained During Training??

It has come to my attention that my jeans are tighter than they were a few months ago. And this doesn't make me happy.

I see transformation photos allllll day long of runners who have lost 100's of pounds, and here I am, half marathon training, and I've gained. Yes, gained. How many pounds? Not entirely sure and it doesn't REALLY matter. Point is, pants are tighter, I gained.

So how did it happen? I could spout some shit about how it is all muscle and blah blah blah. But no, muscle didn't make my pants tighter in my waist (however, muscle HAS made my jeans tighter in the calves and thighs, #stronglegsforthewin)

Want to know why my pants are tighter? Because I ate more calories than I burned. That's right, I've been eating like I'm training for a marathon, not a half. But does this mean I've failed? Hell no. I've trained for a half marathon, that I will be running in 19 days, and no one can take that away from me.

So what DOES this mean? It means that, once my half is over, I'm going to work on losing some of my excess fat. It doesn't mean I'm going to jump into a low-carb, low-cal, no gluten, Beachbody/Advocare hybrid. No, it means that once my half is done, I will give myself a few days to recover, than work at losing some excess fat, in a slow and sustainable way. I will keep moving, keep running (less miles and less often), I will add in some body weight exercise, I will walk, and I will eat for the lifestyle I live, not for the lifestyle I think I live.

Most importantly, I will remember that the number on my pants and the scale is not everything. But in order to ensure I can run for years to come, taking some extra weight off my joints won't hurt. I don't want to lose 100lbs over night (or ever probably). I don't want to lose 30lbs in 30 days. I want to lose weight as my body lets go of it, while still enjoying my life. Because THAT is what works.