Workouts like today's are why I keep going.

I had a great workout. I ran for 30 minutes straight through, did some leg strength training and a little bit of arms. Usually when I run, I run a fast mile and then do intervals, but that was getting old. I wanted to zone out and just settle into a peaceful run. Today, I decided to start at a slow mile pace of 12:00 and slowly build up to 11:00. No sprinting, no huffing and puffing, just a nice easy pace to clear my head and relax. It was great. I loved every minute of it.


6 months ago, running for 30 minutes straight wouldn't have been relaxing for me. It would have been torture and I would not have been able to do it. I am so proud of how far I have come and the results I'm seeing. I've lost weight, I have more energy, and I feel one hundred times better. It's worth it. The struggles to beat temptations, the time spent at the gym, the sweat and the pain have all been worth it. Seeing and feeling results are the best motivation. I have become my own motivation. Just remembering how out of shape I used to be and how I can do things now that I couldn't have done 6 months ago is what keeps me going. I honestly get excited for the weigh in days because I know I've been working hard and I know weight is coming off. It's working. I'm doing it. 


The thing that surprises me the most about this whole process is I can do this for the rest of my life. The changes I've made aren't impossible to maintain, they aren't even that difficult. I'm not starving myself, drooling over pizza commercials (OK, sometimes I drool,) and crying on the treadmill because my workouts are killing me. I'm doing things that I can honestly say I will still be doing a year from now, 5 years from now, 10 years from now, and 30 years from now. It's a lifestyle. It's how I live. I don't want to go back to being the girl who eats entire pizzas for dinner and can't run a mile without stopping. She's long gone. In her place is a girl who loves fruit, vegetables, and running, truly loves them. 


If you're out there struggling to get to the gym, just do it. You'll never regret going to the gym. You'll never regret picking healthy food over junk. It's about making those choices and knowing the benefits that come with those good choices. 


Each day is a challenge. Each successful day is one day closer to the goal.