Holiday Weight Gain

Well, the holidays are over.  I have this love-hate relationship with the holidays.  I love the opportunity to see more of family and friends.  I love the heart-warming moments and the traditions.  I love seeing the kids' faces light up when they open a gift.  I love the random acts of kindness that aren't completed during the other eleven months of the year.  I love the good food, sweets and drinks. 

 

 

Oh yeah - about that - I gained 8.5 lbs between Thanksgiving and December 26.  Yup - I said it.  Even with running about 15-20 miles per week.  We had family in town after Thanksgiving for almost two weeks and the celebrations continued all month long through Christmas Day.  I am not typically a consumer of alcoholic beverages, but this Wisconsin Girl can't resist a good ol' Brandy Old Fashioned (or two or three or four) at a family gathering.  I ate way too many sweets and treats.  What's one more when you've already had a half dozen??

 

 

I'm headed back to journaling, cleaned out the pantry and refrigerator, meal planning, and eliminating alcoholic beverages from my diet.  I'm also starting my next round of the Advocare Ten Day Cleanse. 

I'm finding that balance again - between healthy eating and working out.  I can't just run and run and run - and expect to eat and eat and eat.
 

I headed out for six miles the day after Christmas and felt so weighted down.  My legs felt heavy and I felt slow.  My stomach turned and resisted.  My legs and tummy jiggled with each step.  My running gear was tight.  It was only a month and a half since I ran an awesome marathon and I was now struggling to log a few miles.  I thought about calling it a day after my routine 5K around my neighborhood.

But the weather was beautiful.  So, I stuck with it.  I pushed myself.  I enjoyed the fresh air and the clean streets.  I had missed the sunshine over the past couple of weeks and the sun shining down on me lifted my spirits.  So did my music.  I got my feet in sync with the rhythm of my playlist and just went with it.  Eventually my six miles turned into ten and then a half marathon was completed at sunset.

 

 

I felt better.  Of course I did.  I've kicked my booty back into gear.  My run got me out of my rut.  And I can still go out and run a half marathon - just like that.