A few years ago, I noticed that my clothes just weren’t fitting me right. My pants seemed tighter and there were dresses that kept getting caught up in my midsection. I suspected I’d gained weight, but it wasn’t until after stepping on a scale that I realized just how much: Since graduating from college, I’d gained 30 lbs!
I decided to take up daily walking in order to lose weight. This easily shaved off 2 lbs off my frame, encouraging me to walk even more. However, my time schedule simply didn’t permit me to spend 2-3 hours walking every evening. To ramp up my calorie loss, I started lightly running instead of walking. Eventually, I increased my running pace to the point where I could easily traverse six miles in the space of an hour. I would run three times a week.
Running definitely made me lose weight. For starters, running 6 miles uses up 600 calories. Second, my running changed the way I ate; instead of snacking on cookies and candies all day, I started eating whole grains, fish and fruit. This eating change became necessary if I was going to maintain my stamina while running and not tire out.
One day, I found out that a coworker of mine was selling her weight sets. I inquired about this equipment from her and soon bought it for just $100. After it was installed at my house, I began lifting weights on it once or twice a week. Eventually, I was doing weight training three times a week and on my “off” days from running. Weight lifting did not make me lose much weight but it did tone my muscles. I found myself better balanced while running and my back didn’t hurt as much afterwards.
As I maintained my running routine, I continued to lose weight, with a pound or two coming off each week. By the end of 6 months, I had lost 30 lbs. I was not only able to fit into my old clothes again but to even purchase even more slimming pants and suits. I also started entering running races and, although I didn’t win any medals, the competitive atmosphere was fun and made me run faster.
Currently, I still run 3-4 times each week. I usually run on my indoor treadmill to save on time; however, I enjoy running outside the most. I also make sure to weight train at least twice a week, if not more. This keeps my body in balance and toned up.
