I’ve made a decision that pains me greatly. Partially because I am in pain. I have decided to put off this running thing for 25 pounds. I ran at the park in Danville today, and had a lot of difficulty. I made the first half of the runs with relative ease. I was feeling really good. But then I started to lose feeling in my left foot, but I ran through it. Then I got an impressive cramp in the left leg. That’s been two hours ago, and the cramp is still there. I think I need to take this slow. And I know I could run on a treadmill, but that’s not what I want. I want to be outside. And if walking is what I can do outside, then walking is what I will do. Due to spending an outrageous amount of money on my “running” shoes, I am putting them away until I am in in fact running. See you soon, my beautiful Saucony ProGrid Triumph 4s!

My plan is to walk a lot, as often as I can, and improve the muscle tone in my legs. Hopefully that will go along with losing weight. I am sure that I will be a runner when I have less of myself to carry around. I am aiming to be running again by our anniversary, July 19. I think it is feasible to lose 25 pounds in that amount of time.

Especially considering the way I have been eating today. I really wish I would have taken food pictures today. I have done so well! I started the day with a Starbucks drink for breakfast. (It’s Monday and I didn’t want to resist, and I counted it.) Lunch was a peanut butter and banana sandwich and applesauce. I had a mini york patty as a snack. For dinner I had 2 eggbeaters and 1/4 cup 2% cheese in this flatbread stuff (that has a ton of fiber and is really good) and some grape tomatoes. I just had a bowl of Wheat Chex to round out my day. I feel really good about it. But, man, is my left knee-and-below unhappy.

Tomorrow is going to be a great food day. Starting the day with banana and peanut butter wrapped in the flatbread. I’m getting ready to make chicken salad (yummm!) that I’ll eat on a bed of spinach. Dinner is still up in the air, but we’ve got fish here if we decide to cook. I’m very excited. I love the way it feels when I can control my life to the point of being able to control my food choices. I’m a little nervous about being at Nate’s Mom’s this weekend, but if I need to I can go to the store when we get there. It’ll be fine. I just have to think about the running shoes that await me!

I am still reading Judith Beck’s The Beck Diet Solution. At this point, I am absolutely loving it. I am too cautious to report that it is life shattering until I work the program for a while. What I really like about it is that it works with any diet, and she is a real therapist who just tweaks the skills we are taught to make them apply to losing weight. I am really enjoying it so far, and am starting to see a change in my thinking. I’ll keep you updated as I stick with it.

I just feel so much better than yesterday. Even with the running postponement.

Time to make chicken salad! Have a great night and tomorrow!