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| This is what wedded bliss looks like. |
Rewind to the engagement - 10 months before the wedding. When my husband got down on bended knee, asking for my hand in marriage, I not only said yes to him, I also made a promise to myself to become the most perfect self I could be by the time I walked down the aisle.
Fast-forward to April 21st, 2012 (our wedding day). Was I the most perfect version of my self? No. Not even close. Not by a long shot. In those 10 months of preparation for the day I wanted to feel the most beautiful, not a single pound was shed. In fact, quite the opposite - I steadily gained 10 lbs to carry with me down the aisle. The reasons for the weight gain I will discuss in future posts...but the disappointment is what has brought me to this first post.
So while it was an amazing day...there was slight disappointment when I put on my wedding dress, looked in the mirror and realized that I did not achieve what I had promised myself I would before that day arrived.
So what did I do? I put on my dress...I felt pretty darn sexy anyway and I walked down the aisle, said, "I do" and danced the night away and had an amazing night. We left for our honeymoon to Kauai, HI and had an incredible time. Sure, I was hoping to be able to prance around the beach, showing my husband what a hottie he married...but it turned out that I didn't need that satisfaction to have an incredible time. Not to mention I married a man who loves me for me...which feels pretty great.
So in many ways, I learned that I didn't need to achieve perfection to have a perfect wedding/honeymoon.
But when the plane landed in Chicago and we started to settle into our newly married lives I began a rather quick decent into a post wedding depression. Not only was the wedding over...and the wedding gifts stopped rolling in...and the phone stopped ringing from friends and family...but my jeans were feeling extra tight...and I wasn't liking the girl I was seeing in the mirror. What am I doing to myself? If I continue down this road...I'm not going to recognize myself a year from now.
I began to read articles on what to do to beat the post wedding-blues. There are many tips...call friends to chat or bury yourself in wedding pictures... But the one thing that every article has in common was this tip... Start a project.
So begins my project - or, "A" project. My Anniversary Project, to be exact. I'm giving myself one year (or until my anniversary - April 21, 2013) to turn myself into that person I thought I'd be when I walked down the aisle. So what does that mean? By the time my one year wedding anniversary arrives I will have:
1. Lost 30 lbs.
2. Found a job that inspires me and gives me a sense of purpose
3. Developed a healthy lifestyle that my husband and I can live by every day
So this is where the journey begins. To date, my husband and I have started doing the "Couch to 5K" running plan. We just completed the second workout of the first week of training. I bought some new running shoes (Merrells) that make me feel like I'm running barefoot and so far, I'm experiencing no pain in my knees.
This morning we woke up at 6:30am (or 6:40 after some coaxing from my husband) and we walk/ran around the block for 20 whole minutes. It's a small step, but it feels good to be moving again.
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| New Barfoot Run Pace Glove: a major step towards success! |
My husband and I are attempting to eat healthy, although the oatmeal coconut cookies I made the other night are a huge distraction. Note to self: stop baking when you're bored!
I'll keep you posted on my progress because it seems easier to stay on track when you're being held accountable. So in essence...you are my workout buddy. Help keep me on track by sharing your comments and stories.
I'll keep you posted, buddy.
