Mud Run + Skinny Jeans... Here I Come!

On July 1, my mom and I made the conscious decision to start and stay committed to a diet and workout plan. I know, I said this way back in January. I'm horrible at this, but it has to happen this time. No more excuses. I'm tired of not fitting into half my wardrobe and being embarrassed by what I see in pictures. Especially now with Brody loving the pool, I don't need all these cute pictures of him splashing in the water with a whole lotta squish in the background.

My sister also recruited a few of her friends and myself to join her in the Grand Rapids Mud Run next month. I haven't run a 5k since....... ........ ........ uh..... sophomore year of high school? I can probably count on my fingers how many miles I've run since I stopped playing organized sports in 2006. Good Lord. I hate running. So in an attempt to not die over the course of 3 miles, my ass needs to get moving. Anyone want to join?! It's on Saturday, August 24... we'd love to have more people die run with us!

I have four main components to my weight loss/fitness regime:

1. Get Running (Couch to 5K) app - I've heard wonderful things about this program from a lot of people I know personally as well as testimonials I've read online. Week 1 has been a real eye opener to how out of shape I am, but it's doable. Run one minute, walk a minute and a half... repeat for 29 minutes. I like how it'll talk over my music and tell me when to switch up and how many seconds left in the segment so I'm not having to watch a timer the whole run. I'm super anxious to see how this program changes not only my running ability, but my overall attitude towards it as well.

2. MyFitnessPal app - I'm a huge believer that journaling is the key to successful weight loss. As long as you're being honest, you can look back and pinpoint exactly what you ate on days you gained and where the problem areas are. I love MyFitnessPal because it's super convenient to have on my phone, easy to use and it's free to join. I lovingly refer to it as "Facebook for Fatties." My username is andreaarchambault if anyone wants to join and lose some weight with me. :)

3. 30 Day Shred - I started this program a couple months ago and then quit after like two weeks. I know, shocking. I've decided to start up again and do this on my Couch to 5K off days. It's a great workout and nothing that's going to kill me, so I have no excuse why I can't plop Brody in his exersaucer and get through a 25-minute video. Jillian, work your magic!

4. Charting - Like I said earlier, being able to assess your progress is so important. I'm a huge yo-yo dieter, but when I've been successful in the past, it has been because I log my food and exercise in every single day. I threw together a chart in Excel that outlines my weight when I wake up, my weight before I go to bed, calories consumed, calories burned, what exercise I did, how much water I drink and how many Apple Cider Vinegar shots I did that day. (I read Apple Cider Vinegar aids in weight loss... so it's worth a shot... literally. Hahaha. I'm so awesome.)

I'm also looking for a little advice from you guys!

• I need real running shoes... not my old volleyball shoes from seven years ago. I don't need anything super fancy or expensive, just something that is actually meant for running... because I'm old and everything hurts when I run. Any particular shoes come to mind?
• I desperately want to get back to bike riding, but with Brody in tow. I've decided to go with a seat rather than a trailer, but I also ride a mountain bike with thicker tires that don't fit more baby carriers. Has anyone ever used the Topeak BabySeat? Yay? Nay? Any other suggestions that fit over a 26 x 1.95 tire?

So anyways. It's go time. After the roughly 47 lb. weight gain during my pregnancy, I dropped 25 of those pounds during the first week Brody was born and another 11 pounds during my last stretch of working out. I've been (literally) sitting on these last 11-13 pounds now for almost five months. So join me... I'd love to connect with some people on MyFitnessPal or hear about your progress doing the Couch to 5K program!