One year. 365 days.

I started my journey the day that I got home last year 2013. I had a blast my freshmen year of college and it showed.  The Benny 20 definitely worked for me….unfortunately.  Whenever I got homesick or was stressed food was my best friend, but here I am one full year later in a place that I never thought that I would be.  

If you would have said run a mile, run a 5k, run a half marathon, complete a triathlon, do HIIT training with a trainer, eat clean, do 20 sets of the main street stairs, or become a member of a boot camp, I would have told you that you have got the wrong girl.  Last May, I wore a size 16 jeans. 

THEN: 

 I now wear a size 8. 

The reason I wanted to do start this crazy journey was to be in my cousins wedding, well, I surpassed my goals to no end.  I wanted to look good in my dress and surprise my entire family and it definitely worked.  The wedding was the perfect goal for me because Megan is my “sister”; she has been with me since I was a baby and has always been my inspiration.  As a child, I always thought it was the best when I got to hang out with the big kids and spend time with Megan, John, Jesse, Pat, Brian, the whole group.  They were in high school and I was in elementary school, so anything I got to do with them was a blast.  Now, as she is preparing to welcome her own baby into the world I want to be that cool “sister” for them.  I want to be able to take Baby Gaffney to do all the fun things that their mama and I used to do. 

So as another cousin wedding approaches (November 2014) I would like to stun the family again.

 

Over the last year I have:

Ran a half marathon

Done a sprint triathlon

Ran a 10k

Ran 2 5k’s

Been committed to a boot camp

Gotten a trainer at school and started HIIT training

Ran a mile in under 8:00 minutes

Lost over 40 pounds

These accomplishments would not have even crossed my mind as something I would ever do just last year. At times I wanted to give up, eat a bag of Doritos and move on with my life, well thank God that didn't happen.  There have definitely been days that my eating has not been good, but the gym has become my sanctuary.  All my friends, especially my roommate, know that when I am crabby or have had a rough day I can be sent to the gym and my day will have completely changed by the time I get back. 

Sweating it out makes me feel like $1,000,000. 

I am not going to lie I get mad that I haven’t lost more weight while at school these last few months, but I am surrounded by temptation.  There is not a single day that I don’t wish I could not want to eat pizza, pasta, or go get dessert, but I AM A HUMAN COLLEGE STUDENT! It’s going to happen.  I am most proud of the theory of moderation that I have adopted and that I am still even wearing a single digit size of jeans.

As I reflect on the last year I am looking forward to this summer and the next chapter of my story.  For the summer I am ditching the scale and am focusing on physical and attainable goals to reward myself.

Here are the major goals:

Clean eating everyday

Boot camp 3x a week with stairs on Saturday

Do a mud run (6/14/2014)

Train for another half marathon (August)

Run another half marathon (finish in under 2:30)

Get up wakeboarding (it is GOING to happen this year)

Wear a size 4 pair of jeans before Carla and Danny’s wedding (November 2014)

Now: 

  

I’ve said it before and I will say it every single day, I couldn’t have ever done half the stuff I have without the support of my family and friends.  They have been with me every step of the way and I am so grateful.  I am now to the point where others have called me their inspiration and I am so thankful that my lifestyle changes and aspirations have encouraged others to take the first step.

THANK YOU!