Toned

I LOVE feeling toned and awesome and fit again!

I like to wake up in the morning and look at my abs, I know it's slightly, errrm, self obsessed... could you say?! But I'm proud to have kept my running going for a month now- I've been saying I'd run longer routes like this for over a year!

Anyways, here are some mildy embarrassing shots of me as I was in my first running week- clearly took these on a case of endorphin rush!

 "ohh yeahh, I'm like soooo gonna run..."

Post run, sweaty and looking a bit greeb...ha!

One of the best parts of running is that I get to tie my hair up like a pineapple so it can flop about in the wind!

Strange you could say, but it's nice posting these pics knowing I've toned up a bit more since and my stamina really has improved. Over the last year I've gone up by a stone, down a stone, up by 8 pounds, down 5 more. I think my body became tired with my inconsistent eating patterns, all endured by the comfort eating monster stuck in my head and I LOVE food, it's hard to find something I don't like!

I think it's important that exercise shouldn't always be associated with weight loss, and that toning could be a healthier word to associate. I've lost a couple of pounds and in the first two weeks I cut out obvious sugars- bars of chocolate, cake, biscuits e.t.c because I have the Hines sweet tooth and it felt like a good challenge. The thing is, there was never a point when I wasn't eating, I ate all the time- just it was healthy stuff! I'm so sick of reading about cereal diets and dieting and being so hungry "alll the time". Clearly you aren't doing it right if you are hungry all the time, you are just starving your body! As a result and by instinct the body will just retain onto all the fat (it might be something to do with insulin levels why, and then in the long run eventually burn off healthy muscle instead) NOT good.

Ok so rant over... if you have that part of you to pinch which makes you unhappy, just think TONING.

and if you need a little healthy inspiration check out these blogs as well:

http://ohsheglows.com/
http://www.edibleperspective.com/
http://www.fitfoodiefinds.com/   (the one who introduced me to overnight oats mmmmm) !

enjoy!