Secrets to my Running and Weight Loss Success

I feel really fortunate that I've been able to take this running journey. I started my weight loss journey in 2007, stalled and then found running in 2010. Along the way I've lost (and have mostly kept off!) a hundred pounds while logging thousands of miles.

I get many emails from friends, family and strangers who read this blog for the "secrets sauce" to my success so I figured I'd lay it out here. Most of these are not secrets per se but I've found through my own experience, in talking to others, and in research that this is a few ingredients in the recipe:

I'm in the middle of my two running buddies who keep me
on track and accountable as we train for 26.2!

1. Accountability. By far the number one thing that helped to keep me motivated was accountability. Whether I was connecting with others in a weight loss group or chatting with other runners through this blog, accountability kept me going. Athleta's Chi Blog nicely discusses this issue in their "importance of accountability" article.

2.  Running Buddies. This plays hand and hand with accountability but when you have a friend with you it makes the time go by so much faster! As I train for the NYC marathon, those long miles seem to fly by with a friend by my side. The Active Times goes more in depth on this issue in this interesting article about the benefits of working out with a friend. By the way, I must give a shout out to my running group Jersey Women Strong - I love these ladies and Dana our leader and the founder of the group has really brought us all together! Before meeting them, I ran alone but it's made all the difference finding this group. 

3.  Keeping Track. Keeping track of both my weight loss and my fitness progress kept me highly motivated and on track! If the scale was stalling I had other successes like being able to run faster or further than the week before. I'm not alone with thinking according to this NPR.Org article, tracking helps us regulate our behavior, by keeping us mindful and vigilant.

4. Having a goal. I started this blog because I took the incredulous leap of faith in signing up for a half marathon before I had even ever had run for even a minute. Having a goal forced me to make "someday" today. And because I made myself accountable by putting it in a public blog and by telling all of my friends, I felt a certain (good) pressure to keep going forward even when I wanted to quit. To this day I almost always have some kind of "outside my comfort zone" race on the calendar. It really motivates me to keep on running and training when I might otherwise use that time to sleep, shop or do anything else but workout! They say a goal is a dream with a deadline. I'm a big fan of Jack Canfield. He wrote a book called, The Success Principles. I learned about goal setting and its importance in that book and took the leap of that one big goal because of that book. I can say that putting that goal on my calendar is one of the biggest reasons for my overall success.

What are some of the factors that help you succeed?

XO
Jen

An open letter to anyone who is plateauing, frustrated, feeling stuck, ready to quit, etc...

Dear Buttercup:

I'm sorry you are feeling low/shitty/defeated and down in the dumps. I know the feeling and it sucks. It really does. But, just because you are feeling like this now doesn't mean it's time to throw in the towel. I mean, do you really want to give up on yourself? That's what you would be doing.

No. Don't you dare give up on yourself. It's time to suck it up.

This is my 300th post on this blog. Thank you for supporting me on my journey, I hope in some small way I've supported you or can support you on yours as well.

I've learned a lot and I was once in those shoes. I almost quit many times. But I didn't and you won't either. So please take a little tough love, kick in your caboose and maybe even a few words of wisdom from someone who had previously given up on herself and somehow fought her way back and still fights everyday.

First. All people feel like crap somedays. It's a fact. See that size 2 walking down the street? At some point she's thought her ass was too fat/flat/small/ugly/not worthy. See that gorgeous blonde? Someone made her feel inferior at some point and she comfort ate her way through a pint or two of Ben & Jerry's.

We all have bad days and shit feelings the trick is not letting those days become bad weeks/months/years.

So what's your woe? Maybe one of these might sound familiar?

1.  I f'ed up my food today. Ate too much and now I'm a failure.

Eating too much does not make you a failure it makes you human. Giving up might make you a failure. If I was a failure for every time I ate too much I should just kill myself. Holy crap I eat too much probably at least once a week. So what? It's just food. Dust yourself off, and do better your next meal.

2.  I am at a plateau.

And? Why on earth would you quit now? Look at your awesome progress. Giving up will guarantee you getting off the plateau and heading back in the wrong direction. If you are on a plateau you have to shake things up. Take a few calories out or add a few calories back - add a different exercise, make adjustments. I was stuck on a plateau FOR A YEAR. And it was my fault because I stubbornly didn't want to change what had worked to that point. It should still be working! Pout. I had to figure out the puzzle. Exercise, real consistent exercising was my answer. As annoying as that year was, however, I am grateful for that year because it eventually led me to the following year and another 50 pound loss.

3.  I can't do it.

Yes you can. You have to believe that you can though. Start visualizing the very thing you think you can't do - rock a bikini, run a marathon, skydive, playing basketball with your kids. Close your eyes everyday for ten minutes and just 'see it' until you feel it. When I could only run for 2 minutes I would pretend those 2 minutes were the last 2 of a marathon and see a finish line. Me? Run a marathon? Hardy-har-har-har… Impossible. 18 months later I ran my first full marathon.  Michael Jordan was a great believer in visualization and you should practice it too. The more you can feel what it's like to be in those shoes the closer you'll get to being in those shoes!  Stop believing the part of your brain that tells you you can't and start looking for the voice that says you can.

Listen, you've got decisions to make. It's easy to give up and give in to the temptation of throwing up your hands in defeat but why would  you? Make yourself worth fighting for or no one else will. You've only got one life to live so live the best life you can.

Today's failures lead the way to tomorrow's successes. Every 'failure' is an opportunity to learn! So failing is good. We grow from failing if we don't get caught up in the negative part. You get to figure out what didn't work and that will take you one step closer to your dreams and goals!!

Anyone who has been successful with anything has discovered the biggest secret out there… here it is…. are you still with me?

PERSEVERANCE

Hands down. It's not the smartest or the luckiest who become successful, it's those who never, ever, ever, give up.

Thomas Edison attempted the light bulb something like a 1000 times until he got it right! 1000! Can you imagine if he gave up at attempt number 280, thinking, "well crap, I've tried this nearly 300 times... this light thing is too hard. F it. I guess we're OK with candles."

It took Jack Canfield about 135 rejections and a few years before he finally sold "Chicken Soup For the Soul." Chicken Soup went on to sell 112 MILLION copies in 40 different languages. What if Canfield gave up after the 10th, 30th, 80th or 100th rejection letter? 

So if you're still working at getting your groove, losing the weight, running the half marathon, building your speed, selling a book, whatever - just keep going forward towards your 'finish line'. It won't always be pretty or easy. Sometimes you'll take a wrong turn or have to sit and catch your breath… but whatever you do, you keep going.

I hated not losing weight for a year but I would've hated giving up more. 

So suck it up, buttercup. No use looking back all we've got is the road ahead.

Persevere, reach your dreams, goals - live the life you want to because it's all within reach - you just have to believe it, work at it and never give up.  

I know you can do it.

XOXO

Jen

PS: Suggested reading for motivation, taking control of your life and attaining your goals: Jack Canfield "The Success Principals" - it changed my life.

Photography by BJWOK / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Film Festivals, Cupcakes and Determination

Hello,

Yay! 

I am sorry, I know I have been the crappiest blogger ever lately. I just have been super busy with stuff. First of all the documentary film that I co-produced Happy on the Ground: 8 Days at GRAMMY Camp, has been accepted into the Nashville Film Festival! Yippee!! So we've been up to our eyeballs prepping for that. Here's the movie poster. If you're in Nashville, swing by a screening and say hi! (Plus, the film is really great - if I do say so myself.) =)

You can view the trailer here.

I've also been working hard on multiple other projects, being a mom, etc, etc… I know. Cry ya a river. We're all friggen busy.

In any case, I've been getting back up to speed (once again - thanks Lesley!) with the running. I've been quietly getting up extra early, putting in my miles and just doing it. Today I only did 4 out of 6 because I didn't get up early enough so I'll make those up.

I am very excited about Jason's Cupcake Marathon this weekend - I am sending the positive vibes into the universe that I win the spibelt - I need one, money is tight and the leather fanny pack I've been using just isn't cutting it- LOL.  Coach Lesley has me down to run a 12 miler on Saturday but I'm going to go for 13 so I get my virtual 1/2 marathon in!  Jason's rules allows us to break up the run but I figure, "eh, why do that?" I'm arunnin' it straight.

And speaking of coach Lesley - I've got a new roomie for San Diego! Lesley from Racing It Off and Sherry (my newest blog follower - hi Sherry!) Have extended an invite for me to shack up with them for the SD RNR marathon in June. I'm excited and think it's going to be a great weekend. (Although I'm in a panic about being properly prepared… I'm just doing my best, doing my best…)

And (thanks Nik) today's RunnersWorld quote from Jeff Galloway says:

"The more you frame the marathon as a stressful experience, the more negative messages you'll receive. But it's just as easy to frame it as a positively challenging journey."

And more inspiration comes from this Jack Canfield blog post I read today, entitled, "The Power of Determination." Feeling a little uncertain and very "off" lately and this read really struck home.

I would encourage you to read the post, it's a quick read but I especially loved what he had to say about adversity:

Adversity and Discouragement Is Inevitable

No matter how well you plan and how well you execute your plan, you are bound to meet with disappointments, setbacks and failure along the way to your ultimate triumph...  

...The longer you hang in there, the greater the chance that something will happen in your favor. No matter how hard it seems, the longer you persist, the more likely your success will be. 

As Confucius wrote more than 4000 years ago in China, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” 

Hope you all are doing great - what's going on with you?


XO
Jen