I'm sure a lot of my readers know that at one point in my life I was 302lbs. I know that most of you know that I was also overweight my entire life until I had gastric bypass surgery when I was 20 years of age. I come from a family of very skinny, beautiful people, and it was hard growing up fat, but I will fully admit that I was not going to exercise if it killed me. I hated everything about exercise. Did I know it was good for? Absolutely. Did I know that it would help me lose weight? Absolutely I did. But there was nothing you could do to get me on that beautiful $1500 treadmill that I got for a high school graduation present. Hey, some girls get boob jobs from their Daddy's, mine got me a treadmill to make my fat butt skinny. (Love you Dad!) They're kind of the same thing right?! :)
Now getting that out of the way, most of you know that after I had gastric bypass I lost a lot of weight. I was boxing everyday and I loved every second of it, well then I get deathly sick and couldn't exercise even if I wanted too. I was stuck in a bed because I was too weak to walk on my own. Now that it has been a year and half since my life day (the day my life saving surgery was performed) I have made a goal that I am going to get my heart healthy. I want to do everything in my power to live as long of a life as I can with my sweet Dave. Everything I do in this life is for him, and for the opportunity that I hope God will give me to wake up to see his sweet face in the morning.
On Friday of this week my goal started. I don't have my boxing gym anymore, I don't have zumba, and I don't have a gym. These are all glorious things that people with money have, and since we are starving students and have nothing I have had to use my good 'ol streets of Highland and strap on those new running shoes my Daddy bought me (because I couldn't afford shoes and hadn't bought any in over 3 years, so thank you to my awesome father for loving me so much to buy me all the workout odds and ends that I need to be skinny) :0) and I headed out for a run.
I know you're probably asking yourself where my treadmill is, but when I was younger I gave it to my sister who was a starving student but a running addict. She had young children and couldn't leave her home to run, so I gave her my treadmill and she promised me that once her husband is done with medical residency and they have a little money she would buy me a brand new treadmill, so Jamie you have 1 more year. ;) Actually you have a year and half until Dave and I start medical school and we have our own place since we live with my gracious, kind, and loving, in-laws right now. Anyway back to my story.
Now getting that out of the way, most of you know that after I had gastric bypass I lost a lot of weight. I was boxing everyday and I loved every second of it, well then I get deathly sick and couldn't exercise even if I wanted too. I was stuck in a bed because I was too weak to walk on my own. Now that it has been a year and half since my life day (the day my life saving surgery was performed) I have made a goal that I am going to get my heart healthy. I want to do everything in my power to live as long of a life as I can with my sweet Dave. Everything I do in this life is for him, and for the opportunity that I hope God will give me to wake up to see his sweet face in the morning.
On Friday of this week my goal started. I don't have my boxing gym anymore, I don't have zumba, and I don't have a gym. These are all glorious things that people with money have, and since we are starving students and have nothing I have had to use my good 'ol streets of Highland and strap on those new running shoes my Daddy bought me (because I couldn't afford shoes and hadn't bought any in over 3 years, so thank you to my awesome father for loving me so much to buy me all the workout odds and ends that I need to be skinny) :0) and I headed out for a run.
I know you're probably asking yourself where my treadmill is, but when I was younger I gave it to my sister who was a starving student but a running addict. She had young children and couldn't leave her home to run, so I gave her my treadmill and she promised me that once her husband is done with medical residency and they have a little money she would buy me a brand new treadmill, so Jamie you have 1 more year. ;) Actually you have a year and half until Dave and I start medical school and we have our own place since we live with my gracious, kind, and loving, in-laws right now. Anyway back to my story.
My running shoes that Papa Kirk so graciously bought for me this month!
Love you Daddy! Thanks for all the help when I have no money!
So I strapped on my new asics, pulled on my awesome new lime green and black running shorts, sports bra, and black tank, and I was ready. I was really going to do this. I told myself I would run for 15 minutes everyday for the 1st week. I have to build up. I mean you are talking to a girl that has never ran a day in her life. I chose to eat ice cream while my sister would go out for her jog. I chose to buy Krispy Kremes while my Mother and sister would go to the gym that they paid for a membership for me. So needless to say this is a HUGE deal. Jill Roberts Strasburg was going to run for the 1st time in 27 years! The clouds opened up and I think I saw God give me a thumbs up.
This is what I hope I will look like one day, and not so much like Homer up top.
I first did the regular stretching just to feel cool, because that's what you see people do. So I stretched for a few minutes and then I headed out. The first 5 minutes were a little tough, but after that I was really starting to enjoy this running thing. I figured that I probably looked like a freak but with my ipod rockin out to "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and my legs feelin pretty good I was having a blast. I ran for 15 minutes and then knew I had to do my cool down and relax. I mean I can only get about 900-1000 calories in my body a day, so I need to conserve some, but man that was actually fun.
For the first time in a long time I didn't feel the stress of money crushing down on me, I didn't feel nervous about Dave taking the MCAT and how in the world we are going to pay for it, I wasn't thinking about my filthy room, or how I have too much stuff with absolutely no where to put any of it, I wasn't thinking about my massive medical bills that I had to take from somewhere and pay, all I was focused on was how good I felt. I never had any idea that exercise could make me feel good. I felt free while I was running, and I'm sure people laughed at the way I ran while they drove by, but it couldn't have bothered me a bit. I was doing it and it felt great. I must admit, running without an extra 152lbs. of weight on me helped too. I had never ran more than 3 minutes at a time in my entire life and to run for an entire 15 minutes was unheard of. It was amazing what my body could do at 147lbs. I was blown away.
As I walked myself home I felt calm, peaceful, relaxed, and centered. I didn't know how things were going to get done but I just didn't care. I knew they would. The most important feeling that I felt though was that I was getting healthy. I was getting my heart healthy so that I could continue to spend incredible days with my hubby that I love so much. And just to prove that I'm really going to do this, I did it again today. Now since I have put in on my blog its like a contract because all of you will hold me to it, but I think this is an activity I can get used to. This is something that I am going to enjoy doing, and for the first time in my life I think I am going to enjoy exercise! So bring it on baby! Jilly the runner, is in the house!
