DISQUS

Ross LaRocco · 2 months ago

You won't gain it back. You're too motivated. If you're like me, fear of failure will help prevent those steps toward failure. Smart decisions, and right decisions. That's how I look at it.

Tom from SE Alabama · 2 months ago

A poignant post. Thanks. Look, I'm double your age and still struggle with weight/self-esteem issues. Wanting "to be skinny so badly" is noble but you have to love yourself regardless of your scale. From my perspective inner beauty is key and you glow.

Bystander · 2 months ago

You are truly inspiring. I’m sure you will find your next challenge. Biathlon, triathlon, ultrarunning – you’ll find something to set your sights on. Keep it up. Whatever your motivation is, you have it, and that’s all you need. Losing weight and wanting to lose weight does not make you vain; and it’s good that you do not obsess over it with a scale. Good luck in the future. You have a lot of support out here.

Name · 2 months ago

All of your concerns are valid and real. I have been there myself. Five years ago I trained for a marathon- and you are right- the weight just falls off. You can literally eat whatever you want and you just keep getting skinnier. Then the training stops- at least it did for me- and here I am 60 lbs heavier! But I think being aware of the risk of what will happen to your body after the training stops is a huge step- so you have awareness to watch out for it. This is where it has to become a "lifestyle" blurb comes into play. Maybe you could focus on a better time for your next marathon. Or qualifying for the Boston marathon. Or trying an Ironman. There are always bigger goals to focus on to stretch ourselves. I think the key is focusing on the goal to accomplish and not the number- this will lead to sanity, self esteem, as sense of accomplishment and knowing that we are more than the stupid # on the scale. You rock Anne!

aliciahanson · 2 months ago

I think some valid points have already been made. I second these ideas: you are inspiring; you are motivated; you glow; you should make this a lifestyle, not just a goal; and you are not vain for wanting to be skinny.

There are so many benefits to being a healthy weight that I really don't see a problem in wanting to be skinny and achieving it through healthy means. If being skinny and feeling good about yourself are your motivations, then go for it and don't feel bad about it. All the added health benefits are just icing on your cake.

p.s. I really was glad to meet you today. Hopefully we'll run into eachother again!

Bananza · 2 months ago

Thanks everyone for your supportive comments. It's really heartwarming to know that people understand what I'm going through. I think I can accept that I'm a work in progress... and that's ok.

Name · 2 months ago

I'm curious to know if people treated you differently when you were at different sizes. I have recently gained a significant amount of weight and have noticed that people treat me differently, and I also think it has impacted my career. Have you experienced the same thing? It's almost a kind of fat discrimination I think- even though- we as the "gainers" don't see ourselves as any different than when we were lighter.

Esther B Crawford · 2 months ago

Love the candor + honesty. I have never ran a marathon, but definitely understand where your head is at in this post. :)

gothick · 2 months ago

Much as I enjoy the funny, I also enjoy the deep. Especially as someone whose weight has soared and plummeted over the years...

I know what you mean about the scale; I try not to care, but every time I set foot on one I think too much about the number and whether it's gone up or down, rather than how healthy I am, whether I'm exercising, and how happy I am.

Anyway. Whatever the underlying motivation, let's just both keep running :)

tracey_gessner · 2 months ago

You are awesome Anne. My experience with yo-yo dieting hasn't been in the same range as yours but I can definitely relate to the overall feelings involved. I feel like I'm chasing a goal that I will never achieve sometimes (which seems silly sometimes because I just ran a freaking marathon but I still have these unrealistic expectations as to how I think I should look.) Thank you for being so honest about this.

DrewVoo · 2 months ago

Hi, do you like to eat?! Are you a picky eater? Do you eat bad foods? Fast food is a once-a-month thing for me... I can't relate personally to your story, but do have a passion for success and motivation! You can do this, I like what Ross said, "Smart decisions, right decisions." You will be faced with thousands of thoughts per day... Some not so good, other good. Sort them out, think of only YOU first!! What will be best for you. Food is where I start. Eating out with friends is the hardest part. SERIOUSLY YOUR FRIENDS LIKE YOU FOR WHO YOU HAVE BEEN. If you want to change, and you want them along... (It's soo hard, I feel I deal with this all the time. ) Put your foot down very firmly! The people around your and closest to you will have a huge affect on your results and goals. Don't give in! You can do anything you want, your have proved that! :) p.s. if your not into organic food.. I would highly recommend it!

Isela · 2 months ago

First, congrats on your first marathon. I just finished my first too. It is a great accomplishment!! I think right now, you have what I have called the marathon blues. You have accomplished something so great and you have reach the summit of that goal but it leaves you with nothing to work on for the moment. What you need to do next is to look at how far you have come, right down all your thoughts and then plan out a new goal. So you have completed your first marathon, plan your next one, this time, plan on decreasing your time. Work on different aspects of your running to reach that new goal...such as hill work, speed work, some track workouts. There is always room for improvement. Watch as you keep going with your regiment how the clothes fit the same if not better. Concentrate in other areas of training: weight lifting. Now that you have reached the desired weight goal, shoot for firming everything up.

Again, great accomplishment! Congratulations!!!

pops28 · 2 months ago

Congrats on your accomplishments... Never look back, just keep moving!

Bill Sodeman · 2 months ago

Keep up the good work - and keep blogging and posting on dailymile.com. Sharing with teh interwebs helps keep me honest about my weight!

daddydan · 2 months ago

Wow, that's amazing! You are truly an inspiration. I do think it would help you greatly to set another goal for yourself. How about beating your marathon time by 10 minutes? Best of luck to you!