Adventures In Weight Loss

     Almost 2 weeks down and things are still going swimmingly. I have joined up with two other ladies and the support is making all the difference. It makes it much harder to roll over and go back to sleep when I need to be jogging when I know I have two ladies who are expecting me to at least make an attempt.
     Other than the support I've had, I have found two websites that are very helpful. The first is www.livestrong.com. The "MyPlate" has been the best part of the website. It tracks how many calories you need everyday for your weight loss goals to come about. It tracks your caloric intake, water intake, and activity. It takes a few minutes to do each day but how many of us spend the same amount of time on facebook? The second site I love right now is www.gmap-pedometer.com. It tracks how much you walk/run based on the map of your city. A few clicks and you know the exact distance you travelled.
     Something I have been pondering (thanks to some reading sent my way by Olivia Kurcsak) is whether or not I am doing this to be "thin" or strong. For years my weight loss and fitness goals have revolved around attractiveness. For the first time I think I have finally realized what it means to be doing this for myself. My goals are more about making my body strong and able to do things like 5k's. I am always going to have insecurities about my appearance, so making that my goal would only set me up for future frustration and failure. However, if my goals are to make my body stronger I will be more able to succeed. Also, with the focus off of my appearance it is easier to overlook the extra weight and things I do not like about my body.
     Lastly, I do not think I (or any woman in my family) can do anything without adventures. The biggest one of the past few weeks...drum roll...having a HUGE German Shepherd come after me and my little dog Penny.I decided to take her on a nice long walk to the park for us both to get some fresh air and exercise. We were minding our own business when I see a very large dog up ahead. I cross the street and avoid it. It decides to crouch down and- while staring us down- crosses the street ever-so-slowly. The owner just stands there watching. When it gets about five feet away from us and begins growling and nipping at the air I start screaming at the owner. She laughs, apologizes, and says the "dog doesn't usually do that!" The dog keeps coming at us. I raise a foot to kick it away. Just instinct I guess, I don't think I was any match for the gigantic dog. THEN the owner starts yelling for her dog.
     That's the update on my hopes and dreams of running a 5k. Looking forward to a morning of jogging and peanut butter oatmeal (more to come on that later!).