30 by 30

  I wanted to take a minute to talk about my own personal weight loss goals. I started a weight loss challenge that i like to call 30 by 30. My goal is to lose 30 pounds by my 30th birthday. That gives me a little bit over 3 months to make it happen. My current weight is 169lbs( YIKES! did i just right that :/) but id like to get down to the low 130s. I've started the couch to 5k program, this program is great because it is designed to help turn non runners like myself into runners. It starts off alternating between walking and running small distances and slowly builds up until after 9 weeks you should be able to run a 5k without stopping. Exercise is important but is only about 20% of a weight loss journey the other 80% is nutrition. Nutrition can make or break weight loss goals. Take for example that running a 5k only burns 300-400 calories and you can defeat the purpose of your work out by drinking one of Starbucks grande pumpkin spice latte, that yummy seasonal drink is 380 calories. It is really easy for calories to add up if your not paying attention. This is why one of my biggest nutritional tools is planning out my meals. It is good to have a plan because if you're already hungry and you're looking for food you're going to make bad decisions. Another great tool is the myfitnesspal app on your phone. This is a great place to log in your exercise and calorie intake. The last thing i like to keep with me is The Calorie King booklet. This little book list the calorie count of just about any food you can think of, plus it has the nutritional information of about 200 fast-food chains and restaurants. I have my goals and plans set, now all i need to do is follow through, which everyone knows is the hardest part. Wish me luck!