Why I love to run and lift weights

Before I got pregnant with my son, I fell in love with running. I had been running since 2011 and I was able to keep off a lot of weight. The only time I didn't run was when I injured my spinal cord and had two spinal operations.

I digress. Running provides an escape for me. Raising a baby on my own is stressful, running two work-at-home companies is stressful, and everyday life is stressful. If you live a hectic lifestyle, you need that moment of escape so you can completely clear your mind and be the best version of yourself for your family.
After I had my son, I started having massive panic attacks. They were debilitating. When I was cleared to workout, I started running again. Running has helped zen me out completely. Every time I'm at the gym, I set goals for myself. I'm going to run at a specific speed for a specific time. Mainly, I been working on getting my mile run time down to 12 mins. I haven't gotten there yet, but I'm building up my stamina and I'm getting very close to my goal.
Additionally, running is a killer calorie burn. I am at my happiest when I'm dripping sweat. It means that I've worked hard and I feel nothing but proud of myself.

After I've done my run, I head to the weight machines for 15-30 mins (depends on how much time I have. Usually I don't have much time during the weeknights because my dad only watches him for a short time a few nights a week). On the weekends, if presented with the opportunity, I have a few hours to workout). Due to my back injury history, I don't overdo it with the weights. I slowly increase the weights and reps each week.

For me, it's important to work on building muscle while burning fat. So far I've been successful. I've lost 31 pounds since I had my son in late May 2018. I still have 24 pounds left to lose until I'm at my goal weight. In 9 more pounds, I will be at my pre-pregnancy weight.

I am hoping to do 5K's and half-marathons in the next few years. I want my son to be inspired to live an active lifestyle.

Below is a side-by-side that I did this morning. The before pic is of me 2 days before I gave birth to my son. The after pic is from this morning.
For all you trolls out there that want to talk massive crap about me being fat, when was the last time you ran nearly 2 miles in 25 mins? Sit down and learn from the pros.

#running #fitness #workouts #postpartum #exercise #weightlifting #transformation #inspiration

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