Fitness Journey Log

I've mentioned before that I have struggled with body image before. It's an internal struggle that I've never really told anyone, mostly keeping it to myself as if it doesn't bother me, and it's not as 'serious' as those we often hear about in the news. But when people point out your insecurities, it will always bother you. And no matter how small an issue is, it shouldn't be bottled up. So, I've taken to the internet to air out my woes.

I would be lying if no one had ever called me 'fat', but the truth is I have been called 'fat,' and my weight and BMI have always been in the healthy range. Although we shouldn't always rely on the numbers, the numbers show that I am healthy, but in the eyes of our culture and society, it isn't enough.

Well, I say enough.

Honestly, it doesn't matter what other people think, does it? If they think I am fat because I don't fit into the stick-thin ideal that my body type will never achieve, then that's their problem.

The reason why I exercise was never for them, but always for me.

The reason why I want to share my fitness journey is so that I can keep myself accountable, because it has always been a long-standing goal of mine to run a marathon (although it may never happen because I just don't like running as much as I thought I did) and be fit. I want to be fit. I've said this before in my musings about body image: I want to be the healthiest version of myself that I can be.

So, without further ado, this will be my page on my fitness journey. I hope to be able to frequently update this page (though not every week because classes keep me on my toes). I will also be providing links to resources I have found and use to help me on my journey.

Log

Entry 1: March 25, 2021 Thursday. 3/21- 3/27

I have been running one mile three times a week, trying to keep on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for 2.5 weeks, starting from March 10th. Although I can't always keep to those days (weather & work reasons), I eventually get to running those 3 times per week.

I've been using Samsung Health's "Baby Steps to 5k," but have decided to run the portions that they tell me to briskly walk. It's definitely gotten easier to run that mile and I've kind of figured out how to breathe while running with a mask on.

I ran 1.15 miles today at an average pace of 14'44"/mile (4 mph), though this includes my walking pace too. I've also done Chloe Ting's "Get Abs in 2 Weeks" workout video just for some extra burn because I suffer from frequent bloating.

Entry 2: April 10, 2021 Monday. 4/4 - 4/10

Didn't write an entry last week, but, the program increased the distance to 1.31 miles last week (week 3/28 - 4/2).

I ran three times for those 1.31 miles. It was pretty difficult, as it was the most I've ever ran at once, so I took it at a slower pace.

Looking at my previous entry, my pace is still faster than it was 1.5 weeks ago, so I'm seeing improvement (current average pace of 12'42"/mile, 180 calories burned).

I also did the same Chloe Ting ab workout (as above) for one of the days to get some ab burn & help the bloating. I just love this workout, as it's so effective for me. Honestly, it really helps expel the gas (in both directions haha).

Completed another 3 runs for this week (4/4 - 4/10), the first 2 at 1.3 miles per day, and the 3rd now increased to 1.7 miles.

I was so afraid to make that 1.7 mile run (average pace 12'39"/mile, 209 calories burned) that I panic-called my friend and just had her keep talking to me the entire time so I had something not as mindless as music to focus on. It actually worked, so if anyone has trouble increasing their distance or just in general feel bored during your runs (like I do), I'd recommend something like that.

Recommendation: Call a friend to talk you through your runs to avoid boredom and focus on something other than your pain.

On one day, I also added in another Chloe Ting workout. It's part of her new 2021 Weight Loss Program. I haven't done it, but I'd recommend checking out more of her workouts, just cuz they make me feel great. I might consider writing more about how I feel about her workouts another day.

On one other (non-running) day, I also decided to add this quick bodyweight workout for legs, just to get myself moving a bit. It's quite nice because it's so fast, but it gets my heart rate kicking up, especially with the jumping lunges (the bane of my existence, I swear).

Entry 3: April 23, 2021 Friday. 4/18 - 4/24

Well it looks like I wound up writing an entry every 2 weeks now. Last week, I did do those three runs, though not on the designated days.

If I miss a day, I really try to promise myself that I will makeup that run that week so that I can keep on track. It's really important to keep yourself accountable because by lying to yourself, you're only hurting yourself. So last week, it's been at a steady 1.7 miles per day, save for one day, the program actually had mercy on me and allowed a 1.31 mile run. I challenged myself to run at a faster pace (11'28"/mile, 152 calories burned) that time and it was painful, but I got it done.

Exercising is a promise that you make to yourself, never to anyone else

This week isn't over, so this entry will probably need to be edited later, but I've gotten 2 runs in so far, my last run making the breakthrough to a whopping 2.2 miles. It doesn't sound like much, but when you're actually running it --whole different story. Finished that one yesterday at 12'24"/mile average pace (aka 4.8 mph) with 273 calories burned.

I knew I wouldn't be able to get through that run without help, so I went on Spotify looking for a nice long podcast to listen to. Lo and behold, I came across the wonderful Stephanie Soo aka MissMangoButt aka Rotten Mango on Spotify. She tells true crime stories on Spotify and the one I listened to was so absolutely horrifying that it moved me to tears. It was definitely effective in making me forget the pain of sore muscles and lack of oxygen.

Recommendation: Listen to a podcast that tells an emotional story. You'd be so immersed in the story that you'll forget your pain or boredom.

*Update: April 24: 2.2 miles, 33 minutes, 12'49" average pace, 268 calories burned

Entry 4: May 12, 2021 Wednesday. 5/9 - 5/15

Pretty busy now that finals are coming and my professors placed the 3rd wave of exams back-to-back with those finals, so I'll just keep this short and to the data (and yes, I skipped a few sessions this week, but I will get back on track!)

Week 4/25 - 5/1:

April 27 & April 30: 2.2 mile run, 33 minutes, approx. 13' mile average pace, 264 calories burned.

May 1: walked 3.03 miles, 1 hour 2 minutes, burned 210 calories

Week 5/2 - 5/8:

May 4 & May 6: 2.83 miles (new record!), approx. 40 mins, 13' mile average pace, 290 calories burned (each)

Week 5/9 - 5/15:

May 12: 2.21 miles, 34 minutes, 13'13" average pace, 236 calories