small victories.

I think success in weight loss is really all about celebrating small victories. Especially when you prefer to work like I do - work out, then just eat wisely (without actually counting calories or measuring portions).

I started running in May, using a Couch-to-5K plan, mostly as a means to cross goal number #5 off my list. Pretty quickly, though, it became more about proving to myself that I could do something that I never thought I would be able to do.

Then, in mid-June, I sprained my ankle and got sidelined for a while, and got a little off-track with any regular work-outs at all. But two weeks ago, after an okay from my doctor, I got back on track.

I'm working out 5 days a week (3 is my minimum). Three days a week, I do my current step in the running program, and the other two days I spend 20 minutes on the ellipitical. I follow all of that up with a weight-training program and ab work, using ActivTrax (a service available at my gym). I made a chart for my refrigerator, and I add a big checkmark every time I finish a workout. I'm actually thinking of picking up some gold stars.

And I'm celebrating the small victories - like when I realized that I could run easily without getting pains in my side, or when I push myself to do more reps than I thought I could. And yesterday, for the first time on the 45-degree leg press, I didn't have to remove all of the big, 45-pound weights before I could start loading the correct amount for me. I left two of them on there, because I lifted 90 pounds. That felt really good.