Well, Monday was what I call my “Fitaversary”! You can read about my First Fitaversary HERE, and read about what spawned the quest for fitness here, if you’re new around these parts.

I was a bit nervous about this year’s results because simply, my life habits have changed a bit in the past few months… As you may remember, I got plantar fasciitis last year while training for my first half marathon, and was told that I needed to stay off my feet for several months.

Then, I was cast in my first musical, which resulted in stress-induced weight loss, and had me working SUPER long hours and being on my feet for an additional 3-5 hours a day. During that time, I wasn’t really “working out” but I was active, and that’s what really mattered to me. My feet were still a problem, and being in the show was hard on my tootsies for sure.

Summer came, and I decided to try out an intense strength training routine! I did New Rules of Lifting for Women, which lasted something like 8 weeks, and which I completed successfully. During that time, as expected I put on a couple of pounds, and certainly lost a bit of the lean-ness because I was building muscle, and doing less cardio… The last of my “runner’s body” pretty much fell away at that point.

Then, this fall, I was cast in my second musical, one that required less of me in many ways, but that had some pretty intense dancing (for me as a non-dancer) including a big tap number, which was MURDEROUS on my plantar fasciitis, I had flare ups regularly, and plenty of pain. Through this show, however, I did slim down from my summer strength training bulk up, and was pretty much where I’d been during the first show in the spring.

Through out this time, (and for the past year and a half or so??) I’ve weighed within 3-4 lbs of a certain number. I’d say that’s a pretty great success. Ups and downs, varying levels of fitness, but the number didn’t swing, which is important to me. That being said, I’m certainly “softer” now than I was at the peak of my running, which is to say that I’m less fit than I was at that time. So, I was nervous about the health assessments, because I didn’t know if it would reflect that running was the only way that I’d be able to maintain… if that makes sense.

It was a blessing, therefore, and a curse that the collection of tests offered this year did NOT include the body composition component… HA! I am confident that my muscle mass must certainly be lower than last November when I was running regularly. Again, I’ve not been sedentary, and tap dancing certainly required muscles, but just TRUST me, I’m softer than I was. So, I was unable to compare my comp from last year to this year.

I can happily report that my BMI went down, my weight stayed the same, my cholesterol, blood pressures, and sugar levels were all GREAT and improved in most cases from last year!

When I had my first assessment 2 years ago, my health risk number was a 76! Last year, I had raised it to a 91, and this year it was a 97!! I think that’s plenty to be proud of.

This Year on my 2nd Fitaversary!

 

The summer before my Day of Change in November '08

Last year on my 1st Fitaversary

Just another note about my weight that’s been on my mind… The number has stayed the same, my pant size has stayed the same, all my clothes fit great, but I miss feeling… I dunno… more pulled together in the middle… a tighter tummy and leaner legs made me pretty happy, I’ll admit. I hope that I can find something that my feet can handle that I can pick back up on. And I still LOVE yoga of course, but, well, running is free… that is if I can stay out of the podiatrist’s office.

Anyway, so that’s the scoop about this, my 2nd anniversary! I can’t believe I’ve maintained over 30 lbs of weight loss for something like 1.5 years! That’s pretty dang exciting, and I’m certainly proud of those changes.

Thanks for sharing the journey with me!