Extreme Makeover Me Edition Beginning

This will be my first week doing the Extreme Makeover Me Edition (EMME) that Amber hosts on her site.  I am excited and hope that I will be able to keep it up each week.  I really enjoy reading what other people doing this challenge have to write every week. 

I would like to make this about more than just body image and getting back into shape.  I want to get my psyche back into shape too.  I am a happy person for the most part.  I am a little high strung at times though and neurotic (as my mom likes to tease me about).  I am trying to make it a priority to step back and smell the roses more often.  I also need to do more for me, I know this would make me a better mommy.

My biggest goal physically is to get back to running like I was when I was not pregnant and at the beginning of this pregnancy.  I am not in a huge rush to get the weight off (don't get me wrong, I DO want it gone) since I am breastfeeding and don't want to compromise that success with losing the weight too fast.  

I will be running my second half marathon November 8th and really need to get into training for this.  The first time I ran this was when I was 19 weeks pregnant and I was on top of the world when I crossed the finish line in under 2 1/2 hours.  I am hoping to get into good enough shape to run it in 2 hours this time, we will see.  I ran most of my pregnancy but then had about 9 weeks off due to having a c-section.  Boy has it been hard to get back into the running.  I could not believe how out of shape 9 weeks can make you!  So I have been taking baby steps and am back to running on the treadmill.  I ran 3 miles yesterday in just over 30 minutes.  It was a great run and felt really good.  Running is my time to be me and a time to actually hear my own thoughts.  My goal this next week is to run 4 times on the treadmill and once outside.  I would also like to get in a couple of strength training sessions, I am really lazy when it comes to this and I know how much I would benefit from doing these exercises 

I am not one to really do well with dieting.  I like carbs.  No, I LOVE carbs.  One thing I plan on getting under control this week is the candy eating that has gotten out of hand.  I know that I get enough water when at work, but the weekends are a different story.  I have to do better with drinking enough while running after the monkeys.

I have about 15 pounds to go till pre-pregnancy weight is achieved.  I have sort of stalled for the past few weeks, but I do feel a difference in the way my pants fit.  

This week's topic was to share vacation survival strategies.  I can't say that I have any, other than packing snacks to take with us on our road trips.  I have always just figured vacation meant I could take a vacation from everything, including healthy eating.  I do try to make a conscious effort to eat plenty of fruits and veggies along with the junk, and I do make sure my kids are not overloading on sugar.