A Year Ago I Could Not Run a Mile - and, I was over 300 Pounds!

365 days ago my anxiety was on 1000. I was two days past my due date and had just left my doctor’s appointment tipping the scale at 304. Yep, over 300 pounds. So, what did we do? We headed to dinner for my favorite - Mexican. (Spicy food supposedly helps start labor -Lol!) I was super pregnant and over it.

But how did I tip the scale at 304? I had remained active my entire pregnancy (shoutout to Rhesa), ran a half marathon at 7 months in Canada and had only gained about 40 pounds over the course of my pregnancy.

But, BEFORE getting pregnant I had hit my heaviest weight - 267 pounds. I could feel it too. Running was hard. My eating habits were terrible. Stress was high. And, I found comfort in Bojangles breakfast chicken biscuits and Chipotle. I could still run and lift with the best of them, but my body was sore after and took more time to recover. For me, I was carrying too much weight. So, I started with my personal trainer to start losing weight and then 2 weeks later was pregnant. I tell ya - perfect timing!

I look back at pictures now, and I guess no one wanted to tell me I was fluffy! I have not been under 200 pounds since 2008 and the weight has creeped on for the last 10 years. Lol my face was full and I was thick all over (these thighs chile!). I was 237 in 2010 and 267 in 2018.

After giving birth to my son, I just knew the bounce back was just gonna happen! All lies! I could barely run a mile 6 weeks later without feeling out of breath. I trained for a half marathon 6 months post partum in Miami and it was the hardest race ever. My body felt like it had hit a brick wall after finishing that race. My body was still changing (I had 3rd degree tearing from labor) and healing, hormones were all jacked up, but running and working out was my outlet. I was back to prepregnancy weight by January, but I was still too heavy for me.

I say all of this to say is that it has taken me a year, yes 365 days to get back to my body and feeling in shape, healthy and normal mentally! It has taken me 365 days to get back to a weight that I feel confident in my own skin. From breastfeeding to speed training to stroller running, I have worked hard as hell over the last 12 months! Even more over this pandemic - using the outdoors as my outlet to lose weight, get healthy and pour back into Jay Ell!

Today, I celebrate me - 1+ year of breastfeeding, 1+ year of motherhood, 1+ year of the most tears shed, 1 year of freakin’ 101 POUNDS lost. I am proud to be weighing in at 203 today, running a consistent 10 minute mile and wearing a Size 12.

I still have 18 pounds to my goal and it will happen! Hopefully, by end of year.

Im just hoping my next pregnancy will not be this damn hard! Sheesh, my last pregnancy almost took me out!

I say all this to say - stay the course! Running means so much more than miles - its the journey!

Stay tuned - my journey continues!

Jay Ell AlexanderOctober 3, 2020