Page Title

Introduction Text I track food and exercise at MFP as chunky_runner. So friend me on there! :) I started losing weight in June 2009 and by October 2010, I lost 110 lbs by tracking my food and starting a running program, going from 289 lbs to 179 lbs. In 2011, I got pregnant and I delivered a beautiful little girl, Keira, in December. Unfortunately, despite watching what I ate during my pregnancy, I still managed to gain about 50 lbs. 2012 had its ups and downs. Becoming a mom is a huge adjustment and I fell back into bad habits. But I'm finally ready to love myself again in 2013 and lose the weight again. But it's more than just weight loss. My success is measured in miles. Not calories, not pounds, not ounces, not inches, not numbers. It's measured by that feeling in my lungs as I push past what I thought was possible. I started my running and weight loss journey at 275 lbs and since then, I've run over a dozen 5K-7K races, two 10Ks and a half marathon. I've learned that this isn't just about making over my body. It's about making over my mindset, my career, and how I relate to other people. Weight loss is not a panacea. I went from being pessimistic, morbidly obese, and having a difficult time climbing the stairs to my apartment to having a much more positive outlook on life. And I realized I can help others to do the same! The best decision I made once I decided to seriously lose weight is NOT to wait until I was thinner to begin running. I started C25K at 275 lbs and was able to run a mile at 255 lbs: it definitely is possible. Also, I am not the only person on SP who started running while obese: there are so many other success stories of big guys and gals running 5Ks. We may not run 10-minute miles, but we are out there showing the world that we are runners too! I only achieved success when I stopped dieting. "Bad foods" like pizza and fries have a place in my meal plan, albeit in moderation. I'm against HcG and other starvation diet scams. If someone tells you to eat so few calories that you need to remain sedentary, then you know something's up! ~~~~~~~~~~ My Races: 9/26/09 Race for the Cure Boston 5K (44:49) 11/26/09 WCRC Turkey Trot 5K (39:45) 3/17/10: Malden Rotary 5K (37:45) 5/9/10: Melrose Race for Women 3.5 mi (38:15) 6/12/10: Market Square 10K (1:10:45) *PR* 8/19/10: Twist & Shout on the Charles River 4.2 mi (43:59) 9/25/10: Race for the Cure Boston 5K (30:48) *PR* 10/3/10: Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon (2:29:07) *PR* 11/25/10: North Reading Turkey Trot 5K (32:09) 3/20/11: Malden Rotary 10K (1:11:55) 4/10/11: North Shore Wellness Fair 5K (33:46) 5/19/11: Blues Run 4.2 mi (51:06) 3/18/12: Ras na hEireann 5K (41:01) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My Journey (pre-pregnancy): 1/25/09: Weigh in at doctor's at 289 lbs (my heaviest weight ever) 6/19/09: Start the Couch to 5K program at 274 lbs 8/8/09: Run a mile without stopping 8/14/09: Become co-leader of the C25K Group 8/18/09: Featured Blog "But I'm Too Fat To Run!" 8/27/09: Named an SP Motivator (Overall Motivation) 9/11/09: Reach 247 lbs; no longer morbidly obese 9/26/09: Race for the Cure 5K (Off. Time: 44:49; Actual Time~42:00) 10/12/09: Reach 239 lbs; Halfway to 199! 10/27/09: Run 3.1 miles (5K) on the treadmill for first time 11/11/09: Featured Guest Blog on the dailySpark: "I Get by With a Little Help From my Snacks" 11/17/09: Reach 50 lbs lost on SP and my lowest weight in 10 years! 11/26/09: Run a x-country 5K in 39:45! No walking! 12/8/09: Featured Blog "Running While Chunky: A Guide" 2/23/10: 70 POUNDS GONE. I weigh less than my husband now! 2/25/10: Featured Guest Blog on dailySpark: "Think You're Too Big to Run? Think Again!" 3/12/10: 5K Personal Best of 37:35! 4/21/10: ONEDERLAND! 80 POUNDS DOWN! 5/9/10: 5K PR 35:23! 6/12/10: My first 10K. I finished in 1:10:45 with a 5K PR of about 33 minutes! 6/25/10: Reach 185 lbs; no longer obese and 100 lbs down from my highest weight! 8/13/10: 179 lbs! 100 lbs lost on SparkPeople! 8/19/10: 4.2 mile race finished in 43:59. 9/25/10: 5K PR 30:48 (shaved 14 minutes off my time from a year ago!) 10/3/10: My first half marathon. Beat my expectations, finished in 2:29:07 and then bawled my eyes out. 3/20/11: My return to running after a looooooong winter! 10K in 1:11:55 3/28/11: SparkPeople Motivator of the Day! 4/19/11: Found out I'm going to be a mom! 12/22/11: Became a mom to a beautiful daughter, Keira! 3/18/12: First post-preg 5K with a time of 41:01 9/30/12: Walked a half marathon Starting over (post-pregnancy): 3/25/13: Joined a DietBet 4/15/13: Lost 10 pounds! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2013 Goals: -Lose 50 lb -Run a 5K race -Run a 10K race -Get back to healthy eating habits

My mantra is that EVERYONE can get in 30 fitness minutes per day, even if it's as simple as a walk after dinner. Eat less, move more.

I'm Kristina, 32, 5'5", and a married working mom. I live in the Greater Boston area. I love writing, biking, travelling, outdoor activities, and running!

Never ever ever wait until you are a certain weight to acheive something you want to do. Take steps to acheive it NOW!

Add a Link <link>http://www.chunkyrunner.com</link> My success is measured in miles. Not calories, not pounds, not ounces, not inches, not numbers. It's measured by that feeling in my lungs as I push past what I thought was possible.
Save Changes