So, even though I said yesterday that you can’t out-exercise a bad diet, it really is absolutely important to exercise. I think it’s really important to find something that fits into your schedule and is easily incorporated into your life. Since I have a treadmill, don’t have a gym membership, and do have lots of trails outside my front door, running makes a great exercise for me.

But…how do I get started? Couch 2 5k! I did the program back before kids and completed the Minneapolis 5k. Then I quit. I don’t think I ran again for years.

I started running again around March. I got the app and started moving on the treadmill. Once it got nicer, I ran in the evenings and during the girls’ afternoon nap on the weekend. I’ve run three “official” 5ks this summer. Am I an Olympic contender? Not by a very very VERY long shot. But I do keep jogging the whole time and, darn it, that makes me happy.

When I was fatter and tired, the very thought of exercise made me feel tired. It is easy to get stuck in the tired circle:

But listen to me – you have to. You really have to gather all your strength and push yourself out of the tired cycle. Once you get out, you’ll discover the most amazing thing.

In real life, all the healthy people I know run. (They also tend to eat hummus. I started eating that too and I ended up really liking that as well!) Now, I am a runner too and it feels better than I even thought it would!

Watch for my final thoughts in the weight loss mini series tomorrow – there is no magic pill.