Summer!

While I've been celebrating the spirit of summer for quite some time (see my two "Summer 2011" facebook albums for proof), today marks the Summer Solstice. What I like about this official start to summer is accountability in my workout and diet routine.

There have certainly been days where I've found myself in shorts and a tank top, and plenty of days worthy of running outside, but now the 4th of July is less than two weeks away and a swimsuit is bound to crop up soon. What really makes me excited is that the swimsuit I bought last summer, which was already the smallest one I had owned to date, is too large! I can still wear it a couple more times when water and/or lots of movement aren't involved, but I'm going to have to buy a new one for a proper fit.

There's also the impending trip to North Carolina that gives me pause. Each time I've visited since I graduated from college, I have been the smallest my parents have ever seen me, progressively losing more weight. They know I've been running a lot and training for races, but I really want to wow them on Labor Day. To that end, I have a goal to lose 10 more pounds before Joe and I fly to NC for the first weekend of September. It frankly shouldn't be that difficult given how much time I spend running, so let's just hope that summer offers the accountability to stick to my healthy habits and not give my body too many carbs (or too much celebratory alcohol).

As tempting as it is to cap off a hot day with an ice cold beer, alcohol is limited to one time a week or less. Beer is strictly limited to the light varieties and other alcohol is mixed with diet coke or seltzer (in the case of wine). I'm also switching to vegan cheese as much as possible (more on this fabulous discovery in another post). This isn't strictly for weight loss reasons--though there are fewer calories in it than what other cheeses offer based on what little research I've done--with my lactose intolerance, it's so nice to be able to have cheesy foods without popping a lactaid every few minutes. It's also time to move back toward fresh fruits and vegetables (especially now that I live so close to a produce stand).

Of course, exercise is going to be the biggest key to all this. Yesterday after work I opted to go for a run outside, rather than going to the gym. This was partly because I wanted to enjoy the nice weather and partly because I just didn't want to sit on the T before starting my exercise. It was a stressful day at work and I wanted to get out my frustrations. I went on a 3-mile run from work to Jamaica Pond and back and it was gorgeous. The next time I go that route, I'll go around Jamaica Pond, rather than skirting in front of it, but it was very humid yesterday and I didn't bring my inhaler on the run.

On my lunch break today I went for a walk around Leverett Pond (which is the smaller pond between where I work and Jamaica Pond) and did two laps. Nothing strenuous, but movement nonetheless. I'm hoping to make that a staple of my routine for the next few weeks that I'm at this job (along with walking the stairs of the building several times around 3pm, which I did yesterday and plan to do today). Tonight after work I'm skipping the gym once again in favor of going for a run outside, though this time I'm going to wait until it cools off a bit and go for a run around my new neighborhood.

As a planner by nature, it feels so great to have all this sorted out and written down. This summer has so many exciting things to offer, continuing to whittle down the number I see on the scale (and my pants size) is another one to add to the list.

Happy Summer!