Join me in losing weight in 2016

I ran my fastest half marathon in March where I finished in 1:50:20.  I weighed around 168 pounds and I was in the best shape of my life.  It is now the end of 2015 and I have overindulged in holiday foods, had some marathon weight gain, and have been eating everything in sight.  I am now around 185 pounds and I can really feel the difference in everything that I do.  

I found a calculator online (click here) that will tell you the how much slower you will run by gaining weight.  I have read that you will be around 20 seconds/mile slower for every 10 pounds you gain.  That means that I should be running my races about 40 seconds/mile slower (or about 8 minutes 40 seconds slower) at my current weight than in March.  

I have my next half marathon on February 21^st and I plan on losing weight between now and then.  My goal is to lose 15 pounds by race day.  I will be doing the Paleo Diet, which mainly consists of eating lean meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.  No eating dairy, legumes, peanuts, grains, or potatoes.  I will not be following the strict Paleo plan as it calls for only grass fed meats, but will generally follow the diet.  I have lost weight in the past with the Paleo Diet and never felt hungry.  In fact, I lost 7 pounds in the first week and was eating more food.  The food was just healthier and easier for my body to process.  Here is a link from Runner’s World about the benefits and negatives of the Paleo Diet for runners (click here).  I will also stop drinking diet soda, which will make a huge difference.

I am doing the Hal Hidgon Advanced Half Marathon training plan.  I will be doing daily push-ups, sit-ups, planks, lunges, and squats every day starting January 1^st.  In the past, I have thought about creating a Facebook Group where everyone would post pictures, daily updates, and motivate each other on trying to lose weight.  I will even provide some prizes for people who stay active on the group.  There will be more details to follow.  Please feel free to invite your friends to the group.  Here is the link to the group.  Getting Fit With RWI 

I look forward to losing some weight, getting back to my ideal race weight, and plan on having a very successful 2016 race season.  I hope you will join me if you plan on losing some weight in 2016.  I could use the encouragement and the need to remain accountable. Let’s do this together!