Monday, February 18, 2013

40 Day Fitness Challenge - Week 1

Today is actually day 5...so not quite a whole week.  Although - I have done something "active" (moving/exercising 20-40 minutes) 6 out of the last 7 days.  Already I feel better...and I am craving the exercise.

Today for example...my hubby is out of town and the kids are out of school.  I went to the gym yesterday - and I typically run Monday, Wednesday and Fridays...so I decided the kids would ride their bikes and I would run with Rally behind them.  Then...Carson decided he wanted to do Kendall's scooter and NOT his bike.  UGGHHH  Just as I suspected...not only was I mainly walking...but I also ended up carrying his/her scooter half the time...we only went 1.3 miles in 18 minutes...which is horrible time...but I guess you can say that at least I did something...  Just really is frustrating.  They aren't old enough for me to leave them alone for 30 minutes.  It seems silly to find a sitter or someone to watch them for 30 minutes...so that means I have to have a sub-par workout unless I go to the gym and run on the "dread"mill (as someone I know calls it).

I have to say - this challenge is more challenging (ha) than I thought it would be...  Saturday I didn't do anything - because by the time we ran a few errands, then Jeff had to go to the office to get stuff ready for his trip (which he was leaving on early the next day)...I just never got anything done.  Miscommunication and mis-timing on Jeff and my part lead to the fact that I didn't do anything.  Tomorrow is going to be a struggle too...as I can't go in the morning (Jeff isn't home...can't leave the kids), and I've got appointments to be at from 9am until 1ish pm.  I will have to go in the afternoon and take a shower before I have a meeting that night.

How do single parents do it?  Stay in shape, do house stuff, work & kids???  I can't do a weekend....

Anyway - I know I sound really down on the whole thing right now...but I am just frustrated about my lack of exercise the last few days...wow.  One week in and I'm already hooked! :)

Monday, February 11, 2013

40 Day Fitness Challenge

My name is Amy, and I am addicted to being lazy.

There - I said it.  Finally. Whew!  That is off my chest!

Some people will read that and say - "Not you!  You are constantly running around and doing things and never seem to sit still."  However - what they don't know is that if given the option of running around doing a ton of things or sitting on my hiney watching a movie and eating ice cream - I would choose the movie/ice cream EVERY single time.  The only reason I do run around and seem so "motivated" is because I HAVE to.  There isn't really a choice.  My kids have to get fed.  The laundry has to get done and put away eventually otherwise there would be no clothes to wear.  I have to go to the grocery store if I want our family to eat on a regular basis.  I really don't have a choice.  BUT if my kids are playing outside and want me to play with them...the couch wins every time.  If the kids want to go for a bike ride...the latest book I'm reading wins. Etc. Etc. Etc.  If I didn't have to answer to anyone and could do what I wanted when I wanted...I would probably be in my PJs for days, ordering in food...watching movies I've seen 100 times...taking multiple naps day and night...and gaining 100 pounds in the process.  And I could probably do that for about a week before I would finally say "ENOUGH" and get cleaned up and out of the house.

I have been working out and watching what I'm eating on a regular basis (out of necessity mind you...not because I "wanted" to do it...but because I was beginning to really dislike myself and that was affecting all my relationships), until around the first of November last year.  Then...SSCCRREEEECCCHHHH!!!  The brakes were put on...I stopped working out...I stopped paying attention to what I was eating...and BOOM! CRASH!  10 pounds were quickly added to my body.  ugghhh....  Here we go again...my dislike of myself has started creeping back in every time I look in the mirror...  I have tried to get active again...tried meeting people two-three days a week to go running...but I haven't been consistent at all at it...I haven't really been committed to the idea...and it has been very rough going.  I really believe that part of the reason is that I'm the kind of person that needs to do something every day to make it a "habit".

With that in mind...and with the Lenten season beginning in just a few days...I have decided to give up my "lazy" ways for Lent....and be ACTIVE for 20-30 minutes every single day for 40 days.  That means that either I will get up and go running every morning...or if I don't get up to go running - have me and the kids go bike-riding in the afternoon...or go to the gym...SOMETHING.  I need to kick myself in the hiney to get myself moving again...and what a better time and better reason to do it?    I also will try to update my blog at least once a week and tell of my activities...so that I'm held accountable. 

Oh - and I am "stopping" the daily thing on Sunday, March 24...as that is the day before we are set to close on the purchase of a new house and therefore begin the moving process.  I figure with all the moving I can give myself a pass..  But who knows...maybe by then it will be such a habit that I won't want to stop it... One can hope.. :

So - who is with me???  Who wants to join me on this challenge?