My 6 year old wouldn’t let me workout today

No, really.

Who can say, “No” to a boy who is growing up too fast and wants you to stay home and “play the tickle game” instead of leaving him behind? Last week his position would have been different. Last week his friends hadn’t started back to school yet. His school doesn’t start for another 9 days (oh, yes, we are BOTH counting the days), but all his buddies from the workout whose mom’s are there too…they started school this week. He lost his motivation for motivating me to workout.

Who hasn’t felt like that? No one is there to play/run/lift weights/workout/swim with…why go? Friends make all the difference. If it wasn’t for two of my friends, Rae and Aims as you know them, then I would not have had the courage to start this blog or to really try to lose weight.

If it wasn’t for my friend Mandy teaching that free workout a couple of times a week then I wouldn’t be losing weight. If it wasn’t for my friends Tami & Charlotte then I wouldn’t have ever tried a spin/cycling class, let alone gone back regularly.

Do you need a friend? I posted before about being nice to the skinny chick. Now I’m telling you to go ask her how she does it and invite yourself try her method with her next time. Make a friend or increase an existing friendship. I am telling you, knowing that someone is planning on you working out with them makes all the difference. Having someone to chat (commiserate) with when you feel like your legs are going to fall off and you are sweating from every pore makes it more bearable, too.

I am a scaredy cat when it comes to trying new workouts, but I can do it if someone who has done it before is there to encourage, explain, and (*gasp*) enjoy it with. Charlotte is young enough that I could be her mother. She’s also fit and would exercise  for 6 hours every day if she could. She doesn’t let me off the hook and I love it! Working out with her makes me feel like I really can lose the weight. She’s going back to college this week and I won’t get to workout with her for a few months. I’ll miss you, Charlotte!

My advice – if working out is where you seem to need help: get a workout buddy…or 2 for that matter. Easier said than done? Maybe. Do it anyway.

For 9 more days I’ll be trying to fit workouts in that don’t interfere with tickle time. Then we’ll have a whole new set of problems.

Wish me luck!

Golf

Exercise is not something I’m ever really excited about. I really HATE to sweat. I’m not a glistener…I sweat! A lot! When I do my walk/jog on the treadmill, I seriously look like I wet my pants. Not something I’d really like to do at a gym. Not something I like to do at home.

I do like improvements. It is nice to see my distance in an hour improve, not to be out of breath quite as much when I’m doing my run and I especially liked that I wanted to run through the last walk mode. I really like that…But I still don’t much like to run. A lot of it has to do with having bad ankles…I’ve had numerous injuries, in fact I have metal rods and screws holding one together and the other is rubbing bone on bone. It hurts…but I’ve decided I can’t let that stop me any longer.

You know what I do like? Golfing! My husband, son, father-in-law and I went golfing today. We went on an executive course and walked it. I enjoyed the interaction, the sport of it and the time. It went by so fast! In a par 54 course, I got a 104 which means I swung the club a lot…fun exercise…and a number to try to beat next time. We have free golfing at a local course for a year. I am going to try my best to get out once a week.

I also like to ride a bike. While we were camping, we rode our bikes quite often. My gears need work, so that is now in my goal for the week…get them fixed.

For me, finding exercise I enjoy is going to be essential for me to continue.

I challenge you to try some new exercises to find out what you really enjoy and then work it into your schedule. Make it fun so it is something you look forward to instead of something you dread.

Off to the pool for a swim…something else I enjoy…

~Rae

Camping

Camping vacations have always been an excuse to eat whatever I want…lots of snacks and goodies that I normally avoid at home.  It would be fine, most likely, if we didn’t go so often.  We bought a motorhome last year and have gone out at least once a month since we bought it…in July we were gone every weekend…excellent right!?  It’s nice when you make a big purchase like that and actually use it.  On the downside, I’ve been eating horribly for a whole year and even worse last month.  I’ve also been very stagnant…in moving my feet.  A couple Sunday’s ago marked a new start for me.  Last weekend was the test to how committed I was; we went camping up in the mountains with some friends.

I am pleased to report I had lots of successes.  I did enjoy a couple of treats but they were portioned nicely and I abstained from lots more.  I packed TONS of fruit to grab instead of the king sized box of Milk Duds, and a tiny cup of Cherry Garcia instead of the full size tub…even if you get the Frozen Yogurt kind, if you eat the whole tub it’s a ton of calories, delicious calories!  I think I had about 10 Reese’s Pieces (my son’s treat), a bit of homemade cobbler and a small dollop of sugar-free/low-fat ice cream, a delicious pineapple mojito and a couple of hefeweizens…and yes, I did have a Woof-it.  Now that sounds like quite a bunch of treats, but I promise it’s miles better than I’ve done recently and they were all small portions.  I’m proud to have stopped at one Woof-it and didn’t have the s’mores, chips and other tons of other non-healthy grub.  I had a decent sized, healthy lunch and dinner and had my shake for breakfast every day.

In addition to making better food choices, I exercised!  A lot!  My friend and I went for a 4.5 mile walk along the lake both days we were there.  One of those days we took two of my three goldies on the walk with us…seriously added to the workout!   They were also a great distraction.  In addition to that, we went on multiple bike rides.  Normally I would have slept in and hung out at camp.  Can I tell you how hard it was to get up the 2nd morning!  I was sore from all this extra activity.  I’m happy I did…although I’m still feeling it as I type this.

I am camping again this weekend…with an even bigger group of friends, so I get to test myself again.  I’m making plans for different physical activities and will restock my fruit and veggie snacks…already cut and ready to grab and eat.  Wish me luck!

~~~~~~update~~~~~

Well, this weekend was not as successful.  We camped with LOTS of families we knew and ALL of them brought delicious things for the appetizer/cocktail get-together.  I know I had more than my share, but needing to look at the positive, I did NOT sample everything!  On the other side, the look reality in the face side…I know I failed to stick to my plan.  It’s so hard to pick yourself up when you fail your own set of rules.  I am learning not to dwell, and get right back up.   I did walk 1 out of the 3 days…did 3 loops, one with each dog.  Now, I know walking every day would have been best…but I’m going to have to be happy with one!  The night before we left I did get my hour walk/run in on the treadmill in our bedroom…in the dark… while my husband was going to sleep… huffing and puffing my way through the interval routine!  He’s a god-send for sure, encouraging me to get my time in for the day.

It is good to be home to get back into full-gear.  I was down 7.5 lbs before we left…tomorrow morning I’ll see how much damage this weekend did…and push on!

I hope you do too!  Fumble and pick yourself back up…love yourself enough to get back up and get moving!

Till next Monday…

~Rae

Who am I?

So I get this email from my very best friend asking me what I think about blogging with her on our weight loss story…the good and the bad.  She knows me well…enough to know I don’t like to write, but she’s my very best friend so here I am…supporting our weight loss together…

So who am I?  I guess I am best defined by my roles.  I’m a busy mom to 2 kids.  Only one is at home right now and we’re homeschooling…a big job but worth it!  I am a wife to my husband of 16 years…a great man!  We run our church  Awana program together – a full-time job!  I have had a great summer break camping in our motor home here and there and even a fabulous trip to Niagara Falls.  We really enjoy eating well on the road….and at home…hmmm!

Last week, in prep for this here little blog, I got on the scale.  It had been a while since I hopped on that nasty little bugger…but I did it.  I did NOT like what I saw.  I saw a number that I’d never seen on it before…not a good surprise.  181.5!!!  This is not the kind of milestone I’m interested in celebrating but here I am celebrating.  Sometimes it takes an ugly milestone to really wake you up.   I’M AWAKE!  So now what?!

Well, goals sound like as good a place to start as any.  I’ve learned that I need mini goals and long-term goals.  My short-term goal is to work out every day this week.  Working out is defined as an hour on the treadmill, on my Wii, biking, or in the pool. I don’t have a gym membership but will be getting a 3 month membership somewhere, so another goal is to do some homework and join by this weekend.  I have a fabulous Bowflex system but we have someone staying with us, living in our home gym for an undefined amount of time.  I’ve been putting things off for long enough.

My third short-term goal is to get control of my eating this week.  This means having a dietary shake for breakfast and lunch (from my doctor), fruit or veggie snacks, yogurt and a sensible dinner with my family.  I will also  drink 8 glasses of water a day, getting 2 in before I have a Diet Coke.

Longer term, I want to lose 8 pounds by the cruise I’m going on with my husband at the end of September.  That is 2 pounds a week.  This should get me back comfortably into some of the clothes that have recently gotten a bit (ok, honesty is the rule right…very much) too snug on me…

A little longer term…by December, I would like to be down 20 pounds.  This will take serious control, but is something I really want.

My big goal… I want to be down to 130 by June of next year so I can go shopping for fun clothes for our vacation to Hawaii…starting in the garage attic where I have a few boxes of clothes I WILL fit in again.

Now, I am WAY uncomfortable sharing these goals with you but I know without sharing I will have no one to keep me to them.  So, please be my partner, encourager and even a scolder (nicely) when I need it.

Here’s to this new trek!

~Rae