Mission: Impossible

I’m on a mission. This mission has several parts but the part I’m focused on today is the health part. I’m feeling very motivated by Lala… she’s dropping pounds and feeling great. (She also just told me about gingerbread & mocha mint-flavored holiday creamers… yummy treat!) So here are the facts:

After having a baby (June 2004) I promptly lost most of the baby weight and was down to 150-155 with very little effort beyond a daily stroller walk. (See me: Smug.)

My driver’s license says I weigh 145.

By the summer of 2005 I was pretty consistently below 150.

I thought I would loose the “extra 5” when I stopped breastfeeding (October 2005). Instead I ballooned to 160+ in September 2005.

The first focus was the eating…. As in, don’t do it so much. I’ve stopped grazing at the office candy bowl. Yes, I still get a treat or two but I’m conscious of it. That helps. Now I’m ready to add Phase II…. The movement. (I can’t bear to call it exercise… I just can’t….) So here goes. In the last week:

Thursday: Swimming with Sweet Boy
Sunday: Yoga Tape (Gentle Yoga)
Wednesday: 12 minutes on the elliptical machine & abs (pathetic)
Thursday: 14 min on the tread mill. 5 run, 9 walk. Abs & stretching (much better form)

The plan for the next week: This weekend will be much shopping & eating in Spokane. Next week will be at least 2 trips to the gym (16 & 18 minutes on machines) and maybe a swim with Sweet Boy if the weather is nice. The ULTIMATE GOAL is to drop about 15 pounds (from 150) and then gain back about 8 in muscle and hover between 140-145 in a perfect world. The reality is I will always be perfectly happy if I’m just a shade under 150.

As you can see, I’m breaking into this very carefully…. And I’m ok with that. I never thought I’d be “one of those people” who have to MAKE themselves exercise. And I certainly never thought my body would look like this!! But I’m making my peace with how it is and making plans for a few minor improvements. The only thing that looks really good right now are my calves…. That’s because I do 6 sets of toe raisers (2 each of straight, duck-foot & pigeon-toed) while Sweet Boy and Hot Stuff are playing “the bedtime game” going up the stairs. I follow Sweet Boy while he shoves his sippy cup through the stair steps and Hot Stuff catches it and puts it on the next stair up. Sometimes Sweet Boy stands on the step and mimics me…. Too cute and so motivational.

So keep me motivated people.