Thursday, January 07, 2010

what's in you wednesday

I've fallen off the wagon.

HARD.

But luckily, the landing wasn't too bad because my posterior is nicely padded thanks to the consumption of (almost) four boxes of Candy Cane Joe-Joe's over the past three weeks.

Yikes. Did I just admit that to the world?


Fortunately, I'm mailing out the remaining boxes of Joe-Joe's to three lucky winners (and a couple South Carolina cousins), because those suckers would be history in this house once that fourth box of cookies is finally gone.

My challenge with consistent exercise is that I'm working and looking after children and darn it is SO hard to find the time. And this first week back to work has been brutal.

Although I had plans to hit the gym first thing Monday morning, for a host of reasons that included catching up on laundry and thank you notes and cleaning out the refrigerator, I went to bed really late Sunday night. And then the kids were up throughout the night sick with a monster cold that they picked up in Northern California.

First thing Monday morning I had a conference call. And then another. And I was quickly pulled in to work. And then it was suddenly 3 PM and I was still in my pajamas with a crying and runny nosed baby in my arms. Tuesday and Wednesday turned out to be much the same way. Up way too late at night, starting work way too early in the morning, realizing as the sun is setting that I've yet to get myself dressed for the day and there are boogies on my pj top.

Gym? What Gym?

Heck, I haven't even brushed my TEETH.

And if you knew me, you'd know that there are few things worse in my book than not getting dressed IMMEDIATELY upon getting out of bed. So these past few days have really tanked on my "daily success meter."

You want to know how else I rank my daily success?

1) Making the beds,

2) Coming out to a kitchen that was thoroughly cleaned before I went to bed,

3) Not YELLING about things that don't require YELLING,

4) Enjoying the little moments,

5) And - most importantly - getting out of bed at least the same time as the children, as opposed to say 30 minutes after the children and discovering that their attempts at making an omelet didn't pan out. Literally. Hence, the clean kitchen that existed when you went to bed, is now coated in EGG.

Tonight, when I was standing in the bathroom giving the children a bath, I stretched a little bit and it felt good. Until I realized that it wasn't very easy to touch my toes. So I pushed myself a little further and suddenly, my hamstrings and stomach muscles went in to the most painful muscle spasm, simultaneously. And I had to grab on to the vanity while screaming for my husband because I thought for sure I'd need an ambulance or maybe just a hearse.

See, my problem (one of them, at least) is that I can't make time for myself.

I'm really good at putting everything before my own needs.

It's not unusual that I'll take care of all my work e-mail and review 10 reports and approve $500,000.00 worth of invoices and mop the floors and scrub the toilets before I feed myself something more substantial than ... well, a Joe-Joe.

While I do an outstanding job (if I may say so myself) taking care of the people around me, I do a real crappy job at taking care of myself. My children eat three square meals a day and are loaded up on organic fruit. I eat the scraps off their plates like a dog.

WOOF!

I hate to blame my family, but I will.

It's all my father's fault.

When I was a child, my dad would work crazy hours. And whenever I would go visit him in his drugstore, he'd be standing behind the counter working - working - working - never taking a break for anything or anybody, unless it was a customer who wanted to know if they could take amoxicillin with their birth control pills (Uh, not if you want for them to WORK.)

Someone, usually my sister Beth, would ask, "Dad, do you want a frappe?" and Dad would mumble, "Yeah, that sounds good" and keep working. One of us would traipse off to Brigham's and pick up "lunch" (or "dinner") and then traipse back to the drugstore. With one hand, Dad would suck down his vanilla frappe (always vanilla) and with the other hand, he'd be counting pills and typing out prescription labels on his typewriter.

That's just the way my family rolls.

So when I forget to eat or am grabbing food here and there on the fly, my husband will say, "You are SUCH a Foley." And I am. To the core. Now go get me a FRAPPE!

I know that I'm in a motivated, disciplined slump and I know I'll come out of it. I just need to go sign myself up for something. An exercise class. An athletic event. Something where I can establish some goals.

Right now, I just want for our family to get over the first quarter plague of 2010. (Because I'm not so naive to believe that we won't be sick again this year), so that I can start working out. I loved the way I felt and looked when I was exercising consistently. Perhaps in the meantime, it would help if I picked out a new outfit to wear. I think this one looks nice...

at736587-00av3v03

I'm sure I'd look just like that, too.

Yeah. Something tells me she hasn't eaten four boxes of Joe-Joe's in her entire skinny, crazy flexible LIFE.

*******

What are your fitness goals for this year?

Perhaps 2010 is the year you are going to nurture yourself?

Or, perhaps 2010 is the year you are going to welcome a NEW addition in to your world? One of my best friends, Lorie, is due ANY DAY now. I'm guessing that her baby boy (William!) is going to be a big one. When I saw the picture she posted of herself, I was immediately transported back to my ninth month of pregnancy with one 10-pound Henry who was camped out on my bladder and all I could think was ... ouch.

Followed by, WHERE'S THE BATHROOM??

21 comments:

  1. Fitness goals for 2010:
    1) Keep walking (when it's not pouring down rain, walk outside - this is Seattle, after all)
    2) Have baby in March (instant weight loss!)
    3) Breastfeed (continued weight loss)
    4) Keep weight OFF by eating a low-sugar diet
    5) Keep walking (the weather will get better and baby can go in the Baby Bjorn when I walk while his older siblings are at school)

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  2. You have to come by on the 19th, regardless if baby is here or not! Glad you liked my bracelet that I was wearing in picture on my blog! I will be wearing it when I deliver, too!! Oh, and 9.5 pound baby...gee, thanks! I hope not! LOL! I'm hoping for more like 8 pounds!

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  3. I really identify with what you're saying here. I'm always my last priority, don't prepare myself decent food, or make enough time for exercise. And the thing is, I can't see enough of a way out of it to make changing it a goal...

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  4. My weight loss goals are to loss the 10 lbs left over from my six month old PLUS the 10 lbs leftover from my 2.5 year old. My personal goals are to become a better wife and mother, less nagging more loving.

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  5. My goal is to run the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon on March 7th in Disney World. I'll be completing this with my roommate from college. Like you, I am having trouble scheduling my workouts between work and family stuff. Add to that the crazy cold weather we've been having on the east coast! I polished off a box of chocolate covered pretzels yesterday instead of working out. It keeps me much warmer than running outside!

    Good luck with your goals and all of the boogies. We have green ones in our house right now!

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  6. Ok Jen - I know I don't have to tell you that you won't find a FRAPPE in CA. Heck, I'll bet you have tons of readers who don't even know what that is..(hint - it's a milkshake to those outside of New England) - LOL. I had no idea before we moved here. In Texas, it's a shake and will always be a shake to me. And I know THAT Brighams shop on the main street in the center - totally awesome frappes!

    Back to the at hand topic.... DH has told me he will go to Weight Watchers WITH ME. So if he and I are weight loss buddies, we can work on our goals together.

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  7. I think we live such parallel lives except your kids are younger (hell, you are younger than me, lol!)

    I've worked out two days this week. I'm planning to do the AZ Scavenger Hunt in Feb.; a local mud run 5K in April; and a 1/2 marathon in the early fall. Need to find a summer 10K....

    I'm sure you just worked out your abs by laughing at my goals!

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  8. Several tablespoons of butter on a delicious cresent as well as a PB and Marshmallow sandwich for lunch. Just one of the reasons I've decided to "ru-oll" the 1/2 in Myrtle Beach instead of the full. JOIN ME! Feb. 13. or the Disney 1/2 sounds more fun but a lot more $$$. OR even more fun - the 10k in Charleston! in April. (We talked about that one! Remember?)

    We can make Anne Marie's "brighams" fudge from simplysweeter. Give out samples to runnerby's and talk about stupid skinny people like that ridiculous looking contortionist on this post. (k?) Marg.

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  9. Seems like most women put ourselves last. Must be deep down in the DNA. Anyway, I've been going to Jazzercise three mornings a week for a while now, and it is awesome. It is an appointment I set and keep like any other,and I only miss for illness (mine or kids, and in the last three months, we'd had the plague several times too). One of the best things about it is they have a babysitter right there! She is awesome and my kids love to spend an hour with her and the couple other kids there too. You should see if your area has a Jazzercise class you can attend that offers babysitting. Oh - and you just pay one monthly fee and can go to as many classes as you like - and they are challenging, and include weight and circuit training too. Seriously, check it out, it is changing my life. And the mental clarity I am getting from regular exercise helps me yell less, and be happier,too.

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  10. DITTO, everything you said! And just so you know, it's ALL your fault (boy, I sound like my 7 year old) that I'm sitting here eating Peppermint Joe Joe's. I honestly FORGOT that I had ONE box (that's all I kept) in the cupboard and reading your blog jogged my memory and boy, are they sinful. Thanks a lot. My thighs, however, are NOT thanking you. Goal? To start exercising, ANY exercising - soon. Yep, soon . . . . :)

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  11. My goals - use the wii-fit every day. I love that thing. You can do 10 minutes here, 5 there and suddenly you've done an hour and burnt up 200 calories. Perfect for me because I have half the week where I couldn't go to the gym even if I wanted to because my husband works away from home and I cannot afford a weekly or bi-weekly baby sitter.

    Seriously, get one. They are fun to use, even my 5 year old loves it and I am feeling great in in better shape than I have for, well, 5 years! And getting better, fitter and trimmer every day!

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  12. OK...consider yourselves lucky.

    1. What's a Joe Joe? I sent you my address, but I still don't know what it is. Must be good though.

    2. Fitness goals?: hahaha. Oh, oopps, did I laugh out loud? Sorry. Uhm...lose the 30 lbs I put on after getting MARRIED!

    BUT I have a totally valid excuse. Someone please tell me how I am supposed to work out when... We have NO gym. NO workout facilities. NO pool. ETC. Oh, and please don't tell me to go outside and walk or run, because its pretty much 25 below zero right now. And, will be for the next 3 months at least.

    I do have the wii fit though... I agree with Marg...stupid skinny people. This fatso can still do the splits...three ways! HAHAHA.

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  13. P.S. Up here above the Arctic Circle we have the Mosquito Haven Half-Marathon, if anyone wants to brave the weather and 24 hour sunlight this July... A beautiful run in the tundra, only about a mile or so of pavement, and dirt roads for the other 12 miles.

    Bring your bug dope though, 100% deet, or you'll be eaten alive. It's called the Mosquito haven for a reason!

    Even though I'm fat, I still try to do it every year. Heck with training. :)

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  14. Not to worry, Jen! The great thing is, you can get yourself back there! Enjoy your little 'winter' break, and then dive back in. :-) (HA! 'Winter'! Sorry, I'm in Canada, lol).

    I've mentioned it here before, but my 2010 goal is preparing to walk 30km for "The Weekend to End Women's Cancers", which takes place on September 11th, 2010. This is my first HUGE charity event, and I'm so excited to participate! I have a long way to go, for both fundraising and training, but I'm really eager and excited to work at it. My mom and I are walking together, along with one of my best friend's and her mom!

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  15. "Get thin in 2010", is my goal this year!! I started back to the gym last August but with the holidays and sickness and such I was going about three days a week, sometimes twice a week. I have NOW committed to going a minimum of 4 days a week. I get up at 5 in the morning and go while my family is still asleep, rush back home to shower, eat, and get the kids and myself out to work/school/daycare for the day. It is sometimes a bit much but the days I don't go I feel awful and unmotivated with everything in my life. I am a much happier person and therefore so is my family. I have also started a little of a diet, just by portion control and MORE fruit and veggies. Hope to keep it up!! Here's to all of us in 2010!!

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  16. Jen, it just dawned on me this past Monday that it's a new year. Seriously. I've been in such a fog that Christmas and New Years has come and gone and I'm barely aware of anything other than I'M EXHAUSTED.

    *sigh*

    Taking care of others before me? I'm not entirely sure HOW to take care of me anymore. I haven't even THOUGHT of making goals for the year. Although I'd love to make a goal of a full night's rest if my infant son could go more than two hours without the booby. (He's almost 6 months old, so you'd think he might be sleeping through the night, but seems he didn't get the memo.)

    Goals: (thinking as I type them...)

    Lose baby weight. Wean the baby. Start working out. Eat more organic foods. Potty train my 2 year old. Find some joy in my full-time job. Think before speaking. Join a bible study. Get a manicure and pedicure. Make a diaper cake for a friend's baby shower. Dust the house. Try not to be frustrated that I have to work instead of being with my kids.

    *double sigh*

    Maybe I should make "get medicated" part of my goal?

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  17. I've decided not just to do a Couch to 5k this year. I've decided to do a Couch to the Susan G Komen 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk.

    I'm going to start training off small since I've been extremely sedentary for the last 3 years, but I have confidence that by the time October rolls around, I could be trained to do 3 3-day walks. =o)

    Wish me luck! Me and my lack of follow through need it!

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  18. You make a good point about classes and goals. It can be so much fun to exercise with others. And there's good accountability there too.

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  19. Stacey - that is AWESOME!!!!

    WTG - you are totally going to enjoy the 3Day experience!!! Where are you planning to walk?

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  20. As of today 1/8/10 my husband has lost 241 pounds since 1/12/09. If he can do that, I can drop the 50 i need to. I started July 09 and droped 25, 50 more to go. Jumped right in again this past Sunday down 3lbs this week.

    susieg

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  21. Fitness goal for this year: Do something. Anything. Just do it, every week.

    I read a quote this week that we wear many hats, like wife, mother, colleague, sister, daughter...but they are all just hats worn as a WOMAN. We can't be a wife, mother, colleague, sister, daughter without first being ourselves. When we put those other things before ourselves, we get out of whack. I'm going to try to remember that this year.

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