Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Something Personal

I'm 35 and I feel really old today.  My poor diet and lack of exercise is really taking its toll. I have made a conscious decision not to exercise because I don't want to take away from the limited time I have with my family. Since I am currently working 10-hour days, by the time I get home it is usually time to start dinner. So, not much time to sneak in exercise by doing something active with my family.  The diet problems are two-fold. First of all, I am an emotional eater.  Second of all, I sit at my desk all day and snack. I have been wondering what it would take to finally get me to make some changes. I want to be healthy and look good for my husband but I also want to set a good example for my child. Right now, he doesn't care if I'm fat overweight but one day it could be a source of embarrassment for him.

My friend Kim has been helping me by both providing a good example for me to follow and by offering me tools and ideas that have helped her.  While I will never be an Ironman triathlete like she is, she is a great role model for me.  Kim sent me this book for my birthday:


I'm working on it right now and I'm hoping to get some positive inspiration from it.

I am also interested in reading this one:



It sounds like it has some good ideas albeit ones that are wrapped in a trendy diet package. 

I am also going to try and make some lifestyle changes. Once my hours change back to an eight-hour day, I am going to change my work schedule so that I have time to go to the gym before work. This will mean even less time in the evening with my family but I have to do it.  I am also working on stocking up on healthy snacks for my desk area so I don't end up going to the candy jar at my co-worker's desk.  I'll let you know how it goes. My goal is to get down to a size 8/10.  I was really happy and comfortable at that size. Smaller would be fine but I think 8/10 is a reasonable goal for now.  I'll let you know how it goes. The new schedule starts on August 2.  In the meantime, let me know tricks that have worked for you and books you have found helpful.

3 comments:

Gary said...

I'm proud of you for wanting to make some conscious lifestyle choices. When it comes to exercise, I've always chosen to do the things I enjoy. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother with any of it. Life is too short for drudgery.

I often draw from a great book called "Stretching" by Suzanne Martin. It's easy, feel-good kind of stuff that you can do at your desk. I also go for a casual walk during mid-mornings at work. I use it as a break and save my reading for lunch.

The thing I've found with exercise is that it's best when you find activities that truly integrate into your life and that appeal to your interests. For example, if I had that bomber stroller of yours I couldn't resist popping Aidan in it every night and going for a long walk just because I think that stroller is so cool. Having the tools and gadgets that go along with different types of exercise helps infuse excitement for me.

Anyway, having seen you recently I can say you look great and are as adorable as ever. Gary is a lucky guy!

Gary said...

I forgot to mention that book your friend got for you is bound to be helpful. What an interesting read!

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