A New Start

My fitness regimen has been non-existent.  I can even look back on the calendar and pinpoint the exact date when working out everyday went out the window.  Lately I've been extremely frustrated that I'm out of shape, don't exercise, and can't seem to find the time to fit it in.

I have a treadmill sitting in the corner of my living room.  While it hasn't become a clothes rack, it has become a jungle gym for my kids.  That's not its intended use.  It was purchased for me to be able to run and get in shape in the comfort of my own home, since a gym membership with two little ones is completely out of the question.  I feel guilty not using it.

I've taken some steps to free up some time.  I'll spare you the details, but now I have a block of time in the morning that I can use for just me.  Yesterday I got up and used the time to run two miles.  This morning, not feeling as well, I used it to edit and e-mail some photos.  I don't feel defeated, though.  While I didn't get up and lift weights like I had planned, I can still fit in some form of exercise today.

Last weekend my sweet husband bought me a bike trailer for the kids.  I think after breakfast the kids and I will head out for a bike ride before the day gets too warm.

The Treadmill

I'm not sure what the fascination with the treadmill is.  At one point or another during the day one or both of them can be found playing on it. It's their little place to climb on or play with their toys. Whatever the reason it sure brings the two of them a lot of joy.

Birthday and Getting in Shape

Last week I celebrated my 31st 25th birthday.  I left work a little early, did some shopping by myself, picked up the kids from daycare at the usual time, went home and cooked dinner.  Yes, I had to cook my birthday dinner.  Ryan spent all day working on our car with some buddies and they were having problems removing some of the old parts off of the car.  The car is 12 years old with 182,000 + miles on it.  We're just trying to nurse it along for awhile since it does get great gas mileage compared to our truck, which is what we've had to use lately.  I digress, though.  It was a good birthday spent with family and friends.

Ryan bought me a new seatbelt purse for my birthday/Valentine's day present.  I used birthday money to purchase the matching wallet.  I feel very spoiled:

To work off all of that birthday cake baby weight, I began using Ryan's birthday/Valentine's gift on Monday:

Today I completed day 3 of 90.  I'm alive, but barely.  My goal is to use this as my boost to get back in shape not to achieve a ripped body-builder figure.  It helps that Ryan is doing this program also.  We're exercising at separate times of the day, but we've been motivation to each other to get up and do it.  Hopefully by the time the 90 days is up I'll be in amazing shape and have my treadmill put back together and usable.  Then all I will have to do is maintain.

Show Me Your Muscles

Sabotage and Other Tidbits

After discovering that our new treadmill is not working (it thinks it's working but the treadmill belt won't move an inch), I called NordicTrack to get it fixed.  They ordered a new motor for the treadmill, but the motor is backordered until mid-March.  I am convinced Ryan arranged this to sabotage me winning our fitness challenge.

While spending time this morning baking banana bread, doing laundry, calling NordicTrack, talking to my mom, dealing with a naughty 20 month old and planning menu ideas, I seemed to have neglected someone a bit:

She fell asleep like this in her bouncy chair.  What a precious little girl.  I never get bored looking at her.

While I was busy, Aric entertained himself by reading, playing and making a mess of the house, typical toddler activities.

Finally, yesterday I came home to find a package waiting for me.  I was confused when I realized I mailed this package seven years ago to a friend as a birthday gift.  It was returned as unable to forward.  Too bad I no longer stay in touch with that person and I am unable to use the item since it's a maternity shirt.

Waste of Time

I went to my body composition test yesterday.  It brought me really close to a man with calipers.  For the life of me I can't remember his name.  I'd rather not be that close to anyone with calipers again.  In addition, I had the worst time taking directions because I was exhausted after watching three crabby children during the day.  He probably thought I was stupid.  The result of my test: my BMI is on the low end and he recommends that I not lose any weight.  Then he talked up their personal trainers and recommended that I get one.  I'm not getting one.

Now I'm back to square one.  The body composition test was no help with my fitness challenge.  I'm looking into some other options to use as a gauge in my fitness progress.
___________________________________

If you want to use the shoe idea, please do and don't worry about giving me credit.  I thought it would be a fun idea after viewing some family photos on another blog that included a photo of just their legs and feet.  It's not even an accurate photo since Kellyn's feet are still too small to fit into her shoes.  That girl has some tiny feet!

Fitness Challenge

Four years ago I was in amazing physical shape.  Five days a week before work I went to the gym to run and lift weights.  I felt good about myself and the body I achieved through my hard work.  Around that time I quit working out.  Flash forward four years and two babies later and I still feel good about myself even though I don't work out.  I didn't always feel that way.

After I had Aric, I was thrilled with my new baby, my new status as a mommy and not so thrilled with the way pregnancy had changed my body.  I had gone from having a girlish figure with a flat stomach to a womanly figure and that flat stomach had vanished completely from sight.  I was horrified with what I had left after pregnancy, but was unmotivated to change it.  I struggled with huge feelings of guilt if I did anything that kept me from spending time with Aric to include working out.  I work full time, after all, and that alone carries with it guilt and baggage.  In the midst of my struggles, I found out Kellyn was on her way and there was no need to get in shape.  My pregnancy with her was difficult and being on modified bed rest made me a sedentary creature.

After eighteen months of pregnancy and two kids, my body definitely shows the signs of bearing children.  And I'm okay with that.  I won't ever go back to having that girlish figure.  There are clothes in my closet that I may never fit into again.  I have stretch marks, wider hips, a gently curving belly and for the first time in my life I don't mind it.  I know my husband still loves me and I have two beautiful children who have changed me forever.

With that being said, I am not implying that I do not have a desire to work out, get back in shape and look my best.  With a full time job, two kids and a huge lack of sleep, it will be a challenge to get into a routine but I have an incentive.  Ryan proposed that we have a fitness challenge as an incentive for both of us to get into shape.  We each have specific fitness goals that we would like to achieve and a need to go on a fun vacation.  The winner of the challenge, which ends on Kellyn's first birthday, will get to decide where our vacation destination is.  I have an appointment this week to have a body composition test done.  In case you were wondering, I'm not looking forward to hearing what my BMI is or how out of shape I actually am.  However, I think this appointment will help me find out what a realistic fitness goal for me is and just maybe I'll be able to win the challenge.

Wish me luck!