I'm On a Diet, Kind Of

Well, winter didn't last long in southwest Florida. It's back up in the 80s- just another sign that summer and beach season is upon us. With that comes the pressure of breaking out the old swim suit and praying it still fits.

Two kids in less than three years did its work on me. When I was in third grade, one of my friends told me she had 'birthing hips'. I assume she heard that from her mom, but it stuck with me, mostly because I had no idea what it meant. Three kids later, I understand. And I'm proud of those hips- my deliveries were easy, with no complications. But putting on a bikini still makes me a little less than confident.

You'll have a better workout with this shirt! Available in my store!

In light of that, I decided to start a semi-diet. I hate dieting. I'm not good at it and counting calories drives me insane. Besides, I go to the gym and then for a run five days a week- if I want a bowl of Black Cherry frozen yogurt, then I'm going to have it! Still, I could be more conscious of portion sizes and just having 'one or two' chips while packing the boys' lunches.

Enter Fitbit. My wonderful, beloved Fitbit. The whole reason I carry everything in my left arm so that my right one stays free to swing and give me credit for those steps. And the app dutifully records my food/water intake, in addition to my calories burned/steps taken/sleep achieved. I've realized that what I like is the accountability. Do I really want to have to enter that I ate three fruit snacks, a bite of circle waffle, or an afternoon cookie? It's easier to just pass on them and save my calories for more fun things- like wine or ice cream.

I was discussing this with my boss and she mentioned that she weighed herself every day. Every day! I would be a basket case. Then I found myself on Amazon and discovered a smart scale- who would have thought? It syncs to your Fitbit and helps track your goals. Supposedly. I ordered it and we'll see how this goes. In the past, I've had a tendency to unhealthy body image, so this might be a little too much precision.

But on the other hand, I'm not old yet and I'm not really ready to give up fun swim suits for the skirted old lady ones. Not sure I should share this, but a couple years ago I was at the beach with Micah and a couple teenagers were behind us and I overheard them refer to me as a 'MILF'. I'd like to hold onto that illusion for a while longer.

This post is getting long so I'm off to enjoy Easter weekend with my family. I hope you all have a safe, fun weekend and remember the reason we celebrate is Jesus!


PS- Unwrapping the small Hershey's chocolate eggs from their foil and replacing them with grapes is an awesome April Fool's trick for your little ones. 

With Love,
Susanne

Things I've Noticed at the Gym

I love going to the gym. It’s easier for me to exercise when I have to make the conscious effort to get dressed, make sure someone’s watching the kids, and drive there. I feel like I owe it to myself to have a good workout. Now I am by no means an expert, but I’ve been to a few gyms- from the big social club gyms, down to my current little neighborhood gym. And I’ve made a few observations...

1.      People have no shame

I call her “loud obnoxious lady.” Once she came in wearing a hot pink bathrobe covered in hearts. She doesn’t own a coat because it’s ‘not supposed to get cold in Florida.’ She generally shows up with her equally loud friend, and together they plow away on the treadmill, loudly bemoaning the many faults of their husbands and kids. Don’t get me wrong- I understand we all need to vent, but if I was her husband, I would go out for drinks with Chris twice a week, too!

2.      The bigger the grunts, the more weight you can lift

You know the type- super big and buff up top, with little skinny legs. These are the guys who apparently forgot leg day exists. They get huge weights, sound like they’re the Hulk while pounding their sets, and then drop them to the floor with a huge crash. Then there’s the production of stretching their sore muscles and drinking from their gallon jug of water. I’ve always wanted to saunter over and imitate them, just to see the reaction. Of course, my idea of ‘huge weights’ would be twenty pound dumbbells…not exactly intimidating.

3.     Time slows down at the gym               
      Don’t believe me? Do a two minute wall-sit, or a sixty-second plank, or run full out on the treadmill for five minutes. You’ll feel like the clock is ticking backwards! One minute of gym time is like five minutes in the outside world.

4.       Friends are better than no friends
      I have to go work out at 5am because that’s literally the only time of the day when I can go. Chase and I work opposite schedules so we rarely have a free evening. I was very inconsistent until I met my gym buddy. She’s a lifesaver! Sometimes the only reason I drag my butt out of bed is because I know she’ll give me crap if I don’t show up. In spite of despising leg day, Gym Buddy has guilted me into it at least once a week. It happened to be this morning and the soreness made me consider just rolling my chair around the office so there was no need to stand up.

5.       People watching is a great distraction

At my old gym, I used to do the elliptical for 45 minutes at a time. That gets pretty boring, especially when the only thing on the televisions was the Golf Channel, ESPN, and infomercials. I started people watching and it was hilarious! There was the woman who wore a full-on ballerina costume every day. Or the pretty girls with perfect hair and makeup who went from machine to machine, not even pretending to use them; they simply bounced around depending on where a buff guy was working out. I especially enjoyed the older man who clearly thought he owned the place. He would make his rounds- flirting with every woman, giving out hugs and advice.

And I have to end this post with a shout out to a couple of my favorite shirts that are perfect for gym-time

Strength, Courage, No Carbs Tank

#MOMBOSS Tank

With Love,

Susanne