Clash of the Thigh-tans

Thighs.  A gift or a curse?  I'll lean towards curse.

How do some women have that neat little space between their thighs when standing with their feet together?  No damn fair.  Even when I played sports 5-6 days a week year-round, I never had that.  Nope, instead I get to wear through pants in the thigh area.  What can I say, I am a lucky girl!

I go to the gym and do mostly cardio, but I have been slowly incorporating more and more strength training. I know cardio is to eliminate fat all over and strength training is to build muscle that tones and ultimately that burns more fat.  I understand the equation.  So why does the equation seem to come out with a different answer for each person?  Damn genetics.

I cannot tell you how many times I have been on the elliptical and worried that my pace was too fast.  How so, you ask?  Because I was worried the friction of my thighs rubbing together was going to start a fire.  I guess that's one way to "feel the burn."

And how about those cute little shorts some girls wear?  HA.  My thighs are hungry people.  They literally eat my shorts. (Thank you Bart Simpson) I'm talking about that annoying, embarrassing creeping up that the shorts do in the crotch region.  As if people can't see that my legs are curvy, my shorts manage to add an exclamation point.  The alternative is board shorts or walking shorts.  Not a good look on a woman with what I have been repeatedly told are 'child-bearing hips.'  Oh yeah.  Men say that.

No matter the size and shape, the jiggle and wiggle, or the fact that I fondly refer to them as my "wobbly bits," my thighs are mine.  Forever.  And they're taking me places.

Life gets in the way...

Working two jobs, going to school, maintaining and fixing a 102 year old house, writing a blog, spending time with family, cuddling my two dogs and boyfriend, trying to muster up the energy to have a social life...  that's my crazy life in a nutshell.

All of these things are seriously getting in the way of me trying to lose weight.  Fitting in exercise is not as easy as it sounds for most of us.  I am really trying to get to the gym three or four times a week, but right now it just isn't happening.  I have even started doing my readings and highlighting them while on the elliptical.  For those of you who haven't tried it- it ain't easy.  My fellow gym rats chuckle at me on a regular basis.

Take for instance THIS week.  It is midterm week. On top of the short answer/essay exam, I also have to study for a quiz.  For the same class.  Who has a professor who schedules two tests in one week??  This girl.  I have figured out that I have spent almost 18 hours studying this last week and I haven't even taken the damn exam yet.

The stress from all of this is also causing me to stress-eat and I am doing a mighty fine job of justifying it to myself.  Yes, I splurged on chicken nuggets from McDonald's.  They take me back to the good ol' days before the responsibilities of real grown-up life kicked in.

My solution to the time-crunch dilemma?  Suck it up.  Keep trying.  Things could be worse.  So off I go...  to finish working my 18-hour day.  To try and sneak in some sleep.  To drag my butt to the gym two more times this week.  I may not be losing tons of weight, but I'm keeping my head above water.  And right now, that's something to celebrate!

Christina Aguilera is FAT!?!?

In what world is Christina Aguilera fat!?!?  True, she is a curvy woman now and not stick thin.  What of it?  She is a beautiful and talented woman on a major TV show.  Yet that isn't enough?

Why is it that society is so concerned with weight?  I know I think about it every minute of every day.  Sad, but true.  I try my best not to focus on it, but let's be honest- it's a major part of our culture and that's why weight is what this blog focuses on.  I chose this topic because it seems to affect my friends and family constantly.  Usually in a negative way.  I wanted this blog to be a positive thing for people to read, and laugh about, and have a place to say what we are really thinking.

I have rolls.  Ugh.  I still can't believe I typed that.  In the vein of being honest, there is the unvarnished truth.  Now, I don't see any rolls on Christina.  She has been quoted as saying, "I told them during this Lotus recording, 'You are working with a fat girl. Know it now and get over it,'" she said. "My body can't put anyone in jeopardy of not making money anymore -- my body is just not on the table that way anymore."

How sad that it ever WAS on the table like that.  Everywhere we see people saying 'Embrace your originality and your body type' in one breath and 'Woah there, fatty. That outfit was not meant for you' in the next.

Here's what it boils down to for me.  Be yourself.  Go ahead and strive to be a better version of yourself, but don't hold yourself to Hollywood's standards, even Christina Aguilera isn't doing that anymore.  You will just be setting yourself up for disappointment.

And try to keep in mind, these 'stars' have the luxury of personal trainers, nutritionists, personal chefs and cosmetic surgery.  And that lusted-after advantage of air-brushing.  Chin up.  You rock just the way you are.  Rolls and all.

New Shoes!

What is it about a new pair of shoes that gets a girl's heart racing? Truthfully, I have no idea what the science is behind it. True, obsessive shoe buying is a stereotype, but that doesn't make it any less true. That's the thing about stereotypes ... at some point before all of the exaggerations and jokes it was based on someone's version of the truth.

As a treat to myself and to replace my beloved pair of tennies that I wore through TWO Dirty Girl Mud Runs and then donated, today I bought a new pair.

I have joked a time or two in this blog about trying to look your best at the gym when after a good sweat session people often look like they ran through a sprinkler. As it should be! However, there is something to wanting a new, fancy pair of kicks.

I hope my slick new tennies will also serve as motivation to get back to the gym more often. Here's hoping!

School Lunch Commotion

Have you all read the article at www.jsonline.com about the students who are boycotting school lunches?

http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/students-strike-against-new-federal-school-lunch-rules-t96t7sp-170124676.html

I tend to agree with some of the regulations on school lunches and making them healthier.  HOWEVER-- telling a student how many calories they can take in at one meal seems extreme.  No doubt, childhood obesity is a problem in our country.  BUT, I think the solution lies at home and in programs like Play60 where parents should make sure that their kids get in at least 60 minutes of active play a day.  Now that seems like an idea.

Granted, no cookie-cutter solution works for everyone.  If it did, we would have no need for personal trainers and nutritionists to make "get healthy" plans customized for each of their clients.  I'd be willing to bet those professions are still booming even in these tough economic times because people are always striving to be skinnier, healthier, more... something.

Please keep in mind that I am not yet a parent although I hope to be one someday.  When the time comes, I  think that it should be my choice as to how many calories my kids can have.  Absolutely,  there should be more healthy options available.  Certainly, there should be a limit to the amount of junk food offered to school children in a school cafeteria.  At some point, don't we have to trust our kids to start making healthier choices on their own?

By the way, no one is forcing these kids to eat school lunches.  They are merely an OPTION.  These kids can bring lunch from home every day. And that is exactly what they are doing in this boycott.  I think that this is actually the best outcome we could have hoped for.  Now their parents can see and help choose what they get to eat for lunch.

My suggestion to fix all of this conflict surrounding a school lunch is this:  do what they did when I went to school.  Each student gets a calendar showing the "Hot School Lunch" option for each day.  If they don't like it- they have to take a lunch.  Period.  That may mean some kids with food allergies have to take their lunch to school every day- but wouldn't that be safer anyway?

Kids are spoiled.  I miss the days of "eat what's on your plate, or go hungry."  Don't you?

Guilt Trippin'

My grandmother decided to impart some of her invaluable wisdom to me recently.  She said, "Guilt trips are a waste of time."  So true!  So why can I not shake them?

I think almost all of us (ladies in particular) fall into the category of beating ourselves up too much, too often.  Mistakes are just that- mistakes.  We shouldn't spend more time dwelling on them than it takes to learn from them.  Then we should move on.  Easier said than done, I know.

For instance, last night I couldn't stop myself from indulging in a late night snack of chips and salsa.  YUM.  But I had been so good all say, I felt guilty for letting a craving dive-bomb my otherwise calorie successful day!  I could have said no, sure.  Sometimes it just isn't that easy. To determine whether the 'indulgence' is worth it, what I have started comparing is simply this:  Is the guilt I'll feel after eating this worth it?

No, I don't always sit down and analyze it like that, but I am trying.  I know me, and guilt will never leave me entirely.  I'm just not built that way.  Chances are, I will continue to scold myself for grabbing that fistful of Cheez-Its or when I catch myself drooling in line at Walgreens over the PayDay candy bar I haven't let myself have in years.  Oh yea, that happens.

I tell myself that I shouldn't want these things; they are BAD for me!  But I still want them.

So, now I have a new goal.  I want to learn how to live with myself after my inevitable slip-ups.  Forgiving myself for being human isn't as easy as it sounds.  However, I think as I rant against my weaknesses and lack of willpower vehemently in my head, at least now there will be another voice.  One saying, "Yea, maybe eating that entire pizza wasn't a good idea, but..."  Or, "Really, Heidi?  How many S'mores does one adult need in one sitting, but...?"

But after the chastising, that new, more positive voice will tell me that all I can do is make a better choice next time.  Tomorrow is another day.  This is not a quickflash diet we are talking about, but a war waged over a lifetime.  So, I'll live to fight another day.

The Best Intentions

How does the old saying go?  "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."  I'd say that applies to the road to chubby too.

For instance, yesterday I packed my gym bag and even changed into my gym clothes before leaving my family dinner that always happens on Tuesday nights.  (As a side note, I highly recommend seeing family at least once a week to gain perspective on yourself and life in general.)  I find that if I am already dressed for the gym, I run out of excises not to go more quickly.  As I drove up to the freeway exit to my gym, I found that it was CLOSED!  Derailed again!  No fear, I told myself.  How hard can it be to find an alternative route?  Harder than you think when not only my exit was closed, but the entire road that my gym is on was shut down.  I drove around and around for almost 45 minutes before conceding defeat.  Nothing I could do would get me there.

Sick of the metaphorical and in this case, literal roadblocks in my weight loss quest, I grumbled the rest of the way home.  I thought of popping in my Turbo Jam DVD and dancing my butt off (literally, I hoped) but remembered the precious 4 month old mini-dachshund pup, Chili, that just moved into my family a week and a half ago.  No doubt with my recent string of luck, I'd stomp on her and break her long, gorgeous little back.  GRRR.

Instead, I settled for taking both of my beautiful dogs for a walk.  Although I felt like a puppeteer and managed to walk past two apartment complexes in which the occupants were having contests fit for a bachelorette in a strip club (WINK, WINK), I really enjoyed watching my crazy canines interact with each other as we clomped along the sidewalk.  Claire (our black lab and star hunter) walked slower to accommodate Chili's tiny legs and Chili learned to sit better and cooperate more by following Claire's every move with fascination.  It was a heart warming dance to be a party to.

Was this the sweat-drenched, calorie-torching workout I had in mind?  Not even close.  But I had a lot more fun this way.  Still, I definitely need to get back in the groove of hard workouts ASAP.  In the meantime, I have been managing to keep my weight steady with a stricter diet.  I'll pat myself on the back for that accomplishment because summer is all about parties, tailgates and the accompanying party food.  All things that I love.  I find myself learning moderation.  Slowly but surely.

My good intentions may not me propelling me forward at a breakneck speed as I'd like, but they are keeping my head above water.  And as I tread this water, I'll try to appreciate the summer moments while my beautiful pups swim circles around me and just BE GLAD.  Happy is more important than skinny.  And that's the truth.