Do You Work Out?

My neighbor and I both went on a “spring diet” at the same time.   My husband joined in and found an app we started using.   Then my neighbor’s husband got interested in the app and the progress we were all making from the support you get when you’re not the only one suffering.   The four of us, working on getting that winter weight off together, made it more fun and motivating all around.

I needed to lose seven pounds.   I know, it’s not a lot, but pick up a seven-pound dumbbell and it sure feels like a lot to tote around all day, every day.    Losing the weight in a healthy way took us over seven weeks, but we got there.   During that time, we did a good bit of exercise.   We mostly did so because otherwise, we didn’t feel like we had enough calories to eat that day and not feel hungry.

It is so much easier to lose weight when you exercise.   We got into the exercising and didn’t want to go a day without doing something, mostly for me because I love, love, love to eat.   We lost the weight and added some tone to our muscles as well.    And we looked better.  We definitely looked a little more trim, a little more lean and possibly a little more muscular.

That’s when the comments started.   I was getting them and my neighbor was getting them.   They were nice compliments, but they were embarrassing.   At one party I had one friend (who had been drinking) tell me several times she thought I looked great.   There was another friend at that same party who asked me what I was doing, because she wasn’t getting the same results, even though she worked out a lot.

They were flattering comments.   But they were unexpected and surprising too.   I mean, seven pounds and ten weeks of exercising a bit more than we usually did and we were getting strangers say things to us like I got at Bed Bath and Beyond at the checkout earlier this week.   I was asked, “do you work out?”  I said I did and then she said as she rang up the next item, “Every day?”  I said sometimes it seemed like it.   Then she said, “I wish I could look as good as you.”   I thanked her because I could tell she was being sincere.   I told her it wasn’t hard, it just took time.

I know I didn’t “need” to lose the seven pounds.   Lots of people told me I looked great.   But those seven pounds make me feel better and I think from the comments I’ve gotten, it’s made me look better too.

The Big Boy Update:  Who was married first?   My son asked this question tonight at dinner.   It took us a bit to get the, “who” part of the question figured out but when we did we told him Mimi and Gramps were married first, then Nana and Papa were married next and some time later mom and dad were married.   He was skeptical we had our facts straight, saying he thought Nana and Papa were the ones who were married first.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter said to me this morning, “I’m going back to put some of my hair behind my ears and some on my back.”   She proceeded to rearrange her hair to get it out of her face.    Then she said, “do I look pretty mom?”  I assured her she did.

Fitness Update:  Ten miles in the park with my husband.   Today was a lesson in proper tire inflation. I over-inflated them to say the least.   The PSI would have been fine on roads or dirt pathways.   We spent a good bit of time on very rocky trails including coming home via, “The Hateful Route.”   I told my husband I had to go into survival mode, trying to do my best to hold on as the bike bounced me all around.   My shocks were doing their job, but they were no match for the rubble and rocks.