7 Days of Sanity: Day 2 is DONE!

Battle of the Butt, Seven Days of Sanity

Hey, y’all!

This one is going to be even shorter than yesterday, but I promise I’m working on something great for ya in the next couple days.

For now, I’m reporting in that I’ve done 30 minutes and 30 seconds on the treadmill. You may remember that the white board that sits above my treadmill says “Do 30 seconds more than you did yesterday”….so that’s me meeting that challenge.  🙂

Why is it, though, that after only two days of exercise…at only 30 minutes each…I feel like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isn’t it funny that I know I’m not doing anything major compared to anyone else, but to me…every time I’m done on the treadmill…it’s a victory. I guess it doesn’t matter, does it? All that matters is that I didn’t quit. I’ve spent the last 20 years quitting on myself – and now I’m not.

My back and butt and legs are aching, but that’s okay…I know they’re supposed to. All day today, they’ve been a reminder that I kept my promise to myself yesterday. All day today, they’ve nagged at me – reminding me that I’m going to have to do it again tonight if I’m going to stick by my word. And I did. Aches, pains, and all. I kept my promise to myself again.

I’m working on another Get Real! post this week…till then, tell me how you’re doing. Are you moving more?

Day 1: Sanity Done

Battle of the Butt, Seven Days of Sanity

This is going to be uncharacteristically short, as I tend to get a little much with the words.  🙂

Since today was Day 1 of my 7 Days of Sanity, I did want to check in.  I’ll tell you what:  I’ve already learned something about myself.

This weekend started off pretty bad for me.  I took Dyson to the vet for a check up and ended up spending $100 because he has an ear infection.  The next morning, I got up early to take my car to the mechanic…and my car broke down on the way.  I had to wait an hour for a tow truck to get there, then I waited 5 hours at the repair shop because I didn’t have a ride home.  Hot Mess Hubby was in a 6 hour bow making class (hunting style bows…not frilly bows).  Finally, they had one of their mechanics take me home because it was going to be at least several more hours.  Came home to find that the hubby had left the baby gate down in the bedroom door, so Dyson had gone in and helped himself to the frumpy, ugly old lady shoes I have to wear to work.  Thankfully he didn’t chew them too much.  The fat lady foot stank probably freaked him out.  Vengeance is mine!  At the end of the day, I was slapped with a $689 repair bill.  Broke again!

Went to the dog park with Kirby, Dyson, and the Hot Mess Hubby this morning.  We usually trade off on watching whichever dog is closest to us.  Dyson ended up walking me around the woods of the dog park about 17 times.  That boy was on a mission to smell every blade of grass.

(He’s the round hairy butt in the middle, by the way…)

Anyway, by the time we got home from the dog park, there was very little of my precious weekend left – and I started feeling sorry for myself.  I had a last ditch fit with cramps as well and I didn’t do much but sit around and snuggle up with the dogs.

Then as the afternoon grew long and I realized that the Oscars were going to be on soon, I thought I’d better get my asses on the treadmill.  I made a promise to myself, right?  So I got up on the treadmill and I started it up.  I wasn’t too happy about it, but I crawled up there and and turned it on, feeling that pissy feeling I get when I don’t want to do something.

I started walking…and the music was in my ears…and my pulse quickened and I got inspired…and it was suddenly fun.  Pissy washed away and was replaced with joyful and I wondered….why in the hell do I do this to myself?

I procrastinate getting on the treadmill.  I avoid it.  And yet when I actually have the sense to get on it, it’s fun.  I’m carried away by the music and I love it.  I start to feel tired and I look up at the comments that so many of you have written to me, which I now have pasted on my wall in front of the treadmill.  You make me smile when I don’t have a smile.  You make me remember what my true goals are when all I want to do is quit.

I learned tonight that stepped up on the treadmill should not be any different to me than brushing my teeth in the morning or taking a shower.  I don’t wake up and say I’m not going to do those things.  I need to know that all I need to do is step on the treadmill and put the headphones on.  The music will take care of the rest.

Day 1 is done.  🙂  How did everyone do?

Seven Days of Sanity

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Peeps!

Because I’ve been slacking again in my goal to move more, I’ve decided that I’m going to challenge myself to do 30 minutes of exercise for the next 7 days straight.  Several of you immediately jumped up and joined the challenge – and thank you for convincing me this was the right thing to do for myself…because now you’re motivating me!

The 7 Dwarfs of the Apocalypse are still with me and probably will not pack up their bags and leave until some time tomorrow, so tomorrow is the day that I begin the challenge.  From Sunday to Saturday, I will exercise at least 30 minutes a day every day.  Every day.  My intention is to kick start the healthy habit I’ve been working to create since December 15th.

Who’s with me?  I’m not talking about forever, I’m talking about 7 days.  We rest on Sunday.  🙂  My hope is that I will feel like doing 7 more days…and then I will rest again for a day…and 7 days after that, and so on.  For now, though, I only have enough brainergy (good word, huh?) to think about doing this for 7 days.  When I start to think about longer than that, it becomes a chore…and a bummer…and I’m de-motivated.  7 days.  I can do that.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know how I feel about “fit speak“: that annoying verbiage the fitness gurus use to try and pump us up.  Super Extreme Abs Insanity 9000 – the Iron Man edition!  Shit like that just really pisses me off.  I didn’t talk that way when I was gaining this weight and that’s not going to motivate me to take it off.  So because of my hatred for all things fit speak-ish, I’m calling this challenge “Seven Days of Sanity”.

Sanity.

The only thing those gung-ho rock hard ab encrusted idiots on tv ever motivate me to do is change the channel.  I want normal.  I want sanity.  I don’t want insanity – in my workout or anywhere else.

funny dog pictures - me no likey push ups!

As far as I’m concerned there are only two kinds of insanity when it comes to working out:

1.  Not working out at all and letting my ass get bigger.

2.  Following some crazy ass fitness guru’s extreme challenge and burning myself out in a day.

I choose sanity.  I’m going to move for 30 minutes every day.  I’m not going to allow myself any excuses.  And because choices tend to give me an excuse to sit on my ass and mull things over, I’m removing all choices…and sticking with my tried & true friend:  the treadmill.

I really want to see 349 on the scale in March.  If I just stick to eating right and don’t start moving, I probably won’t see that number until April.  I need to get moving.  I need to do it now.  I want 349 blinking back at me in March. So…in the words of the father of all things yummy, Johnny Depp:

 

 

What are we waiting for?

 

Tomorrow, we begin. Who’s with me?

 

 

Let’s roll.

 

Victory, Defeat, and the 7 Dwarfs of the Apocalypse

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Victory

This is the last time I’ll blab about it, but I had a big job interview a week ago…remember?  Lots of excitement, a little a stress, and I was so glad when it was all over.  I forgot to tell you something:

Remember the suit I wore that turned out to have the Hot Mess Hubby’s jacket instead of my own?  Well…I didn’t realize it at the time, but the suit pants were a size smaller.

S M A L L E R!!!

I didn’t realize it until I got home, changed clothes, and saw the tag.  SMALLER!

This got me to thinking about how much smaller I’ve gotten, so I finally whipped out the measuring tape.  I haven’t done that since December 15th.

How much smaller?  8 inches, that’s how much.  I’ve lost 8 inches off my bod in 2 1/2 months.  Go me!

Victory.

 

DEFEAT

I didn’t get the promotion.  It’s okay, though, really.  In fact, it’s so okay that I don’t even think it’s right to put this under the defeat category.  I did my best, I got the hiring managers to notice me, and ended up feeling great about the whole thing.  There are some amazing possibilities in my future at work and I can’t stop smiling about it.  So technically it’s a defeat, but…who cares, right?

There’s another defeat I need to talk about, though, because I’ve been defeating myself.  I have allowed myself to slack on exercise again – which is horrible because I know I would lose even faster if I would just move more.  It’s not possible for me to move more until Sunday (keep reading, you’ll understand) – but when I get to Sunday, I am hitting the treadmill for 7 days in a row.  It’s time to kick start a better exercise habit.

Not long ago, I tried committing to 6 days of exercise.  I gave myself the choice of either getting on the treadmill or gett’in down with my bad self to “Dance on Broadway” on the PS3.  I got on the treadmill some.  I danced on Broadway twice.  I spent the rest of the week like this:  get home, turn on laptop, check email, remember my promise to myself, pick up the PS3 controller and look at it, hear BLEEP from laptop & check Twitter, listen to Hot Mess Hubby talk about cars, switch the PS3 controller to the other hand, let Kirby gimme some paw…  Needless to say, there wasn’t much boogying getting done by the end of the week.  I didn’t do what I said I was going to do and it’s bugg’in me.

When it comes to anyone else in my life, I do what I say I’m gonna do.  I try my best not to let people down but I don’t do the same for myself – and I’m not going to succeed in the long run if I don’t grab this bull by the horns right now.  So I’m gonna dumb it down for myself:  no more PS3 for now.  I’m removing the power of choice and going with the treadmill for 7 days straight.  Once I do that, I’ll have a rest day and do it again.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  When I’m comfortably in a new habit, I’ll bring the choices back.

It’s a plan.

 

The 7 Dwarfs of the Apocalypse

Bloaty, Crampy, Queasy, Bitchy, Craving, Clotty, and Sleepy have arrived in town and set up camp in my uterus.  Bastards!

Today was horrible and tomorrow will be worse.  Saturday will be about the same as today, and by Sunday I should be fine.  I’ll be curled up in a ball for the next several days, popping ibuprofen and clutching the heating pad convulsively.

I’m so glad tomorrow’s Friday.  What about y’all?  Anyone wanna do 7 days of exercise with me?  Hhmmm?

Nothing But the Treadmill Will Stop Me

General Hoo-Hah

Peeps!!

What an amazing week this has been, really.  So amazing that it’s kept me from something near & dear to me…something that gives me love & hope…something I love & adore:  my laptop!  🙂

This post will be short but I promise to make it up to you by tomorrow night, when I will be posting the post I’ve been trying to get to all week long.  If there’s anyone to blame for all the extra activity that’s been keeping me from updating you on all things Hot Mess, blame this guy:

Poor Dyson has had a hell of a week. The groomer nicked him in the booty and he gave himself a hot spot before we knew what was happening. $260 later, he’s wearing the Cone of Shame and chilling out on doggie Xanax while he recovers. He has taken up a lot of my time lately.

I do want to say a big thank you to everyone who’s supported me here and on Facebook during my application for that promotion at work. 🙂 I’m sorry to tell you that I didn’t get the promotion – but I am really fine with it…because what I got instead was so amazing and wonderful: sincere, true praise for my writing ability, fresh ideas, and enthusiasm (I do tend to be a cheerleader at work). There are opportunities for growth in my future. Good ones. I’ve definitely made an impression – and I believe my days of being relegated to answering the phone and making copies are numbered.

As for the rest of the news, that has to wait until tomorrow…at which time we will discuss Victory, Defeat, and the Seven Dwarfs of the Apocalypse.

Until then…I hope you’re all kicking ass & staying clear of partially hydrogenated evil. 🙂 Nothing but the treadmill will keep me from my laptop tomorrow!