Weighing In

So, here’s the thing.  I’ve been exercising regularly now for a little over three weeks.  Yes, it’s true.  I got off my ass.  Thanks to a dear friend of mine. She inspires me.  In fact, she has inspired many of us at work now.  We are like…I don’t know…we need a team name…and a t-shirt.  We’re running in a 10K in April.  We rock.  I’m so thankful to them for helping me work towards a tighter rear end.

We all leave our cubicles or test labs mid-day and meet up at the gym.  There’s this tiny little dressing room where we share stories of how sore we are, what crazy thing our kids did the night before, how to prevent blisters and from peeing in our pants while doing jumping jacks.  For an hour a day, there’s no stress from work or laundry that is piled up at home.  This is our time.  Our time to let it all go.

We are full time working women and Moms of different ages with similar schedules and routines.  Maybe we have different interests outside of this.  But what is so lovely about this group of women is that it doesn’t matter.  It doesn’t feel like competition.  It just feels good.  I wish I had a picture of us...one day.

Running…

I could lie and say it’s all about feeling good and being healthy and being a part of the group and not at all about body image, but that wouldn’t be true.  I’m not one to weigh myself or measure percent body fat, but I do look in the mirror just like everyone else and see the imperfections.  I think it’s human.  So, I’m not going to lie and act like I haven’t been trying to see a difference the last three or so weeks have made.  I do.  And if my appetite had not increased exponentially, I might have seen a difference by now.  But anyway, I guess I have a point here.  I finally weighed in.

I wish I could stop that way of thinking and just be 100% happy with how I look.  Is that possible?  Has anyone figured this out?  We can talk about it and preach it to our kids, but I’m still not sure if it is possible in this society we live in.  I guess that’s my point.

So, I guess we just need to recognize it.  Keep telling ourselves we don’t have to have it all and look the best.  That’s something else these girls have brought out in me.  There’s no such thing as a perfect life, body, family.  It just doesn’t exist, so why stress about it?

(She wanted to do this.  We cheered.)

So anyway…maybe we run to relieve stress (I’m telling you people, it really does).  Maybe we run for the camaraderie (I love these women).  Maybe we want to live long, happy lives (Who doesn’t?).  And maybe we also want to look good in a swimsuit this summer.  And maybe, it’s all of the above.  That’s just real.

Thanks ladies.  I feel my rear muscles when I walk.  I think it is actually shifting upward.  This is a good thing.

And now I need to work on my exponentially increased appetite.  I found these the other night in Kroger.  Yum!

And then my love sent Jesse in my bedroom with a bag in her hand saying, "I have a surprise for you Mommy!"



Oh dear goodness.





And this right here is why I exercise.  I ate this with so much joy and no guilt.



God Bless the Girl Scouts.