Mid-Year Check: New Year’s Resolutions Still Alive

Written By: Kim - Jul• 13•11

I created this blog as part of my New Year’s Resolutions. Since it belongs to me, I publish when I want and choose the topics. As part of my 2011 resolutions, hitting the gym was also part of the plan. As if I needed any more resolutions, I also shared with you that we would be vacationing in Italy.

I can report that the blog still lives, despite it’s fractious publishing schedule. I enjoy writing but sometimes I simply do not feel like putting my fingers on a keyboard and commenting on life. As we head in to the last six months of 2011, my goal is to publish more frequently. Will you find me posting once a day? Doubt it. But once a week consistently would be better than my current schedule.

© Aaron Neifer courtesy of Stock.xchng

I am still hitting the gym five days a week. I feel better than I have in quite some time. Because of my continued Yoga practice, I am more limber than I used to be. Considering I could not sit “Indian style” when I started at the gym in January and can now, my limberness has improved even if it is not exactly prima ballerina status. But, it’s progress. Thanks to Zumba, my waistline is trimmer than it has been in a while. My husband recently read that menopausal women must do an hour of exercise a day just to maintain their weight. While I am not exactly menopausal yet, this is not good news for the twice a week Zumba class. This just means I have to add more cardio and lay off the dessert. Let’s see how that goes after our vacation and all of that yummy Italian food.

© Jose Hosttas courtesy of stock.xchng

My dream of vacationing in Italy is finally coming true. We will spend the last two weeks this month in Rome and the Almalfi Coast. I have poured over travel blogs, read tidbits from others, sought advice from well-seasoned international travelers I know and have borrowed well-used guidebooks with notes and highlights from other travelers.

Planning this trip was not easy. I am sure I heard my credit card break as I purchased coach airline tickets for four. Many family conversations centered around, “Let’s wait until after Italy.” “We don’t really need that now, we want it now.” “I said the next time my 11 year-old fridge broke, I was replacing it. But not until later this year.” “Next year we are purchasing a sprinkler system.” Did we eat bread and water for six months? No. But we were focused on the goal. Every time we looked at a purchase, all we could think was, “that is XXX amount of money we can’t spend on vacation.” Ok, well really it was Mike and I that were thinking that. The kids think money grows on trees and that Mom and Dad can just use credit cards.

Focus on what you want and make it happen. It might take a while and sacrifices will surely have to be made. But it will be worth it. I will do my best to blog and post a picture or two from Italy. If not, my blog will be speaking Italian in August.

Ciao!

Let the Fat Girl Stand by the Fan

Written By: Kim - Mar• 09•11

Most of you know one of my New Year’s Resolutions was to get healthier and back in to shape. I take Zumba classes three times a week; yoga three times a week and family boot camp once a week. For those of us who are mathematically challenged this equals seven days.

I am understanding the routines. Noticing familiar faces. Actually getting the names straight of my instructors. My efforts are working: I’ve lost six pounds, my recovery time after a workout is less than it used to be and I look a little leaner than before. Best of all: my clothes are fitting better.

The Zumba classes at my local gym are packed. My schedule dictates that I go to the last aerobics class of the night, which starts at 7:45 pm. I see the collective head shaking and the “I can’t go that late to the gym” look on your faces. But this works for me and I have been faithful for almost two and a half months.

© Christa Richert via Stock.xchng

The gym has set up six or seven fans in the aerobics room, which can comfortably fit 40+ people in a class. This class is not for the faint of heart: you will work out; you will sweat; you will move until you are almost exhausted. I generally get to class on time, which means I have the pick of where I stand in the room. I position myself by the fans. I drink a ton of water each day and I sweat. A lot. To top it off, I am experiencing signs of perimenopause. I am not one of those lovely ladies at the gym who look like they stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine. It’s not pretty, so I like to be by the fan.

Since opposites attract, the skinny girls always seem to gravitate toward me. Maybe it’s because I smile or maybe it’s because standing by me makes them look just a little thinner. Whatever the reason, when the fan goes on, they will eventually turn to me and say, “Do you mind if I turn this off?” or “Can I point this in another direction?”

Yes, I mind and hell no you can’t turn the fan in another direction. It takes a lot of effort to move this body and the sweating is not pretty.

Go stand somewhere else and let the fat girl stand by the fan. That’s why I am here.