Writing Contest

So, during my blog travels last night around the world we know as the internet I stopped off at Jen Lancaster's place - Jennsylvania. I love to stop by and visit "with" her periodically because she absolutely cracks me up. I mean, snickering so loud in a waiting room (while reading her book) patients are commenting. Quite the comic genius in her writings.

Anyhow, evidently Jen was to sick to be her normally witty and creative self so she opened up a writing contest about a personal weight story - gained, lost, whatever. 500 words or less. I figured "What the Hay?" because the prize is an autographed copy of her newest book. And as I said earlier, she cracks me up. I have to try and I love her stuff.

This is my story. Definitely not motivational. It's not good or bad but somewhat indifferent. Kind of the way I've approached by weight.

I have always obsessed over my weight and here I sit writing about my non-committal attitude towards actually doing something about it. I haven’t always been overweight. In fact, I was a “string-bean” with knobby knees all through school and still I obsessed thinking I was too skinny. Now, the bigger boobs seem to act as a counterbalance so most people don’t notice the extra weight. I do.

Whether I’m conscientiously eating a nice healthy salad or downing an entire sleeve of Thin Mint cookies I constantly think about my weight. I think about what I need to do to get back on track and lose the 25 – 30 pounds I picked up along the way. I think about trying the “Mind Over Matter Weight Management System - Just think yourself thinner!” No I’m not an idiot, but I swear it’s happened before. When I was younger it seemed all I had to do was think about losing weight and, in the words of Emeril “BAM!”, the fat just fell right off. Nowadays the exact opposite occurs, I just think about those Peanut M&Ms and through the scientific process of osmosis those M&Ms somehow show up on my thighs.

Honestly, I have started to monitor my food intake because my doctor told me I’d probably have a longer, higher quality life without all the bread and cheese. Come on! I’m a Midwestern girl these things are dietary staples. All kidding aside, my cholesterol count was too high and my triglycerides were over the top. I’ve tried to cut fried foods out as much as possible and replace them with healthier alternatives. Other than the scheduled monthly chocolate requirement, snacks now include baby carrots, tomatoes and sugar-snap peas – sans dressing. Sadly, I haven’t lost much weight with my lower (complex)carb, lower cholesterol dining habits but I have to admit I do feel better and have more energy. I think I can even feel the blood flow more freely through my arteries.

Recently, I have been mentally (not yet physically) moving myself towards that four letter word… can I say it… EXERCISE! Wait! That’s nine letters. Anyway, I already have the elliptical, Pilates machine, exercise ball as well as a variety of exercise videos so I really don’t have any excuses. Except - when do I truly have time to exert this kind of energy and move my body? Full-time job, two kids, dog and cat aside, I suppose my nightly blog activity could be completed earlier in order to go to sleep at a decent hour thus enabling an earlier start to the day and take an early morning walk. It seems feasible.

So I guess it’s time to act, set the alarm a ½ hour earlier and start moving in some form or fashion. I really don’t have to like it I just have to do it. Hey! The morning walk may even tire my ever energetic, non-stop three year old son. Now that’s incentive!