A year ago today I began my Mommy's Summer Fitness Challenge. The purpose of my fitness challenge was to lose the baby weight I had gained from two pregnancies, get energy, look better to ultimately feel better.
When I hit the scale publicly for my challenge, it looked like this:
(Oh heavens I can't believe I'm displaying those horrible looking toes again!)
A typical day in my life a year ago went like this... I woke up around 5:45 a.m. I got dressed, woke my daughters up, got them dressed. We piled up all of our bags and headed out the door. I dropped off my girls at daycare and arrived at my job around 7:30 a.m. I sat all day long in my cubicle working on a computer (usually daydreaming of ways to escape). Occasionally I would get up to visit the vending machine. Around 4 o'clock, I collected my gear and drove fast to pick up my daughters. We usually walked through the door at home by 4:45 p.m. I spent the first half-hour playing with them, books, toys, unwinding. By 5:30 p.m some form of dinner began. I prepared something out of a box. Following a quick chow of din-din, the bedtime process began. Because I had a five month old at the time, her bedtime was around 7:00 p.m. I gathered the girls, jammies and bubble bath and they hit the tub. By 6:45 p.m. it was time for books, then bed. After both of my girls were asleep, I spent time picking up stuff, doing laundry and gathering things for the next day.
Prior to my fitness challenge, my day ended around 8:00 or 8:15, as that's when my bottom hit the couch. After the fitness challenge began, after my chores were done, after the girls went to the sleep, that is when I incorporated a workout into the day. I went for a walk or had a yoga session. My bottom didn't see the couch until after 9:00 p.m.
So that was then...and this is now. A LOT (a lot, a lot) has happened since a year ago. Today I have a different job, a different home, live in a different state and definitely have a different schedule every day.
During my summer fitness challenge last year, changes started to take place in our lives. My husband was in the process of accepting a new job. We were deciding whether we wanted to leave our home, our state and take our family to a whole new world.
Today my job is one of a stay-at-home-mom. My day begins around 6:45 a.m. By 7:00 a.m. I am dressed in my workout clothes for a 3.4 mile walk/run. My husband doesn't need to be to work until 8:00 a.m., so he looks after the girls until I return home from my morning sweat. At 8:00 a.m. the girls and I get dressed for the day. These days, each day is different. Some days we run errands in the mornings. Other days there is a class to get to. We eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together. (This is still a rather scattered process!) Instead of spending a half-hour playing with my girls, I spend most of the day interacting with them. And along with play comes managing the messy house - a result for spending all that extra time in the house.
You would think my couch time would begin earlier these days than it used to, but it's actually later. I have later sleepers now. And despite the fact that I am home all day, I still manage to have chores going ALL DAY LONG!
When my 12-week challenge ended last summer, I ended up losing six pounds. It was a good achievement for me at that time. I found it challenging to promote my health publicly and even more challenging to keep it up during our life transition. I mentioned at the end of my last fitness post that I would do a follow-up in the future. I mentioned maybe a Thanksgiving post or a Christmas post...but that didn't happen.
So what better than a year follow up? I have worked hard since that time to continue fitness, balanced eating and smart habits into my life. As a result I'm managed to have some more success. Without further ado...
I feel like I'm at a pretty good weight now. I certain am pleased to be back into my pre-pregnancy clothes. Though any mom out there can understand that no matter how much weight you might work hard to lose, there is still change to the body. I'm still not quite so eager as those Hollywood moms to hit the cover of People in my bikini - yikes! However, I am trying to talk the Hubby (beg) into a Hawaii trip. Maybe that would give me incentive to do the dreaded sit-ups?!
P.S. I think another contributor to weight loss is the sweat from the heat of the south. Did I mention how hot it gets down here?!
