My Year in Yoga Pants

I have NO free time.  So setting aside time in the day for working out just doesn't happen.  For the first 6 months after the twins were born it was survival mode with their severe GERD and allergies.  I won't go into details on that in this post.  Since then it's a lot better but there's still no time for working out regularly.  

I'm short (petite doesn't seem right b/c I'm not slight of frame).  And while I can't blame the twins for all the extra weight I'm carrying (might have had a pound or two extra before getting pregnant) carrying twins certainly didn't help my "someday I'll have a super model's body" cause.  Just saying.   OK, I don't want to ever be that sickly thin and have a whole other soapbox about female body image issues caused by society and media but not going there today.

So I figure I need to drop 20-25 pounds to be happy and healthy.  I have never been successful with weight loss/get in shape initiatives in my life and God knows I've tried many over the years.  No follow through.  

Why?  Good question.

After years of trying, I got the answer to that in an unusual place right around the first of the year.  My father's cardiologist office.  We were sitting there discussing his high blood pressure and the doctor told him I want you to drop 1-2 pounds a month for the next few years.  BINGO.  Something clicked for me.

I set the bar too high.  I always set unreasonable goals.  Having no free time with my life upside down thanks to the addition of 2 babies & full time work opened my eyes to his words.  No high intensity fitness plan has ever worked for me.  But these days, I couldn't even fathom trying one with no time.  So 1-2 pounds a month seemed reasonable to me.  

Slow and steady.

Thus began my "Year in Yoga Pants" personal campaign.   One of the barriers to anything I wish to do for me these days is time.  I realized that often my husband will say "go for a walk" or "go do a yoga class, I've got the boys for 30 minutes".  But I don't take him up on that b/c by the time I find clean work out clothes I've wasted 15 minutes and 1/2 my energy reserve (mentally at least).  So starting January 1st I filled my wardrobe with yoga pants and long sleeved T-shirts.  That is my uniform.  I don't see anyone but the boys and the babysitter most days anyway since I work from home.  This way, when a window of exercise opportunity presents itself, however small it might be or whatever time of the day it might be...I'm ready.  

Sundays for church and Wednesdays at the office are my only days out of workout gear.

And guess what?  I'm 2 months into this...and it's working better than expected!  Let's see what next Christmas looks like!  

That's my "Year in Yoga Pants" personal challenge.

   

I learned to cut myself some slack and set attainable/realistic goals.

I've also continued to cut out processed foods (note: this does not mean cut out good tasting foods, this is not a weight loss diet but a healthier eating diet lifestyle).

The pictures are of my walking buddies.

Happy trails!

More later.

Thanks for visiting!

Arlene