FamilyInShape

Confessions of the SpinDiva

OK, I am here to confess.  My dietary habits this weekend were less then great, in fact, they were down right awful.  We had Pizza for dinner one night, Spaghetti and meatballs the next night, several glasses of wine, a few "skinny" lattes with whip and I vaguely remember shoving a milky way so fast down my throat I don't even remember tasting the chocolate.  Pretty bad huh?

Let me briefly tell you why I broke down and ate to my hearts content or maybe my heart wasn't so happy after all...hmmm! Anyway, Mr. Toolman is replacing our kitchen floor with tile, finally.   I know I'll love the look once it's all done, but in the mean time we are all banned from the kitchen.  The junk that once sat at the bottom of the pantry is now residing in my children's playroom along with the kitchen table and chairs, making the playroom not very kid-friendly.  The clutter stresses me out---ugh, I can't breath.

To make matters worse, I had a six page report to write for my online class and I could not begin to focus on what I wanted to write.  My children were all over the place.  TC had a job orientation, TA had a Girl Scout meeting, Toolman needed more Mortar from Home Depot, BabyGirl was irritable and BabyBoy was extremely clingy.  Please, can someone tell me if I was wrong?  You can't, I had every right to pour carbs, fat and empty calories into my body.

The question is, what are my postindulgence options?  Option one, wallow in self pity and continue this downward spiral or option two, pick up the pieces and get back in the saddle. You guessed it, I have an appointment with my bike saddle tomorrow. Since this is not my teaching week it always takes a little extra effort for me to give up cleaning my house just to go to the gym.  How crazy is that? But I have five very important people counting on my sanity to lead them into good health as well.  My kids and husband generally steer clear if they sense the stress coming out of my pores, so I am going to work out, break a sweat and have a much happier day tomorrow. 

My point here is that everyone has a right to drop the ball, fall off the wagon, and CHEAT! The important thing is what you do after, how do you save yourself from, well, from yourself.  Only you can decide that and only you can make that change.   I have a few pointers that have helped me along the way:

1.  Fill your home with all that is good for you and your family: 

- The fridge:  Fat-free yogurt and milk, bottles of water ready to go, grapes, berries, melon, pineapple, tomatoes, carrots, celery, baby spinach, lettuce, bell peppers in all colors.  You get the idea.  The brighter the colors, the better.   

- The pantry: healthy snacks such as pretzels, veggie chips, 100 calorie snacks, sweet potatoes, plain oatmeal, high fiber bread, apple sauce, fat free pudding.

- Kitchen counters, coffee table, your work desk, dining room table: fill bowls with fresh fruits such as apples, pears, oranges and tangerines.  These are your easy reach fruits for when you feel the urge to eat something you shouldn't.

2. Make a date with yourself to go to the gym or to exercise in any form - put it on the family calendar and treat it like it will cost you money if you don't show up for your own appointment.

3. Get the kids involved in your exercise: dance, play, run outside, race up and down the stairs (carefully).

4. Make nutrition and exercise a family affair.  Everyone benefits from eating healthy so don't use your kids as an excuse to keep junk food in the house.  Chances are if you shouldn't be drinking soda, they shouldn't either.

Here are just a few facts you should consider:

1.  Your hips, buttocks, waist and back did not get big overnight.
2.  Eating the Oreo cookies, Sunday’s Krispy Kreme doughnut, and occasional Frapuccino is certainly not helping the issue.
3. Yes, you will have to move more then just your fingers -- clicking the mouse button does not count as part of your daily exercise.
4. Breaking your food into little pieces does not break down the caloric content -- 200 calories will always be 200 calories.

Enough of that for now!  Pick yourself up, grab a water, an apple and head out for a walk or any other form of physical activity you wish to engage in-- whatever you do, don't spin out of control, instead, Spin my way again soon!

Stay well!

SpinDiva...back in control!

Moms...come spin with me!

My favorite treat of all times has always been Oreo cookies and milk but my life started spinning out of control when I was about 18 years old.  As I stared at my "perfect" body in the mirror my mom lovingly said with a smile, "your body is structured just like mine....you will probably be like me after you have children."  She then smiled and left the room.  Let me set the tone for how I felt because I can't think  of a better way to describe the moments shortly after she left. My mom, at the time, weighed close to 300 pounds, compared to my 105 pound body.  As a teenager I was devastated and promised that would never happen.  She said, "you don't have a choice, it's in your genes."  No way, the only thing in my "Jeans" is my small body along with my medium frame, no more, no less.

I contemplated never getting married or having children just to avoid inheriting my mother's voluptuous body. She's a beautiful woman and I love her but she believed she was healthy at her weight and didn't really think her health status would ever change. Hispanic people love to eat and it is considered rude if you leave any food on your plate. She was in such denial.  Instead of fussing about this issue I took a trip to the nearest recruiting office after watching a catchy United States Marine Corps commercial on TV and decided I wanted to look sharp, I wanted to be tough and what the heck, I wanted to travel the world too.  I joined the Marines (a little drastic, I know) and became a Jarhead, a Leatherneck! OORAAH! SemperFi!  Ok, I got that out of my system!

My time in the military was short by comparison.  I spent four years in the service, traveled to a few states and while stationed in Hawaii I met my best friend, my husband, Mr. Toolman.  Except he wasn't a toolman at the time, instead he was a body builder.  Guess where we met?  At the gym.  Could my life be any better.  Falling in love in paradise and in Hawaii too!

Since 1989 we got married, had four babies, moved ten times within the continental United States and guess what...I've been able to avoid my mother's body.  It hasn't been easy, however, to keep up with my husband's military career, the kids, and my body.  I am as guilty as the next person of indulging in my favorite snack (Oreo cookies and milk) or any of the foods we're supposed to avoid.  I am also guilty of sitting in my couch curled up with a blanket, the TV remote and a bag of chips and salsa right after the kids go off to school and I have the house and the remote to myself.

After paying for gym fees and not attending, buying gym clothes I never used and attempting every diet on the market only to gain the weight back and then some, I decided it was time for me to join the ranks of those who kept telling me "it's easy, just watch what you eat and exercise...blah blah blah," and I became a Group Fitness Instructor, Spinning instructor and Personal Trainer.

I am still working on reshaping my body since the last baby was born a year ago.  Actually, I'm working on reshaping my body since the first baby was born, 17 years ago.  I will always be working on my body.  Keep in mind that our bodies are a work in progress, there's no such thing as "the perfect body" and I am pretty happy with myself every step of the way.  My mom has since taken much of my advice and is at a healthier weight, no blood pressure meds and her type 2 diabetes is completely under control without meds...just exercise and nutrition.

I want to share my experiences and expertise with the moms of the world who feel trapped at home with the kids and the chores.  I hope my stories, helpful ideas about body, mind and home health, articles and product reviews will help to open the doors to a community of the hardest working people on earth...Moms.  I'll be spinning my way into your home and I hope you and your family will spin your way into better health!