I hate working out. I can’t commit to it. I loathe buying special clothes to do it. I don’t want washboard abs. I love my soft body when there’s a shape to it. I look back at younger photos of myself and regret that I didn’t wear more fitted clothes, because I had a cute body. The cute body is still there. I can see it underneath the wider hips and large thighs. I gained more weight with my second pregnancy, and I was five years older when I gave birth. Unlike my first pregnancy, when I was able to shed the weight with breastfeeding and walking, this second time around, my body needs more work to get fit. A few years ago, I wrote about fasting from laziness and my “getting fit” journey. It’s time again to get off my butt and do it again.
Where to start? I reached out to a friend for advice, someone who loves working out and understands the demands of being a working mom. She was and has always been athletic. She is someone that can keep me motivated and excited, like having a personal trainer. I admire that kind of dedication to fitness, especially since I am not an athletic person. I own three pairs of Nike athletic shoes, and two of them are worn to Giants games when the hubs and I can snag a date to watch a game. I also loathe athleisure clothes. Sure, they suck me in and make my butt look great, but I prefer being more dressed up. If I am running errands, I would rather wear slacks, a blouse, and flats. My idea of a “workout” is walking in the city. Unfortunately, being out and about is not always practical with infants.
I also hate diets. I love to eat. Moderation is my friend. I do well when I do not deprive myself of foods. I traded my heavier, starchy lunches for salads when I was pregnant. I’ve continued that part. I’ve also started eating more snacks again, so I am not so ravenous at night for dinner and dessert. Snacking is hard for me. It always feels like I am cheating by eating all the time, but I would rather feel full-ish at dinner than find myself scarfing down second and third helpings. Further, as my husband likes to remind me, exercise alone won’t trim my figure down.
What’s next? Time to get sweaty! Which is what I did this morning. I put on my Capri shorts and T-shirt and pulled my hair back into a ponytail. I found a 30-minute video on Amazon and worked out while my infant, Alice, napped. I had forgotten how good it feels to sweat, even with makeup running down my face and hoop earrings dangling from ears. I marked today’s workout on my calendar so that I could see that I did it. Tomorrow, I will try again. Given our medical climate, working out is not just about looking cute anymore. It’s about getting and staying healthy. Health is wealth. I want to be healthy for as long as I can.
