Friday, April 30, 2010

How I Got Off My Butt and to the Gym

I returned to the gym this week.

Though I despise working out.

And I do not want to lose weight.  (Wait, wait, wait!  Before you click that little red X you should know that, although I am down to my pre-pregnancy weight, the last ten pounds were not going anywhere before a nasty case of the flu, which I gorily detailed in this post.)

However, I do want to eat more.

And I suppose I feel better about myself all pumped up on endorphins than wearing the same pajamas for three days and eating handfuls of red and pink m&m's from Valentine's Day.

Oh, and there's also this...

When The Tine was six months I learned a dirty little secret about the gym.  They will take your kids.  And not in the creepy way that italisized sentence implies.  But they actually take your kids for you... for an hour and a half... at no extra charge.

Which frees me up to do a little of this...
  • Finding the resistance on the elliptical that allows me the slowest pace with the least effort (not as easy as it sounds, but I found somewhere around eight does the job).
  • Reading the same two copies of Parenting magazine over and over again (go ahead, ask me the eight common traits of a happy family, I dare you).
  • Exerting myself in two to three one-minute "sprints."  I mean, I can only go slow eight for so long before I risk identification as a slacker mom exploiting the free childcare. 
  • Eavesdropping on ellipticals five and six as they exchange post-pregnancy sagging stories.
So as you can tell, my time there is well spent.

At least an hour a day sans kiddos.

I eat all the time. 

And my bowels are rocking (that's a little too much, isn't it?).

Nothing like torturing yourself for a few precious minutes of mom time!

6 comments:

  1. Good for you! I admit I have been slacking on all levels, with my husband working all hours of the day and night, weekends included I stopped going to yoga (the hot kind) which I was doing 3 or 4 times a week at night. I have not been since December. I really do need to start exercising again, but fancy something new, only I don't know what to try. I HATE the gym - I like work out classes but just going around the gym on my own I cannot stand.

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  2. As I am ridiculously cheap I do not go to the gym. I have fantasized but I stop short and take her to a wonderful invention called the Eagles Nest in our grocery store. I pay about $10 too much for my groceries at that place so I don't have to play 20 questions with my kid.

    Just thinking about it now a gym membership would be way healthier!

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  3. You have done wonders with making the most of the gym. I don't like to go to the gym or to pay for a membership. Lucky I can drive to a nearby beach and do strength training at home instead. yay.

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  4. I'm so jealous, Kim! Mostly of your discipline. Because although there is the pull of free babysitting, you are still admirable for loading the car and actually doing the work. I wish we could work out on those ellipticals together and get to know eachother. I know you'd be even funnier than you are online, which is saying something because you've always got me hooked in your posts. :) And two overworked mamas like us - we could give Ellipticals #5 and 6 somethin' to eavesdrop about. Thanks for the posts. I'm going to go eat ice cream. :) -Karen

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  5. Good for you! I'm a bit jealous I must say - I really want to start working out and I'm trying to figure out how - 3 kids and only a double jogger - lol! In a few weeks, my older son's bike should be here that I just ordered him so maybe I can chase him around the track a the park? I'm hoping! In the meantime - congrats to you - that's awesome!!

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  6. Good for you. And I like that you have such a healthy perspective about why you are doing it. Kudos!

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