The last report from Mamacat had us all a little worried as she struggled to keep up with fitness with her hectic business travel schedule. That was six weeks ago. Here’s what she had to say:
I've been too busy working out to write you an update. For more than a week, my Polar Activity Monitor has been doing the boogey woogey dance with no less than 2-hour workouts each day. I've been getting back to spin class, hiking, going to Moms on the Run and general all around time for ME. When my project in Boston wrapped up and I got the Iron Girl training schedule, I had no choice but to catch up on lost time after those late Boston evenings in the office instead of the gym.
The training scared me...not that I couldn't do it but just that I should be farther along by now. I got scared straight to the gym! AND I’M ALL THE BETTER FOR IT. I've been enjoying the work break (but miss the Boston gals) and putting fitness first every single day, sometimes with workouts in the morning and again in the evening. It's been awesome.
You'd think the weight would be melting off but it's doing the opposite and I don't even care (that says a lot for my mood) because I feel better regardless of the stupid f-ing scale.
I'm still a pokey little runner that can only handle a few minutes at a time but the minutes are growing longer with the walking time becoming less. When I'm tired, I looked to my MOTR peers and they help push me—it's really quite awesome.
Oh—and check this out—I ORDERED vegetables on my chicken at lunch today. A first. (You don't have to post this part, it's actually quite embarrassing that I’m such a veggie hater. But oh, am I trying.)
Of course I have to post that part! Can you hear the enthusiasm come through? I can. However, my hunch is that she’s going to want to see that “stupid f-ing scale” reflect her increased activity level. Still, I know she can feel other benefits at work. Here’s a little more from Mamacat:
I am having a good week. It's full of variety and activity. It is almost like one workout isn't enough. I have so much more energy and therefore so much more motivation. (My knees hurt, though.)
Focusing in on your chapter 13, we (hubby and I) both have fitness goals and we are appreciating each others efforts with support. He helps me make time (and helped me to pick out my swank new bike) and I have put his fitness way ahead of his massively growing honey-do list. And likewise, I am out the door to the gym long before I tackle laundry or dust bunnies. The children are also getting in on it...helping more with their own chores and—get this—keeping track of how many Diet Cokes mom has. If I have too many, I get assigned extra sit ups before bed. There is a new chart in the kitchen to track it! Hub and I have even had a few riding dates and it is awesome.
Since Mamacat brings up Chapter 13 from Hot (Sweaty) Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom, which is “The Sweat on Significant Others,” I’ll elaborate on the content, which is about “Couples who do it together and those who don’t (workout that is).” The chapter offers “sweaty vows” for those couples where only mama sweats and for those that have sweat equity. Make no mistake, one situation is not easier than the other! One vow for the couples who sweat together is to go on sweaty dates. And if they end in such a way that you’re swapping sweat, well, all the better!
So I love that Mamacat is recruiting the support of her family. Having cheerleaders at home makes becoming a Hot (Sweaty) Mama all the more enjoyable.
Let’s keep cheering for her too!
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4 comments:
I really want to chime in on this one.
I hope that Mamacat doesn't get discouraged even if exercise never takes any pounds off at all. It definitely doesn't mean she's "doing it wrong" or that "it's not working" (and it is so heartening to see her write that she can see a difference in how she feels!) I think it's actually really common that someone starts exercising and doesn't see weight loss. It's not surprising, either, because our bodies are so good at compensating. But if you keep at it, even if weight doesn't change, the rewards are SO great.
My own experience was that beginning to exercise did not change my weight one bit. When I first started swimming twice a week, the scale never moved for five months. After about that long, after feeling myself get stronger and fitter from the inside out, I got the courage and confidence I needed to change my eating habits too. Part of it was, simply put, divine grace; but I do think a great deal of that confidence came from the months of successes I'd ramped up in the pool. Weight loss success followed over the next six months.
I would encourage anyone who is thinking of losing weight through a combination of exercise and eating modification to try the exercise habit first, and then wait until that habit is well established before modifying eating. I think it's very hard to do both at once, and by introducing exercise first, many confidence-building successes can be accumulated. Also, you'll get a chance to get used to how exercise affects the appetite cycle before you start fiddling around with food.
So -- cheers to Mamacat -- sounds like she's going about it just right.
Thank YOU Erin for chiming in!! I know sharing your experience and support will be so helpful to Mamacat and many others becoming a Hot (Sweaty) Mama!!
Yes! Thank you for chiming in! It makes a huge impact on me when I have input and encouragement from Kara's readers. She a fit mentor in so many ways and so are her readers! I think you are right, too!
Wow! Mamacat rocks! The scale may be the easiest way to measure fitness success..but it really should be the last thought. All the others thigns that Mamacat is doing so well are what matters! Super impressive!
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