mighty messy mama

A DIFFERENT KIND OF GIF

As in Git Fit Fool

a 90 Day Project

I’ve been toying with the idea of doing some sort of online project – inspired by very personal and creative projects such as the forty days of dating project and the 52 photos project. I was thinking my own contribution to this idea would relate to Townes and Daisy, but the more I mulled it over, the more it became clear that this was going to have to be a fitness project. Yes, I am a new mom and yes this is ground well covered by better bloggers than I. But I’m not really fazed by that fact. You know why? Because I am patently MISERABLE in my out-of-shape-ness. Drastic times call for drastic measures. So I am cribbing the format directly from Jessica and Timothy at forty days of dating and I am going to document PUBLICLY my 90 day effort to get in shape.

In case I generate any sort of blowback in reference to this post from the feminist blogosphere hoi polloi I want to say that though I have always been a very small-framed woman with no weight issues, as a now a not-so-small woman with developing weight issues, I do not believe this is particularly about my vanity or unreasonable expectations. And I'm referring to the unrealistic expectations that the mass media and the fashion industry have supposedly foisted upon me. I am a grown-up. I'm not trying to get back to pre-baby levels of fitness in 6 weeks a la half of Hollyweird. I simply feel like crap since I have gained weight. And I have aches and pains the likes of which I never have suffered from before. Therefore, I see a direct correlation between my general good health and my previously small frame. Deal with it.  I want to get healthy. I am getting my mojo back. So there.

The Rules

1. Drink half my body weight in water (in ounces) a day.
2. No fast food whatsoever.
3. No diet sodas.
4. Work out every day in some capacity even if it’s just walking. No giving in because it wasn’t a “real” workout.
5. Fill out the questionnaire every day.
6. One personal act of pampering a week.
7. Weigh-in every week with photo documentation. Ick.
8. Keep a food diary.Boring! But useful!
9. Share the entire project online and in public no matter the outcome. Potentially mortifying!
10. One fitness class a week.
11. One counseling session a week.
12. No alcohol.Eek!
13. Do not be held hostage by the unrealistic expectations of others. You know who you are.

I’m not going to post about this while I am doing it, but will share all the gory details including photos (I said it) starting in November after I have finished the project. Wish me luck. I am going to need it. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming. Suck it fatness.

 

I just don't know what to do with myself

Dropped Tim and the kids off at the airport today. I won’t be seeing them until Saturday morning when I fly into Buffalo myself for a family wedding. I thought I was going to be more of an emotional basket case, but since we were (of course) running late for the flight, I didn’t really have time to ruminate and generally freak out. And now that everyone’s gone I’m sort of beside myself realizing that I have two nights with essentially no responsibility, no children, no husband. Girlfriends have told me I need to have a few drinks. Tim has told me I need to go to the movies. I mostly have been thinking about mopping the floors and cleaning out the fridge. That's not fun.

When I was single, I definitely needed alone time to regroup and recharge. Having small children means generally putting that need aside for the time being. But it's not something I miss all that much most of the time. Now that I have the next 48 hours to do whatever my heart desires, I'm finding it's the simple things that are sounding most interesting to me.

Top 10 things I plan to do with all my free time:

1. Watch some more Mad Men
2. Take a bath, wash my hair, do my nails
3. Start a new book
4. Watch the Pussy Riot documentary on HBO
5. Go to the gym
6. Clean out the fridge and mop the floors (Boring, but it HAS to be done)
7. Listen to some music
8. Have a glass of wine
9. Leisurely eat dinner not standing over sink
10. Sleep!

Tim and kiddos are due to land any minute now in Chicago. I miss them like crazy already.