New Effort Day 2

I spent yesterday running errands, so I took a break from the yard. My body was really stiff though. My hamstrings were so tight it felt funny to walk. Yes, pulling weeds is definitely a workout :p

Since I took a break yesterday, this morning I tackled the back yard. I trimmed a bunch of small tress that were growing around a big tree so that I could actually get to the grass. Then I mowed. I don't know how my piano student managed to be done so quickly when he mowed. It took me 45 minutes, but maybe I did a little more thorough job too. It's so nice to look out the windows at this point - both front and back - and see a nice looking yard. Well, a better-than-it-was looking yard. I still have a LOT of trimming to do in the back - and then hauling :p ugh

Now if only I felt like being so productive on the inside of my house too!

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I've decided I'm ready to do a little bit of clothes shopping, but I'm going to work from the inside out. I got some measuring done yesterday and the lady looked at me really funny when I told her what size I've been wearing. We had to explain that I've been losing weight because I think she thought I was crazy.

Being Realistic

My goal to exercise every day by walking or doing P90X really went out the window after day 1. This week I've decided to have a new plan of action. Although my exercise habit was effective (and essential) during the school year, there were times when it was frustrating for me because I wished I could have spent the morning working in the yard instead. Piano lessons pretty much went out the window this week, so I had more time in the mornings than I had expected. So, I went to work in the front yard. At the end of the school year, one of my students bartered lessons with lawn mowing. Now he is gone for the summer, so I need to stay on top of it. Plus, he didn't do the trimming or other yard tasks that ought to be done as well. The other night I was walking to our front door and realized we only had about 18 inches of our sidewalk visible. The rest was overgrown grass which bothered me a lot. The front flowerbed has been an eyesore for a while and way overgrown. Yesterday I went to work trimming and raking and weeding. My legs are sore from fighting with plants.

Today I mowed the lawn, trimmed the edges and pulled the rest of the grass up in the flowerbed. There is still alot of work to do in the front and the back is even worse. It is so nice to have the time to actually focus and WORK in the yard. I realized today that exercising in the same manner I had been may not be practical every day of the summer, so instead I will do what I want to do and accomplish two goals at once. I have long since believed that our bodies were meant to be used to work. The type of modern exercise we do is a counterfeit. It works, but we would be fit and healthy just by being involved in manual labor. Although I believe this, I am not very good at it. So this summer I want to spend my mornings working in the yard. By the time I get all the trimming done, it'll be time to make the rounds again ;p I think the backyard is going to take a lot of effort because the trees are so overgrown. Hopefully this effort will reduce the mosquito population as well.

I am hoping/thinking that by focusing my exercise efforts this way, I will see weight loss and more toned muscles in the areas that need it. I guess we can call this the work experiment :)

I love the freedom of summer. I find it ironic that I feel like I can accomplish more with school out and Jared home than when school is in session. I think I felt the opposite his first day of pre-k lol I guess our perspective changes over time. Either way, I am grateful for the freedom time allows me.

Yo-Yo and hijabs

So after weighing in at 155.3 yesterday, today I'm at 153.2. I feel like a yo-yo :p Of course, Friday night I did eat quite a bit. And yesterday. Well, I didn't eat a lot yesterday, just what I ate was high point - stuffed crust pizza. YUM! I only had 1 1/2 pieces but since the boys don't eat the crust, I eat their's. It's the best part!

Today I am wearing my new blue skirt. I managed to pull the waistline down to my waist. It fits, but boy is it tight. If I wore one of those tummy control top things I could probably get away with wearing it like that, but I don't feel like being that uncomfortable.

I feel a little bit vain and silly. I know that thinness is attractive, and I know that I have beauty potential. I felt like dressing up today since I'm wearing my new skirt, but as I was getting ready I wondered what the point really was. Matthew is working today, so it's not like I'm doing it for him. I don't want my efforts to cause trouble for others. As I was pondering this issue the other day, I realized the beauty of hijabs - the long robes that cover a woman while in public in the Muslim faith. It is not about oppression, but about intimacy and modesty. Only those who really need to know get to know. I was going to take a picture and add it to the post and hope for oohs and ahs and pats on the back, but I think I'll go scrub my face and change out of my clothes and into a long billowing robe instead.