Get off your fat ass skinny white girl

Get off your fat ass – I think that is the perfect way to start this entry off. I see so many people bitch and complain that losing weight is so hard, these same people sit and watch shows like “The Biggest Loser” (and all other spinoffs) but how many of those are actually trying to lose weight? It’s great to root for your favorite reality TV show star but if you are actually going to talk about losing weight then watch this type of show while eating a bag of Doritos in an hours time span I am going to call you a hypocrite.

Now the part of the title here for skinny white girl is from my youth. I had a friend years ago and for the longest time either her father was bad with names or just preferred to hand out nicknames, either way the nick stuck and years later it still makes me laugh over it. And as a quick disclaimer, I have never (nor will I be) ever offended by the nickname. I for one am as white as a ghost, how many part mixes of German do you actually see with a natural tan? Growing up I was always taller than everyone I knew, I towered over guys until my Junior year in high school. After that time except for maybe four people who I can think of the tower of girl stayed with me, but its okay now since I have started shrinking!

On the part of getting off your ass that I need to get back to and stop rambling, I can tell anyone after having two kids, being in two car wrecks and then changed your work life to where you sit more for a living after the age of 30 many things change. This includes that magical high metabolism that I had in my youth. I gained some weight, who doesn’t? What I never realized until after I quit smoking is that I was still not doing that well on the health-o-meter. There is no point in quitting smoking if you are just going to dig yourself into a bottomless black pit of not eating the proper way. Its like trying to play tug of war on your health and it’s just not worth it in the end.

I remember having a serious shortness of breath issue even before I quit smoking, afterwards it did lessen up a little but not nearly enough to what it should have been. I never went to a doctor about it either, stupidly of course after having both parents pass due to health related issues (respiratory included). After having two kids and dropping that baby weight on my own without any help needed I thought I could handle this. Now we are coming up 5 years past the birth of my youngest and one year ago I finally kicked in and decided its time to work out, for real this time. Not this once a week deal, not watching what I eat only on certain days either.

When I started out I had a cruddy exercise machine and thanks to a friend of mine it motivated me into getting a new one, now I have “The Bike”. I love it and even though I dread it every time I get on it for me it works and that is all that matters. After years of skating both my knees and ankles are bad (they make a fun pop sound when I walk down steps), my back is bad from the kids & wrecks but overall if you excuse those issues I am in pretty decent health. This of course for being almost two years free of cigarettes, a slight heart murmur and random health issues that run in my family. When I did start working out I went for M-F for 40 minutes at a time with the old machine, the new bike now lets me chop off 10 minutes each week day and still do better in the end.

Since I started I have kept track of what I have done on each level, which date and overall the results of my workouts. I can see by each week what might have changed into why I have slacked or done better (the holidays were a nightmare), then adjust accordingly to get caught back up. Tomorrow I find out how well I have done, even if I do not hit the mini goal I am okay with that. For someone who never had to exercise a day in her life I have still done well. I am truly amazed at the support I have received from family & friends, the motivation that I both receive & give to keep others going. I am also thankful for how well I actually feel each day after I workout.

Early mornings might be tricky, its cold, no one really wants to wake up that early but in the end once those 30 minutes are over I can pop in the shower and start my day. I am not stuck needing coffee early in the mornings to wake up, I am not bitchy to anyone, everyone is sleeping then and the house is mine at least for an hour before everyone wakes up. It is my time to work out, undisturbed. I am not working lady, the boss, I am not wife or mother, I am just me in my zone working out. For the rest of you reading this now who are thinking about losing weight, do it. Get off your fat ass to start and I mean that in the most loving and thoughtful way. Even baby steps help to get the ball going in the right direction and once the ball is rolling its easier to do than you think.

Sincerely,
Skinny White Girl