Curly Straight

I have been sticking to the Slim in 6 program since I started. Pretty much doing it every day, with the one day of rest. Pretty much. Weekends in Newport get in the way and make me gain four pounds, along with the raspberry growing in my belly.

The program encourages stages. A Start It Up program, which is 24 minutes long, A Ramp It Up program, which is about one hour and then the Burn It Up program, which I haven't gotten to try yet.

Actually I think the premise is staying on the different phases for as short of a time as possible until you have it mastered. I have been doing the Start It Up for more than two weeks now. I did throw in the Ramp It Up once and then immediately decided I still needed more work on mastering Start It Up.

If they had Sleep It Up and Eat It Up programs, I would have mastered those by now, no doubt.

Could probably teach those.

So I somehow twisted my knee tonight.

Was I doing some extreme sport, kickboxing perhaps? Alligator wrestling? Hot yoga?

No, actually, I was in the middle of a heated game of Wii Bowling.

I am frustrated lately with my weight. I exercise and could be gaining muscle, etc. but am not really where I would like to be when I step on the scale. My philosophy is not to go crazy, I don't want to exercise two hours every day and lose ten pounds because I know that I can never maintain that much exercise.

I like to do what I know I can keep on doing for the rest of my life, usually an hour a day three or four times a week, cardio and weights.

I could also try to work on changing my eating habits, but I haven't really been able to change them in 39 years.

I will not stop drinking beer and eating chocolate because I know that I cannot maintain that.

Plus, I believe in NOT depriving oneself, but rather enjoying the pleasures of life. Chocolate. Beer. Light exercise.

So I guess I have to come to a decision.

I think I will try to incorporate a class or two a week into my routine and I will still drink beer and eat chocolate but will try to make sure I eat a few more servings of fruits and veggies to balance it out better.

It's hard on the body having a baby.

It's hard on the body after having a baby, too. It truly takes a long time for a woman's body to go back to normal, and I'm not sure it ever really does. It needs a lot of help, that's for sure.

I ran my first (and hopefully last) half marathon when TJ was 10 months old. I worked out when Julia was in my belly, up until the week before I had her, and started again when she turned 8 weeks old and I could take her to the daycare at the gym. I am by no means a fitness freak, I am in ok - not great - shape but I love going to the gym for the social aspect, as well as the physical feelingI get from being there. Plus it helps negate my beer and chocolate habits. I like to think so anyway.

Back at the gym today for the first time in a long time, due to vacation, family obligations, etc. Walk with the kids into the daycare so I could go work out. Another mom brings in her little baby - he looked like a king, the way his hat was perched on top of his head. Of course, being the chit-chatty thing that I am, I comment on it and this led to a conversation. It turns out he is only three months old.

I end up on a treadmill next to her finishing 15 minutes on the elliptical and 20 on the bike. "How long does it take to get back in shape?" she asks me. I have to laugh, because I don't feel like I am in shape. "Oh you look great," she tells me. Thanks! Just the ego boost I need. She can't see the numbers on my scale, thank goodness.

Poor thing is probably sorry she asked me, because she got all the advice I have on working out. I read the magazines and the websites, so it's all in my brain. Do I follow it? No. Well, sometimes.

Here is what I told her. This is the Anne Method, which is in no means, form, or way sanctioned by any official fitness regulation group. Take it for what's it worth.

#1. Mix things up. Take classes. Don't do 30 minutes on the treadmill, the elliptical or the bike every time you go to the gym. Take an hour long spin class, or a weight class. It will be hard, but so what? So was having a baby.

#2. Try intervals. Go fast for one minute, slow down for one or two. It gives you a burst that you wouldn't normally get, and it certainly gets your heart rate up. I'm convinced this boosts your metabolism as well.

#3. Use weights, especially on your problem areas. Every woman has an area that they don't like, they can be 5'10" and weigh 130, they still think they have a big (pick one) butt, thighs, belly. Ridiculous? Yes. True? Yes. Getting strong through using weights is one of the easiest way to build self-esteem at the gym.

#4. Be gentle to yourself. You may not lose any weight at first. But stick with it, people will start to notice, even if your scale is not reflecting weight loss. Post-partum, your body may change and you may need to go up a size in jeans, but if you are rocking a pair of cute jeans, looking toned, it doesn't matter what size they are.

I wore a tighter shirt than I normally wear to the gym today.

I'm wondering if that's why the old guy next to me started singing "won't you be my neighbor" to me.

Since Monday, I quit drinking coffee and switched to tea. I'm pretty sure I feel better, I'm just too tired to tell. No, I do feel better and hopefully am over the headaches, I did get them a little the past couple of days. I am still drinking caffeine just not as much, amazing how your body knows this stuff.

I have not been drinking beer at night, I switched to tea, so when a Blueberry Ale calls to me from my refrigerator, I say no and have a cup of tea instead.

I have been starting off the day with fruit instead of cereal or a waffle.

I lost one pound!!!

Yay!

Best line heard at the 5k today.

When I ran by a guy and said "isn't this fun?" he said "this is why cars were invented."

The other day, TJ walks by the hamper and announces "I love the hamper."

"You do?" I ask him.

"Yes. God made it," he informs me.

___

I am sick today, coughing, stuffy, chills. I ask, rhetorically, "what am I going to do, I don't feel good."

TJ tells me "God will take care of you."

If I had an elliptical in my house, I would be on it right now.

Spin class, here I come! Woohoo.

Really, I should write Woohoo! but I am so not feeling it.

It will be great once it's over.

Why does everything good always happen the first weekend of the month?!

Harpoon Brewery sponsoring a 5k in downtown Providence on May 2.

Of course, I can't make it but I would love to run that race!

My goal is to do at least one 5k a month. March is done. St. Patty's Day 5k.

Better get cracking on April.

Walking out of the gym after swimming lessons.

On one side, there are a bunch of guys, playing what is most likely a pick up game of basketball.

On the other, I can see into the window of the women doing the precision steps to the step aerobics class.

I gotta say, the guys basketball game looked to me like it was much more fun.

Need some new friends or need to convert the old ones.

Criteria: run slowly and will run road races with me at least once a month.

I want to do them more, it's such a good way to spend a morning, and a fun way to see different parts of the state and usually for a good cause. It's always so hard to get someone to do one with me.

John and the kids said they would come and watch me, but it makes it go by so much faster when someone is there running with you.

I do ab exercises at home now. I like the ones on hulu.com or I just throw a dvd into my laptop. They are easy, usually about 10 minutes long or so. I have a lot to choose from. So why oh why isn't there any equivalent arm exercise videos on hulu or sparkpeople or anywhere on the web?

I just don't get it. On the ab videos, they walk you through the entire 10 minute workout and have you follow along.

Any of the arm videos I have found online show you the exercises and then say "do them. 10 reps." That's not what I want, I want to do them along with the trainer using my little weights at home. For 10 minutes.

Is that really asking so much?

One of the best parts of the 5k over the weekend was seeing people that I know.

Then to top it off, some of them were yelling as I ran, "Go TJ's mom!" - how cute is that.

Nothing prepares you for running outside. Except for running outside.

Ran on Blackstone Boulevard for the first time in a long time today. I do go to the gym and do usually at least 30 minutes of cardio a couple or three times a week. It's so different than running on the earth.

Did 30 minutes, some walking was involved. Felt good, though, really good. Wish I had the opportunity to do it more.

I wish I could get my ipod to sync with my Nike shoe apparatus thing. (There's definitely another name for it, but I forgot it right now)