It's happening...

The other day I wrote about fitness, so today I thought I'd tackle control.  

I really wish I could be someone who could fly by the seat of their pants.  The seat flyers seem to lead such exciting and adventuresome lives.  Seat flyers get themselves into funny predicaments and then have to seat fly their way out of them.  They roll with the punches, and smile when things go wrong. Seat flyers lead whimsical lives that allow them to make great memories for themselves. 

I'm so far from a whimsical seat flyer.  I set goals, I plan, I make lists, I check and recheck my lists...I control.

But, what I've come to realize is that with that control, I am putting up invisible blinders to potential fun.  Rather than enjoying the activity, vacation or event, I'm evaluating how it is going, trying to improve what is happening, or thinking, "Ok, now after this, we will move on to this..."  I'm never, and I mean never (Ok, sometimes, but hardly ever), living in the moment.  I don't enjoy the right now because I'm always worried about the next thing.  This is what I need to change. I'm missing my life.  I'm missing the fun.  I like to create or plan the fun, but when the fun happens, I'm there, but my head isn't.  I have to get my head into the now, so I can enjoy the fun. Fun is what life is all about. 

I've thought about how I'm going to change the person that I have been for a very long time.  How I'm going to let go of the control and be part of the action - I went to bed last night thinking about this.  I tend to do my best thinking when I'm asleep.   I woke up with this in my mind: "It's happening - don't miss it."  I feel like a lot of the time in my life, the moment was happening, and I completely missed it.   

My wedding would be a perfect example.  I was there, but my mind wasn't.  I was checking off my mental check list all day.  I can remember standing at the altar and checking that the flowers were placed where I had wanted them, and that the signing table had the correct table cloth on it.  I wish someone would have been behind me and whispered, "It's happening - don't miss it."  Then maybe I would remember how my husband smelled that day, or the inspirational words of the minister.  Instead, I remember that the candelabras weren't all lit.   

I'm missing the important moments, and, for the girls, I want them to have a mother who is present, and part of the action.  I'm done being there in body.  I'm going to slowly release my mental checklist and embrace a little of the seat flyer mentality.  I'm going to give whimsy a chance because my life is happening and I'm not going to miss it any more.  

Yours in attempting to fly by the seat of her pants,

Beth

Where to begin...

So, I'm getting my fitness and my health on, and trying to tame the control freak.  Where to begin? Well, after yesterday's thumbs up from Mary at the Superstore (see yesterday's post if this reference is not connecting for you), I thought I'd write about my sweet and simple fitness plan. 

Crunch Challenge

On Facebook a while back I saw that people were posting about participating in the 30 day Crunch Challenge.  I thought, 30 days, it takes 30 days to make a habit, 30 days isn't that long, Ok, I'm all for the 30 day Crunch Challenge.  So I started last week.

 I discovered three things very quickly about this challenge. 

1. It takes far less time in the run of a day to do 100 crunches (or whatever the schedule called for that day) than I would have ever imagined.  Seriously.  Like 2 minutes.  I would look at the calendar, go to the front room, lay down on Sydney's play mats, do my X amount of crunches and then be amazed that they were all done.  I even went online and watched a couple of Youtube videos on various crunch options, and switched crunch positions after every 25 crunches and by no means did it ever take me more than 5 minutes.  So, really, we could all be participating in the crunch challenge every day. 

2. Crunches tone your belly - go figure!  Ha ha.  I'm trying to be funny, but seriously, crunches work.  I can feel that my stomach is getting more toned (and I just had a baby 6 weeks ago), so that is a great motivator to keep going.

3. Actions do speak louder than words.  Jamie wanted to know what the random #'s were on the calendar.  I told him about the challenge and he's all over it.  He's been on team crunch a lot, and I even caught him this morning trying to find a push up challenge online.  :)

If you'd like to challenge yourself to Crunch it up for 30 days, here are a couple of great websites.

http://shrinkingjeans.net/2013/05/30-day-ab-challenge/ - This is the one I'm following - I was drawn by the "shrinking jeans" part of the address.

This is the one a few friends have followed, where you do progressively more crunches each day: http://anothercityurbanite.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/tumblr_mld03kknqh1sopt5no1_500.jpg

Next up, Couch to 5 K

I've been a lukewarm runner for about 10 years.  I get all geared up, train, train, train, run a 10 k or half marathon and then fall off the wagon for 6 months (or a year!)  I always have tremendous guilt, especially when I see my Running Room jacket hanging in the closet.  You know that one.  The one that all people who run seem to have.   It's a must have when you first start running.   Check out any learn to run running group.  They all have one. 

So, here I go with the Couch to 5K. Yes, I know what you're thinking.  "Beth, it doesn't seem like your inner self wants to embrace running as your go to fitness activity. " I hear you, but, I like what running is all about.  It's individual, it involves very little equipment, you can do it anywhere, you don't have to sign up for classes, and I enjoy entering races with friends.  I'm making a life change here, so, fingers crossed, running will stick this time. Since I really haven't done that much exercise for at least 10 months, I figured I better start slow.  My friend Jill inspired me to give the Couch to 5 K a go.

I started last week, and again, it seems to be going great.  Now, I realize I'm on maternity leave and have more flexible time than full time working moms, but Jill is a full time working mom, and she's doing it, so I know it's doable.  Small amount of time (only 30 minutes) to be able to run 5k (which is the starting distance for any race you may want to enter).  On my last maternity leave I used to take 30 minutes to bake a batch of double chocolate chip cookies. If I swap 30 minutes of baking for 30 minutes of fitness, I'll be Jane Fonda by Labor Day!  Although, I'm sure even Jane whooped up some cookies once in awhile.   Jamie and Sydney love chocolate chip cookies (Ok, I love them too).

Yours in only eating one handful of chocolate chips in the last 3 days,

Beth

PS. Start the crunch challenge today - I dare you!

It's already working...

Well, I'm only into day two of my "chill out" plan, and I've already received confirmation, from Mary at the Superstore, that I am, indeed, calmer.  On the outside anyway.

Abby, my almost 6 week old, is a lovely baby, but she is not a car seat/stroller sleeper.  She usually won't cry or fuss, but she won't fall in to a deep sleep like some babies will.  She will, however, sleep like a trooper in her bed for naps and at night time, so I'm totally OK with the car seat situation.

Anyway, that being said, I needed to get groceries this morning.  Like, I was living Mother Hubbard's life and I had to get my cupboards filled up, type of grocery shopping.  Off to the Superstore.  Armed with my list, and my baby who will only pretend/doze in her car seat.

I get in, and of course, I forget my recyclable bags in the car, and if you know me, you know I love to collect points, and we have a PC debit card.  With every recycle bag you use, you get an extra 50 points.  When I forget the bags/don't have them, I start to sweat a little, because, I feel like I'm throwing money away, which is over the top thinking, but that's how I work.  So, today, I decided to not go back to the car for the bags.  I decided to chill out, and that I would bring them next time.

As I'm going through the Superstore at break neck speed, knowing Abby will only humor me for 30 minutes tops, I keep missing things and having to go back, and I'm about ready to blow my lid.  I feel like I don't have control over the situation.  I've got to get a grip.  At this point, my brain is ready to burst because I'm mad at myself for making so many errors/silly mistakes when it comes to grocery shopping.  Hopefully now you're starting to see why I need to reign myself in a little bit.

So, I finally make it to the checkout line and Abby is beginning to lose it.  I give her a soother, which she will only keep in for about 2 minutes because she has not mastered the soother yet, but there is only two ladies in front of me, with 5 items each, so I think, "No biggie, this isn't going to take long."  Ha!

Enter Cheese Whiz Gate.  The long and short of the story is that the ladies in front of me each had a jar of Cheese Whiz, which they thought were on sale, but to their shock and amazement, they were not on sale. They had both picked up the wrong size.  It was a great debate as to whether or not they would purchase the Cheese Whiz, take back the Cheese Whiz, ask for a rain check for the Cheese Whiz ...OMG - My mind was going to explode.  So this is what I did.  "Excuse me ladies, I will buy the Cheese Whiz for you and you won't have to worry about what to do.  Just consider it a random act of kindness.  I have the money right here, and I'd love to treat you to some Cheese Whiz."  Of course, the ladies looked at me a little funny, but in the end, one lady took me up on my offer and one decided that the Cheese Whiz was just too expensive.  I'll be having nightmares about the Cheese Whiz for a week.

When it was finally my turn to be rung through, Mary, the lovely Superstore checkout lady, looked at me and said, "I've never seen anyone offer to purchase someone else's groceries.  For having such a young child you seem so CALM and easy going."  Yes, that's right...that's what Mary said.  She said I was calm and easy going.  I couldn't believe it.  She must have read my blog yesterday and knew I needed a little pat on the back.  :) God love Mary.

Yours in hoping Cheese Whiz is banned in Canada,

Beth

Here goes...

First of all, I'm so happy that Blogger has Georgia font.  I'm a huge fan of the Georgia font, so I can already tell that this blog may just work out.

For the last two weeks, this blog has been waking me up at night.  Literally.  I wake up and my brain says to me, "For the Girls...for the girls..."  So, this morning, I decided to post For the Girls and get this show started so I can finally get some sleep.

Why For the Girls?  I have two young girls.  6 weeks and 3 years.  I've decided, or really, I knew all along, that my most important job is to be a positive role model and show them how to live their best, healthiest and happiest life.  So, that puts a lot of pressure on me, but I'm all for it.  

When you set a goal, or make a plan, all of the self help books and advice givers tell you, "Do it for you."  Well, I've tried to eat healthy, be active, and make the right decisions for years on my own, and I've only been moderately successful.  So I'm going to start making decisions based on what choices would be best as a role model for my girls.  Now, I'm not going to become this crazy person who centers all of their decisions around their children and completely loses herself in the process.  No, no, that's not going to happen.  But when I'm humming and ha'ing about whether or not to put the girls in the stroller and go for a run, I will pick run, because the girls will get fresh air and I will show them active living.  Really, it's a no brainer that many people in my life have already figured out, but I'm just coming around now. 

As much as I'm a big fan of the Georgia font, I'm also a huge fan of control.  I'm a control freak.  There, I've admitted it in cyberland.  It's really started to bother me how nuts I am, and how in turn, it makes the people around me a little postal as well.  Many years ago, I banished the word "relax" from my husband's vocabulary because when he would say it, it just made me more bothered.  I would always follow his "relax" with, "I can't relax, so just stop saying that."  Well, dear Jamie,...I'm going to relax.  Or at least begin my relax journey.  I was taking down posters in my classroom on Tuesday, and one said, "You are who you choose to be."  I had a bit of a moment holding that poster in my hand.  It's pretty simple, but so true...you are who you choose to be.  I was choosing to be a neurotic control freak.  I think I'm going to choose to let her go a little bit.  I've decided she's really not all that fun.

The other thing I'm going to choose is healthy living.  I'm so sick of tight pants. Or buying bigger pants because my pants are tight.  I'm so done with that.  I'm not setting a weight loss goal, or starting a calorie counting, food weighing, food journal plan either.  That has always made me a mental patient in the past.  I'm starting this plan:  Get my ass off the couch, go for a run, stop eating treats, and eat fruits, veggies and Canada's Food Guide food.  There.  Easy peasy.  It's going to be hard to stop reaching for that handful of chocolate chips every day, but I figure if I can get it down to two days a week, that will be a victory.

So, here goes.  I'm going to chill out, and be healthy. But, most importantly, I'm going to do it for the girls (and my husband - he doesn't really need a role model because he's quite a good role model all on his own, but I'm sure he'll appreciate a calmer Beth - he's been asking for one for 10 years now.  It's time.)

Peace out hommies,

Beth