Exercise... Hmmm....

These days, being "fit" means a LOT.. Years ago, being fit simply meant not being fat.. Not the case anymore.. No sadly it goes way past that. I mean yes it still means not being fat but there's a whole lot that goes into it now. Walking on a treadmill isn't IN anymore.. Now it's all about the run on a trail or stretch of road that reaches your daily goal of at LEAST 5 miles. And how do you know you've gone the whole way you ask? Easy! You just have keep glancing at your wrist where your smart watch sits all day and is conveniently connected to your phone making it easy to track your calories burned, distance traveled and even alerts you when you get messages and calls about a lunch date. Of course you can't actually GO to a lunch date unless it's somewhere that serves gluten free, fat free, carb free, taste free, super over priced frilly pesticide free LETTUCE... Mmmm... yeah.. That's what I think too.. And aside from eating like a wild rabbit, there are so many "helpers" out there... A thousand and three (or more) things that help you do a variety of, well, THINGS... Shakes that stop your appetite, shakes that build muscle, shakes that make you almost shit yourself... Hmm... Bars that help you lose inches off your waist, snacks that have next to no calories or taste, powder mixes that.... Who really knows?!? Then there are PILLS! Pills that make you lose water weight, stomach fat, build muscle, keep muscle, grow nails, grow hair, stop growing whatever they stop growing, and the list goes on and on... You have the wonder works people who get their hands on the "latest craze" in the diet world at the time (South Beach Diet... 72 hour fat flush... Teatox? and so on...) and expect that after two weeks they will look like they belong in the Victoria's Secret fashion show and if they are NOT looking like that... It's out with that and onto the next hot ticket.. You have the dieters who count calories, avoid carbs and yet allow themselves at least 3 cheat meals in 3 days... Hmm... There are the gluten lovers and haters... The anti meat vegetarians... the "nothing with a face" vegans... You have the people who pick something because they know someone who knew someone who tried it with success and even if it DOES NOT work for them, they insist that it does and then try to get everyone else to get it too.. Then you have the dedicated trenders... The people who pick a diet, buy the book that explains the diet (and keep it out where people notice it), buy the supplements to "help" the diet, buy the DVD that maps out the diet in its entirety, and then talk about it with other people who aren't "up to speed" on what the IT diet is... Yikes... To further add to the scary dieting super breed.. you have those people who do everything the trenders do AND they stick to their CRAZY every day schedule of eating the same meals (smartly and equally portioned of course), going to the gym, running a few miles for "fun" after work, and sleeping 10 hours a night. If there's a slip in the schedule anywhere then it's double the gym time or half of the half of the HALF of the protein bar as punishment. The ONLY thing that has me wanting MORE is the SLEEP! It's crazy what some people will do... Like any other girl in the world, I have jeans in my closet that have been tucked away for a while (not defining that, sorry!) but I've come to accept that like in every sappy girly movie ever made, that's just a part of growing up... Am I happy when my current jeans slip down my butt a little? Hell yes! Does that mean I'm going to dedicate 80% of my day, time and energy to a diet... Hell to the NO. The truth is.. I don't like bathroom scales and I love cheeseburgers. I'm ok with that! Everything in moderation with some kind of exercise is a good routine for me. There are a few differences though... A person trying to tone muscles will lift weights right? I don't even need to think about doing that! A person going to a gym to lift will probably only do so for up to an hour (more if they're scary big I'm sure..). My lifting on an average day spans out to roughly FIVE hours.. only I'm not lifting concentrated weights... Nope, instead I'm lugging around a toddler and that's just around the house! If in public, strap on the 10 pound purse and grocery bags WITH the toddler (who does NOT like to sit still by the way.. BIG difference..) and there you have it. The intense upper body, who am I kidding, ALL over body weight training. What's next? Running... A few different stances on running as a mom.. I'm either chasing down a child for fun or to get what they've taken back OR I'm retrieving something from the dog that he shouldn't have.. Either way, it's never a steady jog and I'm always "feeling it" so that is my running cardio! As far as squats and sit ups and all that other crap go... Picking toys and food up off the floor, giving baths, changing diapers, looking for jewelry, trying to dress a child, scrubbing the floor, lugging up laundry from downstairs, putting dishes and groceries away, and of course.. crawling through toys and houses that were made for people two feet tall... Every.. Single.. Day. Even if I don't leave my house, by the time all the kids are in bed and I have the chance to just SIT and "relax", I am WIPED! So to all of you dedicated dieters out there.. I half salute you and am sure that it takes a lot of time, discipline and effort to get and keep that skinny Minnie beach bod especially since you don't even LOOK at a pizza with the fear of your pants splitting but honestly... I love me some pizza... So if you're reading this and you've just finished your immaculately planned workout, just know that the next time I sink my teeth into something greasy and delicious, I'll be taking a small bite for you! Now for a snack... ;) Good night everybody! -Super Mom