Totally Counts

As someone who completely despises exercise and thinks that anyone who likes to do it is crazy and glutton for punishment, I try to find things that Totally Count as exercise. Now please be forewarned. This could be controversial, yet it makes me and, hopefully, the millions of other lazy people out there feel better about ourselves and our lack of physical activity.

Here is my list of things that totally count as working out:

1. Putting on work out clothes totally counts as working out. Just the thought and effort it takes to wiggle into that sports bra as

my head gets caught in it with my arms and boobs sticking out totally counts as exercise. Hey! That takes a lot of effort and apparently brings
about a lot of laughing when my children or husband come in and see me stumbling around trying to get the sports bra down!

2. Driving past the gym. Okay you might not have realized you were going that way, but you suddenly find yourself driving past the gym. This

totally counts as working out. I mean, it takes effort to drive pass the gym and not stop (bahahaha). Plus, if you are still wearing your work out gear it counts double.



3. Going to Wal-Mart in your work out clothes totally counts as working out. You can up this work out by parking further out in the parking lot,

speed walking as you stock your cart, and loading and unloading your groceries. And if you are fighting with your children the whole time about
what you will and will not add to your cart then you are totally burning more calories!

4. Wearing Shape Up or Tone Up shoes totally count as working out.

I know the first week I had my Sketcher Tone Ups my thighs and bum hurt just from wearing them to work. So if wearing these shoes causes me to be sore and hurt then I quite sure that it totally counts as working out!

5. Having sex totally counts as working out. Not only is it a proven calorie burner, but the effort it takes just to get started is a serious work out. I am not being dirty here and talking about foreplay. I am talking about how exhausted and stressed out you are, and how the thought of doing anything else is the last thing on your mind. We all know what it is like to be a mother. It is not that you don't want to because you do. It is just that it takes so much effort and so much energy of which you have very little. So when you have it, it totally counts!

So am I advocating not exercising? No! You can't lose weight without exercising, and I am all about trying to lose weight. But it is good to know some things totally count as working out....even if it is only in my mind!

"Cruisin' is Made for Love"

Last March, my hubby and I celebrated our ten year anniversary. We were planning on going somewhere to celebrate. Alas, someone, namely me, was quite large and pregnant. So needless to say, the only place we went was to home in Cairo, Georgia. Not quite the romantic getaway we had been dreaming about. Although, I would not have changed it for the world.

So since the arrival of Lady A, aka Alden, in May we have been looking to go somewhere. If only for just a few days, so we can sleep completely through the night and catch up on our zzzzzz's. Every time Groupon sends out their getaway e-mails, we comb through the deals trying to decide which deal will get us the most bang for our buck.

We were looking at all inclusive places in a tropical location. The thought of going to a place where everything is paid for is extremely appealing. However, neither one of us drink a whole lot, so we were unsure if we would really get our money's worth. Plus, then you have to add the cost of plane tickets. And lets not forget, the whole thought of flying, which is petrifying for both of us.

After much thought, we starting looking at cruises. I don't even really remember how it came about. I have never been on a cruise and the last time Brian went was on his senior cruise in high school. It is something we have been talking about even before we had children but have just never done.

So last weekend, we perused every cruise deal available. We decided the week before Christmas was best because of babysitters and school and, most importantly, cost. It is one of the cheapest time to cruise. We were extremely overwhelmed with all of our choices: boats, cruise lines, destinations, activities, amenities, ports, cost...it was a lot!

We settled on a Royal Caribbean cruise going to Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico. I am super excited!! I have wanted to go to Grand Cayman ever since first watching The Firm (isn't it funny how movies can do that to you!). I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. Every time I think about it I get butterflies in my stomach.

We have not been anywhere by ourselves since out honeymoon. We need this! We deserve this!

After all in the words of Smokey Robinson:
Your gonna fly away, glad your going my way
I love it when we're cruisin' together
The music is playing for love
Cruisin' is made for love
I love it when we're cruisin' together!

Boomeranging

So it is Weigh In Wednesday again, and I am trying to keep true to my word and post when I am supposed to, which is on...duh...Wednesday. I am also trying to post whether I lose weight or not. However, I must admit I am much more apt to post when I have lost weight. Which is of course the reason I am posting today;)

It was with great trepidation that I stepped on the scale this morning. Of course, I made sure that I was completely naked (no need to have pounds added for my clothes), had not eaten (no need to add anything extra), and that I breathed all my air out (Hey! I know the saying "Light as Air" but I think that's BS...air weighs something!). I was delighted to see that I had lost 4 pounds from when I weighed on Friday.

Now before I got all excited, I did remind myself that this is a 4 pound loss after boomeranging when I had gained 5 pounds a month ago when I was sick and unable to exercise. So in the grand scheme of things, I haven't really lost any more weight seeing as I went backwards a wee bit! But, still, it makes me feel better. Especially since I have been working my tail off the last 2 weeks.

Seriously, in the last 2 weeks I have exercised all but 3 days. What, you may ask, has got me (a person who absolutely despises exercise and

thinks anyone who LOVES to do it is INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE) exercising this much? One word...ZUMBA!!!

I absolutely love, love, LOVE Zumba. It is so much fun! Of course, I don't love it when my arms are aching to the point that they feel as if they are going to fall off or when my clumsy self falls to the floor as my feet get tangled up when Sambaing, but I have never, I repeat never had this much fun exercising!

People kept saying how much fun it was, but I have always been of the opinion that nothing that is hard enough to make you sweat like a mule and get out of breath is fun unless it involves someone of the opposite sex;) But those Zumba crazed people are right! I was hooked at the first class I took. I even bought Zumba for the Wii so that I can do it on the days when I can't get to a class.And the competition of getting points drives me to shake my hips like there is not tomorrow!

Anyway, maybe now that I have found exercise that I actually enjoy doing I will stop boomeranging and start on the downward slide to a fitter and thinner me. Now bring on the Zumba party!