Let me start off by saying that this is not a post about dieting but a peek & laugh into my own personal journey of becoming healthier. (And M1 is in trouble for snapping me in my leggings)
As y’all know I’m a petite woman at 5’4″ which is to be expected with most of my family being petite. Mom is 5’3″ and dad is 5’7″. When it comes to body types between my parents I seem to favor dad, he maintained the same weight for nearly 58 years. But skinny does not necessarily equal healthy…nope, not one iota. Dad has some cholesterol and blood pressure issues that he has been keeping an eye on for the past few years. My mom has been battling health issues as well, the latest being gall bladder surgery. Two of her sisters have also had the same surgery. This news has made me stop and reevaluate my own health.
Now I’ll be perfectly honest, watching my weight has not been an issue that I have lost sleep over. That’s not boasting I swear. Part of the reason would be that I haven’t owned a scale since I moved away from home at 21, until 9 months ago…thanks DS. I also had a pretty good metabolism but regardless of how I think, feel or otherwise act I’m getting older. My body is changing, I’ve noticed it a little but I haven’t really been paying attention, not like others.
It doesn’t matter who you are guys, when your pops comments on your bootie getting bigger you will seek out the scales. You may even seek out more than one to get a second opinion. I’m going with the one that says I’ve gained 10 lbs, the other is now buds with the recycling crew. Looks like my sloth loving nature has finally caught up with me. Okay, so I have a little extra junk in my trunk, there’s nothing wrong with a good bootie. I could live without the love handles, the second bum cheek and the bump on the outside of my thighs but what the hey, tunic tops are always going to be in style. However I did decided that exercising a little couldn’t hurt right. Wrong.
I didn’t do anything strenuous or over the top I swear. All I did was add some light exercises to my day and when I say light I mean La-Ight! A few jumping jacks, pushups, leg lifts and stretches. Guess what happened after 5 days? Can’t guess? I’ll give you a visual picture. My gait is now part Bambi part Frankenstein. Just call me Bambkenstein and don’t tell me to hurry it along, cause it ain’t happenin’. Let’s face it my metabolism has been turning south for the past couple of years and I’ve ignored it. I’m not 18 anymore or running track for the local high school. Geez, I’m not even walking around the block and that needs to change because my stamina is shot y’all!
What bothers me is the flip side of this coin. Gaining a few pounds is not the issue, being healthy for my family is. Making time to really truly exercise has always been an issue for me between working, the guys schedules, blogging etc…or so I’ve said. It’s time for me to look in the mirror and call a spade a spade, or in this case a redhead the slacker that she is. Rather than join the athletic men in my life I’ve been fooling myself that I was hanging but sitting on the sidelines cheering them along is not the same. It’s time to think about heart health, circulatory health and the plumbing in general that helps me get through each and every day of this life that I adore so much.
So let me say it again “Skinny does not necessarily equal healthy.”
All hearts need to pump correctly, all veins need oxygen flowing through them and all of the plumbing needs to be up to speed…no matter what. As my friend Tammy said this morning, “That’s why it’s called Cardio”. {Smack} I’m such a dunce.
Of course y’all realize that I’m going to drag you along on my latest adventure right? Why? Well for a couple of reasons.
1. It’s a habit.
2. You guys will hopefully keep me in line.
3. Misery loves company and so do I.
I’m not saying that you guys have to give up your sloth habits like I am or anything. Just let me chat about my pitiful proceedings on here from time to time. You’re also more than welcome to laugh at me during the process, trust me I am. The fact that I have spaghetti arms after only 20 arm lifts with a 1lb weight has me in stitches…literally. DS is going to have to get his own wine and deal with my grungy hair, because lifting my arms high enough to wash my hair tonight or pop a cork is not an option.
Skinny does not equal healthy. A bloody cricket has more strength that I do…yeesh!
Now if you guys do want to join me I’ll be trying to keep the momentum going over at 
where I can chart what I eat and how much I’m moving each day without having to be on a meal plan. Livingstrong.com allows me to monitor everything from fitness, water and the amount of sugar or salt that I intake. It’s also has an area where I can develop/share my own recipes which suit my taste but are healthy to boot. You can even have friends like on Facebook. Gotta love that!
Wish me luck guys, get those timers and ice packs ready because I’m going to need them.
Xoxo,
Shari-Tickled Red
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
You go girl!
You’re cracking me up over here. And let’s not get started on talking about thighs, unless it’s chicken thighs roasted with white wine and potatoes, and then I’m all about that.
you crack me up and at the same time inspire me…I got a good 30lb I need to lose. Being married to a 6″3 170 lb.er doesn’t help any, no not in the least, not even one little bitty bit because he can eat whatever he wants when he wants….and he wants taters, and pasta and bread and Better Than Sex Cake! Good luck darling…keep me inspired along your way, Lord knows I need all of the help I can get!
I’m with Amy on this one ; )
OK, you already have me inspired! Sitting at the computer(blogging, facebook, pinterest, etc…) doesn’t do much for my physical health, that’s for sure! Someone referred to it as “bloggers butt”, which would be a good description:) Thank goodness my husband is very active and invites me on lots of local hiking adventures.
Each morning I tell myself I am going to stretch, lift weights, etc.., or take my dog on a walk, but I haven’t done it for a very long time! Tomorrow I am going to think of YOU doing it, and I’m going to start too, along with eating healthier:) Thanks for the push, Shari! My best to you too!
you can do it! i’ll even get in on this. i get in bad, bad ruts in the winter with activity. it’s too cold to be outside and there’s no gym near us, so my options are really limited, but I can definitely do easy things like that at home.
You go girl…and I should go with you. Sitting for too many months with an injury and I’ve got more padding than ever. Yeesh. Drat. Damn.
Charming post and I personally love the photo…want to see more of YOU!
I am trying to get healthier myself. It is so hard as I am such a foodie though. It’s a struggle. I plan to peek in and see how your doing. You can help motivate my tired butt. You look incredible by the way. I don’t see any of those things you are talking about!
Hey Red, perfect timing on this one. I am a shorty at 5’2″, and in need of dropping 10 pounds. When you are THIS short, every single pound shows! Started walking a mile a day (well….most days) two weeks ago, and doing some light weights for strength. Good luck, I’ll be checkin on ya!
This is a great post. It’s true. You can be skinny and not healthy. I’m also working on trying to exercise more. It takes dedication and eating less sweets with buttah!;)
You are preaching to the choir on this one! I am trying to break the “blogger butt” habit and get moving more. It is tough when you get older to get rid of all the junk in the trunk (and everywhere else!), especially when you love good food and wine. I know the holidays will be hard, so good luck!