I have a confession to make.
I am A. Hot. Mess.
Have you ever heard that expression? I hadn’t until I started blogging, but the image it invokes is something I can identify with. I picture a frazzled, sweaty (it’s summer time), overweight, stained-shirt, limp-haired mom, who can only stare in dismay at the mess that is her ‘sanctuary’.
Or maybe that’s just me.
I feel lots of hope with all the new things budding in my heart these days. I think it’s because the windows are open and the breeze is pouring in, and this is my last week of teaching. WooHoooo! I am about to embark on writing blogs and books full time.
HOPE!
I get to do what I love! (Oh please God, let me make a little money in this venture so we don’t go under).
But with all that hope? This is what my house looks like.
Okay, so that doesn’t look horrible. You can’t see all the papers and bills stashed away, plus there are cute kids. But this is my kitchen.
Our living room generally looks good because there is not much clutter here. But I’ve decided to downsize and sell things on eBay to buy new couches. There are these iron-on plastic beads, called Hama (or Perler), which I put up on eBay.
But then someone got the brilliant idea to put them in a fishbowl and fill them with water, then put them back in the plastic box and seal the lid so that they could mold. (That wasn’t really the intention, but that’s what happened). So those are out drying on a towel.
And then, of course, the guest room, which has ALL the stuff I’m selling on eBay, plus the bag of stuff for teaching kids’ class at church, plus the bag of stuff for teaching English at the school, plus the empty printer cartridges that need to be mailed in for recycling … you get my drift.
See? Hot mess.
But, along with this new hope for my career, comes new hope for my life. I want to start shedding. It’s my mid-year resolution. I want to shed the items in our house we don’t need. I want to shed the overspending. I want to shed the bad habits (like spending too much time on my couch).
And I want to shed excess weight.
I’m 60 – or maybe even 70 – pounds over what I was when I got married, which (for anyone who has seen me in person) comes as a shock to no one but myself. You see, there is this mirror in the upstairs bathroom that I like. You pull the bottom half down to get the soft lighting that masks your wrinkles and that only allows you to see from the collarbones up. I look really pretty in that mirror. I haven’t changed in that mirror. Everywhere else? I’m pretty much a hot mess.
But what’s a (middle-aged) girl going to do when she’s:
– in denial.
– got three and a half decades of failed dieting under her belt to one decade of not needing to diet (aka age 0 to 10).
– overwhelmed by the sheer number of possible ways to change a person’s diet/ lifestyle so that she can’t seem to stick to any one thing for more than 2.5 weeks.
– so out of shape that joints are a consideration, and the old way of tacking on jogging to the regular life routine no longer works.
– a mom to really picky eaters (seriously. what’s wrong with these kids? It’s not like I haven’t given them variety and healthy foods right from the get-go) that plead for pizza, nuggets and pre-packaged cordon bleu, and have a meltdown when it’s ratatouille (okay, that’s just the youngest).
– a French food blogger and a regular dinner party hoster.
– limited by the French culture regarding exercise options. As in – if you haven’t signed up in time for a class through the Town Hall, there is NO CLASS FOR YOU.
As in – if you do get a class, it will be the same thing/ same time each week with no options for variety, and you most certainly need to crack open your piggy bank to afford it.
As in – if you decide to pay to go to the public pool to swim laps, you will only be able to go at noon with everyone else and get stuck behind someone really slow who has no concept of circle swimming. That.
So what’s a girl like that to do?
Small changes. That’s what!
I’m curious – just curious – what will happen if I do ten minutes worth of sit-ups and other floor exercises every day for the next 2 weeks before our family beach vacation. I’m curious what kind of difference it will make, if any. I suspect it will make a difference.
So this morning I set out to see. I set the alarm on my phone for 10 minutes and started with those leg lifts where you’re on all fours and you lift your bent leg back up, then lift your bent leg to the side. (You know, like the Jane Fonda tape, after which you drink a Tab. No? Not a’ ringing any bells?)
And then I did the sit-ups on your back where you pretend you’re cycling. Sit-ups on the sides. Plank for as long as I could …
Phew! How many more minutes to go? Still 3.5. So then I started over again with more leg lifts and cycling. And then the alarm went off – my first day.
I also made clean-eating banana oatmeal breakfast muffins, which were really good. I got the recipe from here, and she got it elsewhere but I couldn’t find it on that site to credit it.
So that’s what I did too.
I’m going to keep you updated on what I’m doing – my small changes and how it’s going. Do you want to come along for the ride? (I’m talking to the people who are in the same place as me, which – I know – is not everyone). What do you say to 10 minutes of floor exercises a day until next week when we check back in and see how we did and what changes we’ve noticed? Perhaps we’ll add enough small, manageable changes over time to be able to weigh in and see a BIG difference.
What about those of you who have gone through it and have come through the other side? Any tips?
Droit d’auteur: viperagp / 123RF Banque d’images
Wow!!!! Ok I feel like you have been looking through my windows. I have been doing the same things. But this year I had two graduating from our homeschool and will start two more this coming year. I also and 60 pounds heavier since when my husband and I were married. What stinks the most is I am about 40 pounds heavier than any of my pregnancies. Uhhgg. Yikes! So I have jumped on the healthy eating bandwagon also. Fruit is my food of choice right now as it is so much of it in season.
I must admit I have been lazy on the blogging side and working out side. So I will see what I can do with those. We have a wii fit. I dont know if you have one but they can be a lot of fun. Anyways I hope you find something you enjoy and have a great summer. Maybe we will both drop those extra pounds. 🙂 God Bless! Tammy
Tammy we are twins! But (hint, hint) I have to say that I do feel differently from those 10 minutes a day so far. #daythree
I love your house, Jennie. It’s fabulous! And I am so very happy for you that you will be able to do what you love full-time. God bless your endeavors.
I am not a good person to give advice about losing weight, because I dislike exercise that follows a pattern and that I have to do religiously every day. I also don’t like gyms. I try to make my exercise do double duty, meaning silly things like walking a mountain of folded clothes back to the bedrooms a few articles at a time at a good pace, folding piles of towels one at a time to walk to the linen closet, taking sorted dirty clothes to the washer an armful at a time and taking out recycling in batches. I know that sounds silly , because I am not being efficient. I also do yard work like that, making it longer to accomplish by incorporating lots of walking. I do sometimes do jumping jacks or leg exercises in between chores. Exercise for me has to accomplish work, so that’s why I do these goofy things.
I wish you luck, Jennie, and I look forward to hearing about these powerful small changes. That’s how it begins!
Hillary recently posted…Charlie Chaplin, Meet the Love of My Life
Thank you so much Hillary! I say you are spot on! You’re obviously in good shape, so the way you go about it is perfect. Why create extra trouble? 😉
I am with you in the hot mess department.
I gave up on the house. I have dog hair tumbleweeds floating across the floor as I type.
I am not over weight but that doesn’t mean that my habits aren’t healthy. I’m very unhealthy actually. I weigh 30 pounds less than what I did before I was pregnant with my son. I don’t eat like I should and when I do it’s not the right things. I really need to work on that. Like REALLY need to work on that.
You have the right mindset and I think that’s more than half the battle.
kimberly recently posted…Pink Coral Ring
I want to come and fix you by cooking good meals for you. 🙂
xoxoxoxoxo
Ah, Jennie. So, we are going to drop a few pounds and some excess items from your home? I don’t know if I am going to join you but I check in on you and your progress. I have to terms with some parts of the house because I am not in control and I refuse to be miserable. Now, I can definitely stand to move around more than I do. It is summer time so I work out a lot in my yard. I just finished cutting the grass this morning and I am a hot mess right now. I will be checking in on you. By the way, you have a nice home.
Mary Collins recently posted…Choose Christian Movies–June 18, 2015
Sweet Mary – if you are already out in your garden and eating pretty moderately, I’d say you are doing just FINE! Enjoy life! 🙂
Way to go Jennie – getting started is a big part of the battle. We’ve been on this road trip but once we return on Monday, I’ll be starting into jumpstarting my own health in the right direction. I started walking/running two weeks ago and on Monday start on a 24 Day Challenge with Advocare – a health and nutrition company we are a part of. My hope is to lose weight I picked up from my last job where I sat 10 hours a day (not good for the waist-line 🙂 It feels like a daunting task but I know the result will be worth it. Time to get this ole’ body in shape so I have energy for the things I want to do. Looking forward to your updates! ~Victoria
Victoria @SimplifiedLife.net recently posted…How To Live A Simplified Life ~ A Podcast with Mom Prepares.com
Yes! I do feel like my weekly photography series go hand in hand with this initiative because it gets me out of the house. (The only rule is the picture has to be taken out of house and garden). I do a lot of sitting as well, and have an ole body that needs to get in shape. 🙂
I’m a hot mess too. And our house.. I shudder. It’s not good at all.
I don’t need to lose weight but I eat pretty terribly. Sugar, dairy, carbs, yum!
Tamara recently posted…Becoming a Father Too Soon.
You know what? I say if you don’t really need to change for some obvious reason, why not just enjoy life? 😉
Hot Mess.
I get it.
Overweight.
I get it.
I love clicking here and knowing I’m NOT ALONE!!! xx
My Inner Chick recently posted…Is There An Upside To Disaster, Death, & Darkness?
Dear Jenni,
This is the week I’m going to fit in ten minutes of exercises per day. Thank you for the idea/inspiration. Assuming I don’t just melt into the ground first, of course. Hot and messy here in north-east France, it’s so sticky and humid that I (almost) want the summer to be over. Thanks for your blog. Best, Margaret
Margaret, your comment encouraged me so much. I had missed a couple of days because of the vacation and your comment was just what I needed to pick right back up again. Thank you!
Thank goodness a little less hot today.