Oh, the Insanity...

Ugh.  It's nap time.  Why does this inspire an "ugh"?  Usually, this would be a time that I (and many parents) would look forward to.  I love my kids more than life itself, but that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy the 2 quiet hours when my children are sleeping in the middle of the day.  It is usually a time when I can clean, relax, watch TV, read, etc.  However, I am currently one week in to my second round of Insanity, and nap time has officially become workout time.

In case you are unfamiliar with Insanity, it is an at-home workout program on DVD.  It comes with a calendar that shows you which work out to complete each day, as well as a tracking sheet to record your progress (as far as weight loss, inches lost, etc).

I hate it.  I truly, truly loathe the 45-60 minutes that I force myself to spend in the basement every day working out with Shaun T. and his band of merry gym rats.  There are so many things that I would rather be doing at this time, and I really just don't enjoy working out to a DVD.

That being said... IT WORKS.  As I mentioned, this will be my second time around completing this program.  Back in January, Bennett started nursing less, and I realized that I would need to get a little more active if I didn't want to pack back on the pounds that I had shed during the last few months (thank you, breastfeeding!).  Lance was also looking to get in better shape, and he didn't want to do any "girlie" workouts (aka Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred), so he suggested Insanity.  We got the program and started it together.   He lasted approximately 2 weeks before he quit, but I stuck with it.  Mostly, I was determined to prove that I could do it.

Every night after the kids went to bed, I would pop in the DVD and let a few choice words fly as I dragged myself through workout after workout.  I gradually began to notice a difference in the way my clothes were fitting; all of my pants were too big, my shirts were hanging funny, etc.  By the time the 60 days were over, I was down almost 3 sizes!  I don't keep track of weight as much, because I couldn't care less about how much I weigh, but I think I lost between 10-15 pounds  This slimming down occurred without any dieting, other than just tracking calories via My Fitness Pal (I had it set at "maintain current weight").

So, although I detest the time I spend with Shaun T., I just can't expect to get the same kind of results with any other 45-60 minute workout.  Therefore, this summer I am repeating the torture.  The bright side is that I can get my workout out of the way early in the day, during nap time.  That frees my evenings up to relax with Lance and spend some time on enjoyable activities after the kids are in bed.

As I have now spent entirely too much time procrastinating and delaying the inevitable, I must conclude this whine session and get down to business.  Again, I repeat: Nap time.  Ugh.  Wish me luck!

Read to Me!

“There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want”.  ~Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

The complete lack of blog posts over the past few months should be a clue as to the state of my life this year.   Between an insanely crazy work schedule, a demanding three year old, a baby who refuses to sleep through the night, trying to spend some time with my lovely husband, and attempting to maintain some semblance of physical fitness, I feel as if I haven’t had a spare minute. 

Well, if I’m being honest, I have had a FEW spare minutes this year, but I have chosen to spend them watching Doctor Who.  Don’t judge.  

Anyway, the point is, this year I have been seriously missing out on some of my favorite pass times: watching movies, spending time with friends, going to visit family, and reading.  Oh, I miss reading.  I’m not going to waste time espousing the virtues of reading; let’s just say I’m a fan.  Of all of the activities I could choose for “me time”, reading tops the list as my all-time, number one, forever-and-ever favorite.  Unfortunately, this school year, I just haven’t found enough time to devote to my ever-expanding “to-read” list.  Unacceptable.  

Thankfully, I have found a solution!  I thought back to my grad school days when I was commuting back and forth every day between home and school.  In total, I was spending about 2 hours a day in the car, and listening to the radio was just not cutting it for me.  Enter the audiobook.  That year, I must have “read” more than 30 novels by listening to them in the car during my commute.  It was wonderful.  All that wasted time in the car was now devoted to an activity that I loved.  Every time I’d finish a book, I’d just pop into the library and check out a new one.  My drive seemed to fly by, and I actually looked forward to the time I spent in the car.  

I’m not sure why it took me so long to remember how much I loved the audiobooks, especially considering the fact that I am once again facing a lengthy daily commute.  When I finally stumbled upon that little jewel of a memory, I instantly piloted my car toward the nearest library and began to remedy my pitiful shortage of the written word.  

Since then, I have devoured audiobook after audiobook.  Some “fluffy” books, a few books by Jodi Piccoult, and even some books that have been on my list for ages (like Wicked- REALLY enjoyed that one!).  All in all, being able to immerse myself in literature again has lessened my stress level, increased my happiness, and greatly improved my daily commute.  

This summer, I plan to get down to some serious real-life, hard copy, curl up with a blanket reading.  I have a very long list of books that are just waiting to be checked off.  But for the next five weeks (five weeks ‘till summer!!!), I will continue my slight obsession with these little auditory delights, and I would encourage anyone else who says, “I just don’t have time to read!” to do the same thing.  

Happy listening!