YumYucky! (guest post)

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Meet Josie from Yum Yucky, the openly greedy woman balancing her love of food with an enthusiasm for fitness. But how does she do it with four kids in the mix?

(**cue music fraught with suspense**)

How to Stay Fit in a 3-Ring Circus

In a perfect world I’d have a full-time nanny and bigger boobs, but this is reality, which means effortless fitness is also a pipe dream. I have to work hard to prevent my fat cells from swelling beyond recognition, but how does this get accomplished when life is a 3-ring circus? My own personal craziness includes a full-time job, the blog, a husband who can never find his shoes, and four zany kids that act like the umbilical cord is still attached. This is far from the perfect combination for developing MizFit-style arms and a slim waist.

I’ll spare you the boring details about what time I workout in the morning and for how long. That’s not the real answer to how I fit in exercise. Before I can even come close to the physical act of working up a sweat I have to conquer all the crap that gets in the way.  There are obstacles, like laziness tiredness and laundry; distractions, like my favorite TV shows and twittering; and a house full of people pulling on me with their personal demands. These shenanigans tempt me to engage in excessive couch plopping and potato chip munching, but that would take me back to the 182 pound, sized 14 woman I once was. Not an option.

Managing work and home while raising a brood of children may have you to believe that there’s no time for exercise. My former lack of physical fitness resulted in finger-pointing and pity parties, but I eventually quit whining and took control of my fat cells. I have three rules that set the stage for fitness and make me feel like She-Ra, Princess of Power. I screw up occasionally, but I don’t freak out about it. Guilt and giving up is not allowed. Now let’s get to the rules:

Rule #1: Get Serious & Keep Moving

Kids or no kids, laundry or not, you will never ever get off your booty until you’re serious about change. That’s when sacrifices take place and you find the time when there seemed to be none. I got tired of the whole stomach-hanging-over-the-pants routine and don’t wish to repeat it, so even when the kids sabotage my efforts, I still keep it moving by recognizing other opportunities for fitness. I climb stairwell steps at work (753 steps is my personal best…shooting for 1,000), I do squats and balance work while waiting for the “ding” of the microwave, and I sometimes incorporate the kids into my workouts. If you’re serious, nothing can get in your way.

Rule #2: Stay Organized

If laundry is piled up, dirty dishes are stacked, and toys are strewn everywhere, take the time to redirect your priorities to maintain an organized space. As a former felon of disorganization my crimes included reckless management of paper clutter (see MizFit’s tips) and 2nd degree neglect of laundry. Disorganization creates “noise” in my life and makes me feel out of control, but maintaining organization de-stresses my environment and empowers me to get more done, including exercise!

Rule #3: Don’t Hold Others Accountable

I secretly blamed my husband and motherly duties for my lack of free time to exercise, but that thinking was flawed. The finger-pointing is over and I hold myself accountable for fitness. It is no one’s fault but my own if I fail to commit or start slacking off. When I stopped The Blame Game and quit using lame excuses to justify my bloated state, all that remained was the person staring back at me in the mirror. I am responsible for my own fitness.

A nonchalant attitude filled with excuses and zero accountability is paralyzing and only leads to more weight gain.

How do you manage your own fitness when life is hectic?

If you currently do not exercise due to a busy schedule, what is your plan to get started?

Curious what MizFit is up to on these days she doesnt post? Check out the FABULOUS FATTIES and their NEW CHALLENGE!

Im chilling over there today (if by chilling you mean totally in AWE of all they have organized—–which I do.)

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Comments

  1. Those are great rules! I’ve noticed a lot of that in other stuff in my life, inlcuding finding the will to study the ten millionth (and one, two, three,…etc.) research articles when all I want to do it say NO.
    I am still working on getting my exercise more consistant and at an intensity that will show results (a casual stroll is active rest, not exercise!). What I’ve found is that I need to set aside the time to devote to it. Not as in I must do it at this time every day. Just having time specifically set aside for it. So, that’s what I’m doing…setting time in the am just for this.

  2. Hey She-Ra!
    I’ve climbed 10 stair steps today…how am I doing?

    Hey, I like the idea of incorporating the kids into a workout. Last night, we had an impromptu football game in the backyard…a great, sweat-inducing workout! And now, you’re giving me a few new ideas. (plus in the kitchen…maybe that’s the place to take the kid-included games…I think that’s the most popular room at our house!).

    Awesome, awesome, awesome! You rock, Josie!!!

  4. Boy…this post really hit home. Between laundry and twittering, I rarely make time to exercise. I’m getting out the Wii right now!

  8. Great post! Some great points I really need to remember… It is all a balancing act and I agree exercising has to be a prioroty! Thank you for the reminders.

    AND… thanks for the shout out on the challenge!

    Ya’ll ROCK!

    Angie

  12. I may not have kids, but this sounds like my crazy work days. There are plenty of times that I find reasons why I shouldn’t work out, but I know that I should take time for me.

  14. I am always in awe of you Josie reading your blog & this post. 4 kids, job & all you do.. AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But you have prioritized & decluttered & found a way!!!! You are the queen!

    Me, when I was working way too many hours at stressful jobs on top of a bad commute, I either worked out very early or after work no matter what. When the 24 hour gyms started.. well, you don’t even want to know what time I go!!! 🙂

    GREAT POST!

  16. Great post. Love both of you, such good insights. I do stair laps btwn assignments, take a walk around the block, get on the treadmill when I’m working at home & can’t get to gym. Otherwise I plan it into my day. Walk kids to school or drive them & continue to the gym. If I do it first thing, there’s no distractions, no excuses.

  17. I LOVE this…—>”My former lack of physical fitness resulted in finger-pointing and pity parties, but I eventually quit whining and took control of my fat cells. ”

    THAT was part of my ah ha moment a bit ago and it has been a drive ever since. Even days I do not get “official” exercise I am playing and moving more WITH the kids, this too shows them the importance of movement!

  19. Excellent post Josie! Love your rules especially. There are so many ways to waste time without even getting anything done (a la Twitter) that I applaud your constant effort! You rock She-Ra.

  21. Great post!
    No matter how great my dedication, I tend to get derailed by family reunions and things like that. So I’m perfecting my ability to Get Back Into Exercise after my plans are derailed.

  22. great post.
    it’s always good to hear how other people get the workout done.
    new places for me to lurk! yum-yucky and fabfatties! thanks!

  25. You guys are great! And by the way, all of your awesome comments today have given me extra fuel to fight back against the temptation of the Oreo Cakester. eee-yow!!

  27. Love this post. Having more of a mesomorph(muscular) body type keeps my metabolism going and keeps the fat cells at bay. But in order to have energy, sleep well, be sane i need to and honestly enjoy exercising.

    Organizing rand a bell as i looked up from my computer. This last week of summer I threw caution to the wind and played all week. Now, the house looks like a wind storm hit it and should be marked off with caution tape.

  29. I am in awe. I have the job, but no kids and also not the cleanest living space either (what can I say, it takes a lot to trip my “it’s time to clean” meter).

    However, I do agree that healthy living needs to be a priority. I schedule my workouts around my life, but they are firm commitments. It’s just as if someone scheduled a meeting with me at work, I show up, pen and paper in hand, ready to attack. If you want to make it a priority, you will. I kept a workout schedule during 60-70 hour work weeks. I kept a workout schedule during vacations.

    For cardio, all you need is good shoes, and for strength, all you need is some space. I have a full workout that can be done with just bodyweight. Even though its a pain, I take the time to plan out a week’s worth of meals, and hit the grocery store, so I have something healthy and tasty to eat every night.

    Sounds like a lot, and it took a while to get here, but now it’s just the routine. If I lazy girl can do this anyone can I say.

  30. I love the quote “if you are serious, nothing can get in your way”. It is so true! Sometimes we are our own biggest obstacles.

  33. Great post!

    Much as I try to fit in exercise here and there as per Tip 1, I don’t feel like I have really worked out when I do snatches. The only time I believe it is when I keep trying to stretch my inflexible hamstring every so often, believing in magic and fairies that one day it will become flexible.

    Tip2: SO TRUE, but cannot live by it. I try and try and try 🙂

    Tip3: ITA! There is no excuse. I have to say I completely got Nike only when I started exercising.. “Just do ot”.

  34. Love the short and sweet rules…I can probably remember them! I have to say Amen! to rule #2 about organization. Being unorganized is such a distraction and I find it so unsettling. I’m glad to see it on the list.

  35. Loved this post…my husband can never find his shoes either…or his socks…or his wallet, keys, cell phone… 🙂

    It’s so true. There can be no finger pointing. When I don’t fit in a workout, I have have no one to blame but myself. Thanks for the reminder!

  36. Yucky! This was a very inspiring post. You are definitely a role model for other mothers and mothers-to-be-one-day-in-the-far-far-distant-future like me!

    I admire anyone who can do what I sometimes feel too lazy to do, even without 4 gremlins and shoe-less husband around. When I have my kids, I’m gonna need your phone number, k?

  37. This is totally right. It’s all about priorities. If I don’t have a half hour in my day where I can do a quick workout, then I need to rethink what I’m doing with my day.

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