Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Suit 'er up

Ready or not the time has come.  The temps have hit into the 90's....Memorial Day weekend has come and gone....the pools are opening....and it is only days til my beach vacation......let the quest for a swimsuit begin!  I have not donned or even owned a swimsuit for the past few summers so let me just say I would rather have tiny bamboo shoots shoved in my eyes than shop for one (and this says a lot since I LOVE to shop).

My criteria for the perfect swimsuit is simple:  please don't let me look like one of the people in those "people at wal-mart" emails....you know the ones.  Seriously, do these folks not have a mirror at home????  And as one of my friends said,  "Was there NO one there to stop them from leaving their house like that?"

So, here are my thoughts on finding the perfect swimsuit:

1.  It must be age appropriate.  I am 43 years old and I am sane enough to know that anything with ribbons, big bows and cartoon caricatures is just gonna look silly.

2.  It must be flattering.  Ladies, we all have a pretty good idea of what we need to hide.  Do it.

3.  It must not cost a fortune.  Since when did  a sliver of fabric  cost an arm and a leg???

4.  It must be comfortable.  I don't care how great it looks,  you will NOT  look good in it if you are constantly digging it out of your who-ha.

5.  It must be wearable.  Most of the high fashion designer clothes we see on the runways of New York are not the sort of outfits you'd wear on a day to day basis.  Ditto on the swimsuit. No swimsuits that would yield funky tan lines or make me feel like I couldn't roll around in the sand. (not that that even sounds appealing, but you know what I mean)

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

These are a few of my favorite things......

Sometimes it's the little things that can make my day.....

1.  Perfect running weather - long sleeve t-shirt, shorts, and the wind at my back.

2.  Underwear that doesn't crawl into the nether-wheres in exercise class.

3.  A super healthy low fat, low calorie, low carb meal that taste better than pizza.

4.  New running shoes.

5.  A good laugh that makes you feel like you've just worked your abs.

6.  A brand new kick tail playlist on the ipod.

7.  Vegetables right out of the garden....and someone who has a garden that gives them to you!

8.  Working out with a friend and discovering that your 60 minute workout felt like 30.

9.  A well deserved rest day!

10. Being healthy and fit enough to enjoy life to the fullest.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Skinny Schminny

I had a mini meltdown as I looked at the calendar and realized our beach vacation was only a mere 4 1/2 weeks away.  Beach.  Shorts.  Bathing Suit.  Oye.  Got me to thinking....Are we ever satisfied with our bodies?  I surround myself with fit people.  Most of my friends are avid exercisers and healthy eaters.  Yet, there is rarely a time when I hear any of them say they are satisfied with their physique.  Actually, I've never heard this from anyone I know...including myself.  I've been at both ends of the spectrum....overweight and underweight and I can't recall any time in between that I felt satisfied.

As always, God has a way of pointing things out that we need to see or hear.  Just as I was mulling over my game plan for getting bathing suit ready, I read a friend's facebook post and decided I needed to read it more often ....and maybe pass it on to my friends:

Those of you that want to be "skinny" consider this: What most of us "health driven" people think of when we hear skinny is "skinny fat" This means someone with no muscle tone, just bone, flesh and fat! SKinny doesn't sound attractive when it's put that way huh? You may look thin on the outside but your heart may be dying on the inside. Be happy with yourself, your curves and the way God made you.  (thanks Ashlee Buchert)


I am all about working to be your best both for your health and aesthetics.  But I do think that along our fitness journey we should give ourselves a break.  Most of us are continual works in progress.....so wherever you are on your journey,  be kind to yourself.