A weighty issue

I just got back from the gym. I hadn't been there in 8 days, due to the stomach flu and a very stressful week. I got on the scale, knowing that my tummy was sticking out more than usual, and realized I have gained 5 pounds this week. That's after losing a bunch of weight with the flu! This mid-30's stuff really sucks sometimes. Earlier today I was reminiscing about the college days when I would eat an entire batch of cookie dough (not the cookies . . .just the dough) for dinner. And not gain a pound. I hate to complain about weight, because I know I don't struggle with it nearly as much as many moms, but still . . .it's just no fun to have to worry about exercise and healthy food choices all the time! Right now I weigh 25 pounds more than I did when I got married. After having Brynlie, I got too skinny and weighed 35 pounds less than I do right now. I would be happy if I could even lose 10 pounds! I can maintain my weight if I workout and eat well, but as soon as I go "off the bandwagon" I put on the pounds really easily. Where did this body come from? It was only 7 years ago that I had a colonoscopy because I wasn't able to GAIN weight, and my body was showing signs of malnutrition. I would drink Ensure after most meals, and glasses of whole milk every day. I would sit down to watch TV and suddenly realize I had eaten an entire bag of Grasshopper cookies.

I am just dang sick of looking pregnant when those days are long gone. I will even admit that I've considered a mini-tummy-tuck at times, because I would just love to have my tummy look proportionate to the rest of my body. That's not to say that my butt and thighs couldn't stand to lose inches, but I can deal with some junk in my trunk. I want to be able to wear a t-shirt without spending the whole day sucking in my gut.

While driving home from the gym, the radio announcer said that if America continues at it's current rate, everyone will be overweight within 40 years. That's just so sad. I guess I will continue to drag myself off to the gym and eat lots of green stuff. I definitely want to set an example of physical fitness for my kids. Ryan and I have been forcing Brevan to take his eyes off the computer screen and get exercise every day. He has to shoot 100 baskets, do 25 pull-ups and go running/ride his bike on the local trail. He hates every minute of it, so I try to give him pep-talks. But really I just completely agree. The problem with exercising and eating like a rabbit is that it's just no fun.

If only broccoli tasted like brownies . . .