Making the Time for ME

I had every intention of starting this blog today with a bad attitude. I’ve been feeling very frazzled lately, like there’s just never enough time to get everything done in a day. I’ve got a new job, the fiance is getting ready for school to start up again, and our 10 week old (wow, 10 weeks?) is in need of constant entertainment at all times. How am I expected to keep up with anything? I can’t tweet/post from work, I can’t join in on FitBlog chat because that’s baby’s “gremlin hour” as I like to call it. BLAH BLAH BLAH. Man, even I’m getting sick of writing it, let alone listening to it.

Then this morning, I was checking in with my fellow 6 Week Wonder Girls over on BTL and saw my friend Jen’s posting:

"I haven't had much time made the time to do any weight lifting"

Her intentional strike-out of "had the time" made me stop dead in my “woa is me” tracks. I say that phrase to myself every single day when complaining that I never exercise and am not losing like I want to. Do I really not have enough time? Or am I choosing not to make time? Roni also brought this topic up in her blog last night, and it seems to be an ongoing challenge for the majority of us “losers.” We can’t do everything all the time. True. What we can do is make ourselves a priority in our own lives.

For example : my usual routine after work is something like this: walk in the door from work, fiance walks out to work, get in “comfy clothes” and relax/fix dinner till baby wakes up (usually about an hour), feed baby while watching TV, play w/baby till 9, feed her, put her down, watch TV until fiance is home at 10, go to bed.
I never really realized how much bumming around I do until just now typing that out. Is it okay to relax? Sure! Could I just as easily been relaxing while writing a blog? Absolutely. Should I have been doing simple weight routines while watching TV? Probably.

I challenge you all to take another look at your wasted time everyday. Really write it out, you’ll be surprised! I know it seems like at times you don’t have the energy to do anything, let alone exercising. I'm the Queen of "I worked hard all day, don't I get a break?" But if we don’t put ourselves first, who will? No more excuses, friends. This is going to be a hard one for me to change, but I’m willing to do it for me. Are you?

Food for thought:

What little things can you do to optimize your time?

Do you have any tips for fellow “losers”?

Comment below!

Who Says So?

This morning I'm heading off to my new job. My first real job, actually. I've been a slave to sports bars, big-box retail establishments, insurance companies, coffee shops, copy shops, and the occasional plasma donation centers. No longer! I have a salary, (albeit small one) my own desk, benefits, and even a fancy-pants name badge. I know you're impressed.

So starting this job meant a few things that semi-terrified me:

1. I have to make new friends.
2. I have to buy new work clothes.
3. I have to eat in a public space, probably alone for a while.

.. and I have to do all of these things fat.

Sounds a bit crazy, right? But hear me out. I'm still very much a Fat Thinker (someone who thinks awful fat things about herself that aren't necessarily true) which is something I'm committed to changing. But for now ... let the crazy spew.

Making new friends has always been pretty easy, actually, for me because I overcompensate my "fatness" with funny. I know you know what I'm talking about. A lot of us chubby ladies seem to think we have something extra to prove. At least, that's definitely how I feel! I've got to be nice, funny, wonderful to be around. When people pass by my desk I want them to say "Oh, that's the new girl Emily. She's so super nice and fun to be around." not "Oh, that's the new girl .. she's pretty heavy, huh?"  Don't even get me started on work clothes. They never fit right. My butt's too small compared to my gut. Button-up work shirts are out of the question. Eating in a public space? I feel like all eyes are on my every move. People judge you if you eat too much or if you're not eating as much as they thought people of your size eat. This is all real, right? There's no way it's all in my head ... or is it?

This got me thinking about how often I've told myself I can't do something because I'm overweight. How stupid is that? Very. I know it's not something I can change overnight, but I certainly want to start trying! Who says I can't rock a new job at 269lbs? Who says I can't be an interesting person with out being a skinny minnie? Who says I can't be HAPPY? If I'm the only one really telling myself it's not possible ... well, pffft, forget that! I don't trust my instincts lately anyway. Just yesterday I watched a whole hour of Jersey Shore. (insert shudder)

Face it Emily, sometimes you can just be wrong.

Food for Thought:

What kind of "fat thoughts" do you think?

Have you made steps to stop this negative pattern?