WHAT I DID AND DO TO STAY HEALTHY BOOK BLOG HOP 8
Do you like to read? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the MMB Open Book Blog Hop each Wednesday and they will tell all. Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.
If you came from P.J. Maclayne's blog site I appreciate the visit.
If you haven't, make sure you double back to pjmaclayne.blogspot.com and read her thoughts on this week's question and while you're there take a look at her books , including her latest novel in the Oak Grove Mysteries Series,
Question of the Week:
Do you diet? Do you exercise? Tell us what you do to stay healthy.
I started out in life with a huge advantage. My father strongly believed in 3-square, homemade meals a day. It was all about fresh fruits and vegetables, multi-grain bread, the very rare visit to a family style restaurant and an even rarer visit to a fast-food restaurant.
I was born with a turned foot, but after two years of wearing corrective casts you could barely tell that I’d had any malformation and once I was introduced to music I danced better than most children twice my age. It was in my bones and I still can’t stand still when there is a particularly groovy song playing.
I shared all of that to say that I didn’t have any reason to even look at my weight until my first year of high school when I wanted to join my school’s dance company. I weighed a little too much and needed to take more outside dance classes to sharpen my technique, so I enrolled in classes for 9 months, laid off of the extra glazed donut in the morning and went from apprentice to a member of the company.
I danced and continued to eat more meals at home than away which helped me remain slim, sleek and very strong all the way into my second year of college when I fell in love with weight lifting and circuit training. I loved a challenge so between dance team rehearsals I lifted. Though I was majoring in Journalism and minoring in Ethnic Studies, I told myself I would one day finish my studies in physical training.
I yoyo-ed a bit during my first five years out of college, but I stayed between 10 and 15 pounds above my lowest weight in college. I wouldn’t let it get too far out of hand before I found another exercise I wanted to conquer. Aerobics, Yoga, slide skating, full body toning, stepping, pilates, funk-aerobics, cycling, etc. I loved it all.
Then I moved to San Diego and most of the people I would work out with were gone, not to mention I worked 15 to 16 hour-days. The next thing I knew I was in love and planning my marriage with 30 extra pounds. I paid more attention to my eating and lost 15 quickly, but adopted the excuse that I was just too busy to push for more, besides, who doesn’t like a few curves?
Inside my first year of marriage with the late night snacking and wanting to snuggle against my husband who would lift his legs onto an ottoman rather than do an actual leg lift, I slacked off more and ate myself out of curvy and into chunky.
There was a company that came to my business wanting to recruit a few people for a pilot weight loss program. I asked my husband and soon we were eating fish, turkey, chicken, huge salads and specialized cookies. I kid you not. We ate cookies all day and then ate a healthy dinner.
Now these weren’t your ordinary cookies. They had good amount of protein and were low in sugar and fat. In five months my husband and I reshaped our lives and bodies.
I told myself I would do whatever I could to stay a healthy weight so I enrolled in accelerated Physical Fitness, Kinesiology, Anatomy and Nutrition courses at the local community college and received my certification in physical fitness and personal training.
I started teaching fitness classes at my church in the evenings and tried to make it as fun as possible, incorporating, strength training with dance, step classes, hoola hooping, core strengthening and hiking. For three years we had fun and I kept the weight down. Then life, family and careers caused my core group to move or exercise at home.
The last two years I have been slowly creeping back up the weight ladder, but it has been more from stress and picking up hobbies that don’t call for much physical activity. I’m currently playing the “I’ll start tomorrow” game, but it won’t be long before I start recommitting myself to a healthier and more active lifestyle because summer is coming and I just found a few new hiking trails.
Now hop on over to Stephany Tullis's blog to see how she answered this question. If you have a question you would like me to answer don't hesitate to leave it in the comments.While you're there, take a look at her books especially her new release
Blue Lady at http://www.stephanytullis.com/.
I'll race you to the next page or we can hike there! http://www.stephanytullis.com/blog
