I See You Have A Washboard Stomach!

     So I think the newest trend out there is for girls to have washboard abdominals. Yes, I'm talking six-packs. Or maybe twelve or twenty-four packs, depending on how hardcore they are. It's not just about being skinny any more ladies. You have to be fit!

     Now don't get me wrong, because I'm all for the workout. Back in my school years, I did just about everything to stay lean and mean. That mostly meant I was playing all the sports and running for hours on end. Track and field, basketball, baseball, you name it! I'm going to brag just a bit and say that I was pretty good at it too.

     Unfortunately, life isn't meant to be like school and once I graduated, the opportunities to play sports that didn't interfere with college studies, part-time jobs, boyfriend time, or sleep seemed a little more limited. To be fair, I could have signed up for college teams. However, my priorities were on keeping stress low and the busyness to a minimum. 

     So how did that affect my physique? Let's just say genetics have played the best role they possibly could have. Like seriously, they should receive an award. Maybe multiple ones. I cannot take credit for my mysteriously large biceps that seem to win the admiration of everyone I meet, especially at weirdest times possible. 

     Me: (Serving food at a restaurant with a couple plates in my hands. Of course, I'm wearing a t-shirt).

     Random citizen: "Hokey smokes! Look at those pipes! You must work out!"

     Me: (Awkwardly) "Ummm, no. It's just genetics. Can you stop staring at them so I can hand you your liver and onions?"

     Me: (Casually throwing a ball around with some friends)

     Friend: "Wow, Ashley! You don't throw like a girl at all! It must be those biceps! Are you going to become a bodybuilder like your aunt?"

    Me: "I'm going to throw this at your face next, okay? Don't catch it!"

 ****Yes, my aunt has won competitions for body building. She's got those exact same genetics except she puts them to good use!

    Needless to say, I don't always have to work out to have a lean body. You can hate me now. 

     Done hating? 

     Let me tell you something else. I can get fat! It's happened! 

     Before I left for Youth With A Mission (YWAM), I had worked at a door factory for the summer which included a lot of heavy lifting. I was pretty toned. I then went on a missions trip to India and became abominably sick when arriving home. I lost 7 pounds. So I was super skinny upon leaving Canada.

      Regrettably, I decided I could eat anything and everything there was to be had while living in the Caribbean, Venezuela, Serbia, and finally Israel. And being away from home, I really craved comfortable, familiar food. What's familiar in foreign countries? Chocolate, cookies, and ice cream. I came home after 9 long months gaining 17 pounds. Technically, if I was still at my normal weight, it would have been 10, but this was not the case.

     I hated my body. Aside from pregnancy, I have never gained that much weight nor felt so big. Nevertheless, I did adjust to normal living again, and made it my goal to start running.

     Lord, do I ever hate running! I can't believe I used to like it! Specifically, it was short-distance running, so I guess that's okay.  

     My body is also super responsive to physical activity. Some of you may wonder why you work out and see hardly any results. Maybe you have a low response to this type of activity. (I don't know because I'm not an expert. Go see and expert who can tell you what you need to do). Even breastfeeding my child was like a workout. 

     When I only gained 20 pounds with my daughter in pregnancy, I was back to normal weight within 3 months. It may have been sooner but I was afraid to step on a scale before that time. Yay! Good job, genetics and nursing!

     The downside? Nursing=burning 500 calories. That means I needed to eat more food! I've only just started slowing down the food intake and my daughter is almost 13 months! Seriously, you've never known hunger until you've nursed a hungry baby!

     I stepped on a scale the other day at a store. It lied! Apparently, I was ten pounds heavier than usual. I blamed it on the rainboots I was wearing. They have to be at least 10 pounds of extra weight, right?  Nope. 

     How did this happen?????

     (No wonder my jeans are unhappy with my butt!)

      If you are feeling bad about yourself, don't attempt to use social media! This is where the self-loathing will happen. Because the minute you turn on facebook, BOOM! There is your friend who does Crossfit every day--the picture of her doing a bazillion pound bench press while you wonder how it doesn't crush her like a bug. Or take Pinterest. There's plenty of pictures showing tanned, toned, strong goddesses, and what their tricks are. 

     And all the while, I secretly cry and wonder what's wrong? 

     SELF-MOTIVATION TIME! (Cue MC Hammer's Hammer Time)

     I started Jillian Michael's 30 day shred a while back. I got to day 15 without much of a hassle. But skip a couple days and laziness settles in. Plus, my daughter's ever changing developmental capabilities kept me on my toes just trying to figure out if she'd co-operate each time I'd work out.

     So it's back to the grind! And today, I proudly increased my hand weights from 2.5 pounds to five pounds in each hand! I was sweating from the beginning. And don't get the wrong idea--I don't love the workout! Sometimes I feel like screaming at Jillian through the computer so that I can just be done. But I do it right and I do it hard! No pain, no gain! 

     If you are struggling with getting back into shape, I strongly urge you to try Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. You can watch it on YouTube from the comfort of your home. It only takes 27 minutes of your day. That's what I love about it. 

     Because I have a busy schedule with my toddling daughter, I don't want to add more to my life than I already have to. Plus, I love spending time with family. Going to the gym when my hubby comes home is not the way I want to spend an evening. I'd rather go for a long bike ride or walk. (Or just sit down and die while my husband wonders how one child can tire me out so much)

     Since my husband is doing Tough Mudder this year, we've both been working out together. I hope to do it eventually too, though bearing children might put me off for a couple of years. But when I'm ready, look out six-packs! How awesome would it be to feel spectacular about my muscles, knowing that I put in the work it took to get there? 

     

This is not me. She's hardly working. She's just pretending.