TV and Weights - Making it Fit You

I've been reading a fair bit lately on the subject of fitness, etc on everyone's blog, plus on Sparks site (for some reason, the links I created to that site just aren't working for me). Is it summer that's sparking all of this discussion? I loved the suggestion that I do weights or other exercise while watching my favourite TV show. I'm gonna share a secret with everyone now - I don't watch TV. Well, that's a bit of a lie, but back in the days after buying our house, hubby and I realized that we were in WAY over our heads and cut out all non-essentials, including cable. Life changes and now cable is just soemthing we never did get around to getting. Total squares, huh? We used to watch the 'freebie' channels, but with the airport so close it interferes with the reception, so we don't even try anymore.

I don't mean to be a mean Mom - the kids watch TV at the sitters' and when we visit Nanny. I suppose as the 9yo gets a bit older it may be considered abuse to continue not having cable. After all, I never had cable growing up and I turned out totally messed up. For now, I don't see a problem. We do have one good size stack of videos and DVD's. We also love to borrow new ones from the library or occassionally rent one. Friends of ours have their own massive collection that doesn't revolve around Disney and Feature Films for Families and we 'use' them as a lending service for variety. God Bless Friends! Most recently we watched "Ghost Rider" - that was a couple of weeks ago. Sadly, the hubby and I don't secure the TV very often and end up watching Care Bear Nutcracker or Friendship Fields for the upteenth time. He's up so early in the morning and I'm just not a night owl anymore. We tend to go to bed around the same time as the girls.

I thought we had weights in the house at one point, but they're probably buried in the workshop. Quite some time ago someone mentioned to me that you could start with smaller weights found in household items, like canned foods. Interestinlgly, a bottle of 3-bean salad in my pantry weighs approximately 3.5lbs - perfect for starting out.

So, since last night was really too humid to go out, and to the tune of the Care Bears, I braced my arm on my leg and lifted beans until my arm hurt, then switched sides. The 9yo must have been bored because she decided to join me - saying that it looks easy - harumph. I instructed her on how to brace her arm and after 3 lifts she gave up, lol - maybe next time a can of condensed tomatoe soup.

The LO was kind of needy last night, too. Is it resistance training to do squates while having an extra 40lbs wrapped around your neck and waist?

All of this actually amused the chickens for the better part of half hour, and let hubby in peace to search the dial-up web in frustration for bike parts. Exercise to fit my life!

Hmm, pizza in the lunch room - and not just any pizza - I swear they order from the pizza joint with the highest points. Someone is out to sabotage my weight loss efforts! You think I'm joking? Earlier this week one of the girls looked at me and said "Ice Cream Sandwich! You know you want one." Then she went out and got one - it wasn't even hot out. I fooled her though - I resisted and lost weight this week - ahh, small victories. I do feel badly for her, though - she was talking about wanting to lose weight (put on 30 lbs over the winter - hmm, wonder why) and it was one of several things that spurred me into action, so I can't be too hard on her. She's young (28) and is likely a few years away from realizing she needs more than a quick starvation diet.