I don’t have time to maintain another separate blog so I will put these posts here!
I am a minimalist trapped in a cluttered home person’s body 
I have posted about getting rid of things and organizing books and such. I have now added downsizing me. I never struggled with weight until after I had children. I had some success early on, but after the children started climbing on me or wanting to “dance” while I exercised, there just wasn’t enough space in our home or patience in my heart. The only time I dropped pounds is when I gave birth, only to have it all pile back on and more some. During my last two pregnancies, I gained less and so after birth I would be below my beginning birth weight. I then would gain some back, but still be less to start when I was pregnant the last time.
After my last pregnancy (ended August 2010), I think I reached my heaviest weight ever (even when pregnant). This is when I decided I would start small and give myself a couple of years to lose the weight. It was slow going at first. Since the first of the year we started attending a swing dance class once a week. I also have been learning other things at home. I found some zumba videos online, shim sham videos and other swing routines, I also am learning some other dances online as well as Bollywood dancing. With the variety I find it is easy to get moving almost daily with some type of dance.
It is hard for me to find large blocks of time so I snatch ten minutes here, and another ten there. It is still challenging, but worth it. I have already begun to see a difference in how my clothes fit. I also have more energy and less stress. It has also helped in sharpening my mind. I have more clarity and improvement in my short-term memory.
My goal is to try to lose five pounds a month. In sixteen months I could be at my goal weight. It may take longer because when I first set this goal, I didn’t realize how out-of-shape I really am I have also learned that there is something about pressing through the pain of exercise that is liberating somehow. So I am pushing myself to break a sweat and “feel the burn” LOL!
I also find taking time to stretch in the morning gets the blood flowing and clears the mental cobwebs from my mind. I find that strengthening my flexibility and range of motion makes it so that I don’t get so stiff sitting for periods of time when I have to teach. I do have to watch my lower back. It is hard to stand for too long. I believe as I strengthen my “core” the pain in my lower back will lessen.
One bigger goal is to be able to buy a new dress for our 20th anniversary at the end of June 2012.
Some basic facts about me:
I am 43 years old. I am 5 feet and 1/2 inch. At my heaviest I was 219 pounds! I am not sure what my present weight is as our scale weighs us lighter than what we really are (according to doctor visits). I have lost some weight as my clothes are not as tight as they were at Christmas time.
I look forward to the downsizing of me and my home
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