Life Lately | July 2016

How is summer flying by so quickly? It seems like just yesterday we were in Punta Cana. For the first time in a long time, I actually had a clear mind. My brain is usually pinging from one idea to the next all day, and it was nice to have radio silence for a change. I guess that’s why vacation is so good for your body, mind and soul. Since we came home, I have renewed energy and with a clear mind to get back to the daily grind.

In my Punta Cana post, I mentioned my insecurities with my weight, and learning to love my body once and for all. The other day it occurred to me that I have not weighed myself in over six months. I’m a little on the muscular side and have always weighed more than other women my height, so the number on a scale is subjective for me anyway. So why would I want to know my weight? Partly morbid curiosity, and partly because I was wiping down the scale as I cleaned the bathroom and wanted see if the batteries still worked.

I was shocked. I’ve lost 20lbs since I last weighed myself in early January. Twenty. Pounds. I am actually down to my wedding weight. Albeit, not the same dress size, but I’ll take it!

Have I been intentional in my weight loss? I wish I could say I am actively meeting some personal goals, but no, this was not intentional.

What has made me lose twenty pounds? I think my trip to Disney and walking roughly 5 miles each day kickstarted it. But mainly, two things: yard work and housekeeping. Much to my chagrin, the older I get, the more I am like my mother…the professional clean freak who puts Danny Tanner to shame.

As a kid, I remember the chore I hated the most: washing walls with a bucket of soap + water and a washcloth. That, and cleaning out the fridge. As in, emptying out all the food every other month, washing every tray and basket, and wiping down every nook and cranny…activities that still raise an eyebrow from friends. While I hated them as a kid, I’m actually grateful for those chores.

Our house is usually tidy. I have pretty high standards when it comes to cleanliness (thanks Mom!). And, like Danny Tanner, I have vacuumed my Dyson with a shop vac…

Cleaning aside, what has mostly contributed to my unexpected weight loss are the outdoor activities. I walk the dogs twice a day, every day. (Those dogs have me well-trained). I also do all the mowing at our house…and I LOVE love doing it! Mowing our large yard, and the steep incline by the retention ponds (over 150 linear feet of steep inclines, to be exact), is not easy, and the workout is compounded by the Florida sun. The other day I almost passed out because I didn’t know we had a 106° heat index. Whoops. I could spend hours each day in the garden. I just love it!

Yesterday, I ripped out all of the society garlic from our mailbox planter and replaced them with Apricot Drift roses. These roses are adorable and they will stay a manageable size at only 1.5 feet high. I can’t wait to see more blooms! They’re different than the Knock Out roses in that they don’t grow as large, are more compact, and they have more blooms and leaves overall.

Even though I was done digging out the old plants and replacing them with these roses before 9am, I was drenched with sweat. It was an intense workout, and I’m happy that I’m burning calories doing something that I absolutely love! My shoulders and arms are still sore this morning.

I just learned about drift roses (aka groundcover roses), and given that this mailbox gets at LEAST 8 hours of direct sun, I knew this would be my next venture. Roses are one of the few flowering plants that can tolerate this much sun (and humidity) so it was a no-brainer. I gave the society garlic a year in the garden, however, a quarter of the plants were sun-fried while another quarter of them were accidentally killed by me using Preen.

So what’s next for me? Needless to say, I was pretty surprised at this unintentional weight-loss, but since I’ve come this far, it would be dumb for me not to capitalize on it and jump start a more tone physique. I’m starting to plan my weight-lifting schedule for toned muscles. Cardio is my least favorite form of exercise, but since I’m actively fulfilling this component of fitness by doing yard-work and cleaning our large house, weight-lifting, core workouts and leg workouts will be a piece of cake to fit into my busy schedule. Plus, I have (huge) plans for landscaping that will continue to keep me in shape.

What have you been up to lately?