Exercise Goals and a Room Change

Approximately 100 days ago a neighbor of mine mentioned she was going to start an exercise challenge. The challenge would require her to exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes a day for 100 days in a row. Any form of exercise counted, cleaning the house, going for a walk, whatever physical activity you wanted. I thought that sounded like a great idea. With my weight at an all time high (no small fete for someone who has struggled since adolescence) I decided to join in. I bought myself some posterboard and made a goal chart. Then, I set my own parameters. 30 minutes seemed reasonable, but for me, I decided it had to be "real" exercise. My heart rate had to get well into the cardio zone for a sustained period or I had to be lifting weights for it to count.

And, I did it! Well, almost--I exercised for the next 96/100 days. I exercised on vacation and when I was sick. I exercised tired and sore. I was motivated! But, I didn't see the grand changes I expected. I lost a measly 9 pounds. Which, is certainly better than nothing, but not the results I hoped for. And, all those pounds came in the first 5 weeks. I had a perfect exercise streak going until week 12 (86 days in a row to be exact), then I was tired of it. None of workouts sounded fun and I was sick of a stagnant scale. So, I decided to take a day off. I felt guilty and was back on track the next day. Then, in the final week, I missed 3 days. Honestly, I just didn't care anymore. I felt like 90+ days was good enough and I was sick of exercise.

This was sad to me because for my entire adult life, I have enjoyed exercise. And, for the most part, I have been consistent. I would say I generally exercised 4-5/week for the past 15 years. But, I am still obese. With this history, I should have realized that 100 days of exercise alone would not make a big impact for me. I have never exercised that much, but it's not like exercise was foreign to my system. What I really need to change is my eating habits. So, I am embarking on a new challenge--90 days of food tracking. I will still exercise 4-5x weekly, but I am okay with missing days here and there. I am hoping a few days off will erase the tedium that exercise became to me during the 100 day challenge.

And, on to other news. We have removed Luke's crib! He has been using it as a toddler bed for quite some time, but we decided it was time to remove it all together. And, for about the 5th time in the 3 years, we have a new sleeping arrangement. Anna is still in her room (she's the only one who hasn't moved around the house), Kara is back to her old room upstairs and Luke and Jack are in what used to be Jack's room. So far, everyone is happy. Luke and Jack have been sharing a room for the past 6 months or so, but it had been in Kara's room because that is where the crib was. Kara had bounced between Anna's room, Jack's room and the basement bedroom. Only Anna was sleeping in her actual room. Everyone else slept in one room and had their clothes and belongings in another. It was quite confusing! This weekend, we finally moved things around. We aren't done yet. Kara still has her clothes in the basement until we buy her another dresser, but we are a lot closer.

Obviously, the arrangement that made the most sense, on paper at least, was Anna and Kara sharing a room. They are the same gender and only 16 months apart in age, but we tried that and it did not go well. Both desperately need their own space. On the other hand, Jack really wanted to share a room with someone. He and Kara shared for a while and got along well, but we knew that was not a long-term solution. That left Luke and Jack as the best remaining option. So far, everyone is happy.

Here are all the combinations we have tried since Luke was born:

1. A&K sharing a room, L alone, J alone. Everyone's stuff where they slept. Much discord in the girl's room.
2. J&K sharing, L alone, A alone. K's stuff still in A's room.
3. Everyone alone, K in basement. Everyone's stuff where they slept.
4. K grew lonely in basement, moved back in with J. But, her stuff remained in basement.
5. J in with L, K in J's room, A in her room. Only A's belongings are where she slept.
6. All kids back to their pre-Luke room, Luke moves in with Jack.

There has been a lot of furniture moving in this house! The girls still sometimes have "sleepovers" with each other, but everyone now has a designated space. So, when we tell them to go their rooms, they no longer have to say "which room." Once we have Kara's dresser in place, I am hoping they stay put for at least the next 3 years!