b5media.com

Advertise with us

Enjoying this blog? Check out the rest of the Lifestyles Channel Subscribe to this Feed

Solo Mother

Hello, I’d like to trade my butt with Angelina Jolie’s butt, please?

by christina on October 21st, 2006

I’ve lost ten pounds since we decided to break up. This is good.

Running shoesI’ve done it by not eating more than one real meal a day. This is bad.

Diuretics have been veddy veddy good to me: if I drink any more coffee, I’m going to have to put a Starbuck’s bathroom in my purse — it would be the only way to make their bathrooms more convenient. Remember when our moms used to look for a MacDonald’s for emergency potty breaks? How times have changed.  But seriously, in the ultimate quest for fitness, I’m going to have to get serious.

When we lived in the United Arab Emirates (First in Dubai, then in Sharjah), excersise was a problem: it was mostly too damned hot to go outside. When it’s 140 degrees in the shade, there’s nowhere to hide … except in a mall. Unless we were going to the Mall of the Emirates to play in the snow, there was nothing to do but walk and window shop. And eat candy. And have a meal. And get bigger.

One family who has been so generous with their combined household duplicates (phone, blender, vases, coffee mugs!) take turns excersising. He goes, then she goes. Pass the baton baby. Some work at home/stay at home moms have a mother’s helper or nanny who comes in to give some relief, give mama some time to do some grownup stuff, like go to the gym. But us single mothers? No one to pass the kid off to, not enough money to spend on a babysitter AND a gym.

Have you ever tried to get some excersise WITH your kid? It’s impossible with toddlers. When The King of Everything’s older we can run together, but I can’t wait ten years! It takes us 20, sometimes 30 minutes to walk the two and a half blocks to school every morning. We’re looking at the changing leaves on the trees, we’re throwing oak whirlibirds, we’re checking out the Halloween decorations on the houses. We have to stop to pat every dog, say good morning to the regulars on our route, and talk about everything under the sun. Washington is such a walkable city…

So I bought a second-hand jogging stroller. Now, the Kid and I can zoomaloom along the sidewalks. I can go fast, get the heart going, and he can keep up his running commentary on life without having to run along beside me.

Now, I just have to learn how to RUN.

>.<

Because fries really do come with my shake.

POSTED IN: budget, family fun, fitness, health, separation, take care of yourself

11 opinions for Hello, I’d like to trade my butt with Angelina Jolie’s butt, please?

  • Kerri
    Oct 21, 2006 at 11:33 pm

    Shake it, girl. ;) And I really want those fries now. Thanks so much for getting me thinking of them. :D Can’t do much exercise with my monkeys trying to act as leg, stomach, and back weights while I do everything! I resorted to getting an inexpensive aerobics step to get in 30 minutes or so while I’m watching TV at night. It at least gets me away from the computer for a while!

  • christina
    Oct 21, 2006 at 11:44 pm

    Kerri, you don’t know the secret of baked sweet potato fries? Slice sweet potatoes into frie shapes, spray them and a baking sheet with cooking oil (I put down parchment paper too cause my fries always get stuck) and bake in the oven at around 400 degrees Farenheit however it’s spelled. Flip them, cook til they are how you like them, and enjoy. A little Old Bay or Cajun spices to shake over them while they bake and you can forget the sugary katchup!

  • Robyn Tippins
    Oct 21, 2006 at 11:56 pm

    As I read this I am sitting on my couch eating a bag of chips… Um, I think I’ve got fries w/this shake too LOL

  • christina
    Oct 22, 2006 at 12:13 am

    You know, I’d be right there with you on the chips… but I’m too lazy to get out of bed and go get them.

  • Kerri
    Oct 22, 2006 at 1:05 pm

    b5media presents Christina and the Shakettes! What do you think? We’d be bigger than the Rockettes!! ;)

    Mmmm….sweet potato fries. Me loves me some sweet potatoes!! Of course, that’s usually with brown sugar and butter. That probably wouldn’t help, would it? I’m gonna have to try them. Thanks for sharing the tip!

  • christina
    Oct 22, 2006 at 8:43 pm

    It doesn’t take much to be bigger than the Rockettes. I think a pretzel stick is bigger than the Rockettes!

    I need to start cooking again. Which means I need to get a place of our own.

  • Kerri
    Oct 22, 2006 at 9:49 pm

    Tried the sweet potato fries. Yum! The baby especially liked them. I do think I’m going to have to find some kind of dipping sauce, though. Maybe some concoction with low-fat sour cream. Probably defeats the whole point of healthy, aye? I’ll let you know if I come up with anything. Still hoping lots for that home for you and your little king.

  • kellys
    Oct 24, 2006 at 3:31 pm

    When I was a teenager, the guys used to try to be cool and use the line “Want some fries with that shake?” Then it was almost flattering as all teenagers usually have Angelina-like butts. Now if someone was to say that to me, I would run to my room and cry! I no longer have to imagine a little shake with my step. I FEEL it every time I take a step. Where’s the “feel good” in that!

  • Karen
    Oct 24, 2006 at 11:20 pm

    I’ve got too much “shake” going on. I’m quite disgusted about it. I’m more disgusted that I can’t find the time to exercise. With work, blogging, volunteering with the youth at church, playing and singing in the praise band at church, yada yada yada. I could go on and on. I constantly wish my mom lived here so that she could help me out.

    In North Carolina it seems to either be blazing hot or too cold outside. There are few nice days. Then again, if there were, I don’t know that I could exercise outside because my toddler runs from me when we go outside. Errr! I can’t wait for him to be out of this stage. It will be nice to take him outside and just let him play. Sorry to rattle on so much. I’ve had a rough day.

  • christina
    Oct 27, 2006 at 11:29 pm

    Oh, I found a picture of me back in the day, when I was twenty-something, weighed less than 120, and wore catsuits. Cause honey, if you got it, flaunt it.

    I lost it somewhere. I am NEVER going to find it again. Sure would be nice to wear shorts again, though.

  • Babylune » The FIRST Healthy & Fit Family Carnival!
    Oct 30, 2006 at 5:27 am

    […] There are a lot of jogging success stories. In this one, Solo Mother explains how a combination of running and separation have helped her drop ten pounds. […]

Have an opinion? Leave a comment: