Fat people, Pilates, and a 3 year old

I remember doing my Pilates video all the time in high school. Sure, it was challenging, but it was a really good workout and I could do the 20 minute video twice and feel great after.

In high school I was 136lbs and very active. I played dance dance revolution on heavy mode (the advanced mode) and I was really into exercise. I was at the gym every morning before school, and I had colorguard or I was working most of the time. I was not sedentary.

Well... I'm 24 now. In the "prime" of my life. In the last 3 years, I have had 2 kids, and in the last 6 years I have gained 130lbs. Yes, thats right. I have nearly doubled my weight. I never realized that until right now... and I'm not gonna lie, I am kind of disgusted with myself right now.

Anywho, back on track...

I have a 6 month old baby and  3 year old daughter. So, technically I guess its okay that I'm soft in the abdomen area since I recently had a baby. Yes, I'm making excuses.

At the beginning of the year, I made a pact with myself to improve my health this year. So far, I've lost 6lbs and I am a LOT more active than I have recently been. (Pregnancy is hard on me, I basically spent 9 months on the couch). I bought an elliptical trainer, and I'm on it whenever I have time. I have also been walking with the kids in the stroller, and I can now walk more than a mile (when I started it was an effort to walk 1/4 mile).

So, on to todays adventure:

I got my pilates video out, thinking it would be great to stretch and get some core exercise in.

Yaaaaa...

My son was asleep, so I put the DVD in. My 3 year old daughter decides that she has to stop what she's doing and come exercise with me. I was pretty excited with this, because I thought "Ya! I'm raising her to be active! Next we will clear the candy out and feast on celery!"

Well, she's cool doing the first few moves. I have no idea if she was doing them or not, because I was in my own internal bubble of misery (I was convinced I was going to have an aneurism, do you know how hard it is to do pilates at 264lbs??? I can barely reach my legs! Last time I did this, I could reach my toes easily, now I'm about 4 inches above my ankles and straining. I feel 65.

Somewhere past the initial head pain and asthmatic wheezing, I am trying to do this impossible move where you lay on your back and reach your arms above your head while stretching your legs out and doing some sort of plank thing and then you reach around and pull your legs in. Granted, this used to be easy. I am surprised I am still alive. I'll have to write my will before I attempt this again, I need arrangements for my children lest I combust. --- Visualize with me, if you will. I'm trying to bend around my excess 100+lbs, and there is my daughter, smiling.

She is trying to help me.

Granted, she is entirely in the way, but it's really heart-warming.

I love the simplicity of my child's mind. She is so beautiful.

I got through 17 of 20 minutes and I am still alive, and we now have something to (maybe) do together.