Changes in Routines

I finally broke down and joined the local gym. Amy and Katie have been working out there on and off for the last few months. Amy has enjoyed belonging and works out 5-6 times a week. She loves to use their swimming pool and hot tub. It was a difficult decision for me to join. We purchased a stationary bike last spring, which I love. Unfortunately, one of the kids (who will remain nameless) broke the battery compartment lid, so the machine will not increase resistance. It's possible for me to ride it for an hour, but the workout isn't very good. I am able to go really fast though.:) It's really important for me to be getting enough exercise and the cold temperatures inhibit my desire to go for long walks or hikes.

We didn't get a family membership. The children would only be able to use the gym on Saturdays for 3 hours in the afternoon. Each child membership is the same as an adult membership. The cost of memberships seems strange to me, because of the limited availability for children/youth.

It was good to get back to working out again. I'm being much more reasonable with my goals this time. I've started out with 30 minutes each day for the first week. It was surprising how much more distance I was able to cover on the treadmill or bike by the end of the week. Next week, I'm adding 5 minutes to my daily workout and will continue to increase each week until reaching 60 minutes each day.

I also changed my eating habits this week. The dreaded cleanse was completed for the first three days and really got rid of decreased my craving for carbs. So far, I've dropped 13 pounds. My family will be joining me in my new eating habits, except they will be getting more breads and other starches. They will also get dessert once or twice a week.....eventually.

Adding my workout time to our schedule has changed part of our school day. We're covering Bible, math, English, literature, phonics, and history before I leave for the gym. The girls are expected to do spelling, art, piano, or math drill while I'm gone. We finish up science and other projects when I get home. The new routine is working out for the younger girls, but Madelyn didn't get her usual amount of work done this week. I think she will need to get up earlier in the morning. She won't be thrilled with getting up earlier, but she'll appreciate it when the weather changes and we have time to play.