The lower belly has always been my least favorite place. I always had some chub there but in my early twenties the chub started to focus on that area. Lately it's moved on to my thighs, bastard chub.
Now in addition to floppy teacher arm I live in fear of ... dare I say it? I can't do it. We will just define it: a large concentration of fat in the lower abdominal region. Usually so large that it falls way below the waist and is masked as best as possible by jeans for women, well most men let it hang over. Is there a nice word for that? I doubt it. You see my point, I did not want to get to that point, mainly for health reasons. Read this article . But I was told that the lower belly was the most difficult place to lose weight, that I would probably have to give up carbs entirely and exercise like a maniac. Not gonna happen. So here we will have a true account, can you lose the lower belly without being extreme? I guess we'll have to wait and see. I took all my measurements at home so I will be able to keep track for you.
Speaking of extreme, I was sucked into an infomercial a few months ago for the Tony Horton's 10 MINUTE TRAINER 5 Workouts SET by Tony Horton - includes resistance band and other Extras! [DVD]. I was already in better physical condition than I had been so I thought I was ready to start incorporating something a little more hard core. Holy cheese on a platter that was hard core. The way to get the best results with it is by "stacking" the 10 minute workouts so that you actually do at least 30 minutes a day. I did one ten minute workout the day I got it and fell on the floor drenched in sweat. I think I'll go back to that again after a few more times on the illiptical and lifting weights at work. If you're looking for a good ass whooping, that's the way to go.
. I was already in better physical condition than I had been so I thought I was ready to start incorporating something a little more hard core. Holy cheese on a platter that was hard core. The way to get the best results with it is by "stacking" the 10 minute workouts so that you actually do at least 30 minutes a day. I did one ten minute workout the day I got it and fell on the floor drenched in sweat. I think I'll go back to that again after a few more times on the illiptical and lifting weights at work. If you're looking for a good ass whooping, that's the way to go.Sharing is caring, what to share today?
If you know me you already know this but I am terrible with money. I've been getting better, the thought of doing taxes doesn't stress me out as much. I pay my bills before going shopping, but I still have no savings other than my 401k. I did manage to eliminate most of my debt over the past years which was a lot of work. I find online billpay to be my savior, I can't forget when it does it for me! My only problem now is thinking furthur into the future and trying to budget. Lately I have tried to catch Suze Orman. When she tells people with 10x the savings I have who make less than me that they are denied for a small purchase I wince. She is the Tony of the financial world, and makes me realize that I can't just think about today. I'll get there.
Suze will help me.
Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny
How do you make yourselves save money? In reference to the earlier part of the blog is there a body part you fear going horribly wrong in your future?
Much love,
Lula Mae
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i've found suze to be helpful, too! i unfortunately live pay check to pay check, but last year i opened a "save yourself" account per oprah's recommendation (don't laugh) and i automatically deposit $50/month. and it had this promotional thing where if you do that for 12mos and don't take out any money from the acct the whole time, you get a $100 bonus. i'm almost there and i think i'm just going to pretend that i still have to keep doing the deposits. i'm also doing flex spending now and i think i'm going to try to pretend like i'm not getting that money refunded and then put it into a savings acct. when i get the refund checks. for me, it's all about fooling myself into saving.
ReplyDeletebody part fears= losing my hair, losing my teeth, post menopausal middle waist gain, facial droopiness, wrinkled belly fat, facial hair i don't notice that no one tells me about, overall puffiness...
I have exactly 5 hairs spread over my chin that I don't notice until they are at least a centimeter long. I feel like an old woman. I did flex spending this year too! Look at us, growing up.
ReplyDeleteI am totally addicted to msn money, oprah's best life, any money/savings/planning thing. Like Lula Mae, I have always done well with my 401K but didn't do a great job building a regular savings account. My biggest trouble saving on a week to week basis was the last minute fun stuff like dinner/lunch/drinks/coffee 2x a day, etc that I would put on my debit card, so I never really tracked what I was spending on "fun" and never had left over money to put into savings. Now I give myself a cash allowance each time I get paid and that is all of the fun money I give myself until I am paid again.
ReplyDeleteThis is kind of lame, but I also made a spreadsheet which breaks down my pay and bills week by week for the whole year, and I added a "bill" that is actually savings, so where I used to just put whatever was left at the end of the month into savings (usually nothing) now I pay my ING - pretty simple but it definitely helped me get a handle on it.
Body Parts - I know it is shallow but I am def scared of wrinkles. Frankly - my other body parts that would scare me later pretty much already scare me now so let's hope we can get ahead of that soon!!
ah!!! chin hairs! my mom gets chin hairs so i know i have that to look forward to.
ReplyDeleteoh, a good book to check out is "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. Not a diet book (really) but he has done a ridiculous amount of research on food and the american diet and everything he says about eating just makes so much sense.
1. I put away money RIGHT when the check comes in, so it's "gone" before I feel like I have it.
ReplyDelete2. Greg and I started drinking (decent) boxed wine so we don't feel pressured to finish a bottle before it spoils. We spend less, and I think I am drinking less.
3. I am Mediterranean, so facial hair gaining prominence is always a fear. Oh, it's there, but I know it's not bad yet. Also, even at my skinniest (147), I still had belly fat. It was absurd.
You're inspiring me to try to live better. The second # on the scale was 169 today, down from 168 last winter. I am doing 30 min on a stationary bike on days I don't walk to school, and thinking of taking yoga.
I'm proud of you, because I think you want to do this right, and so many women do not.
UH. 186. Go team math!
ReplyDeleteSpeak Yoda Math do you?
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you would ever be interested in becoming a featured publisher with Foodbuzz.com? If so please conctact me at lizstambaugh@yahoo.com
ReplyDelete1. jenessa and Lula Mae--flex spending?? please explain. Sounds like something I'd be interested in.
ReplyDelete2. I save in weird places, like in a box under my bed and in my sock drawer, in addition to my bank. but it's incredible how difficult it is to be in school, making less than nothing, to live, esp in this city. But we save in weird ways making all lunches at home, and not buying coffee (even if it's only $1 from the guy with the cart outside my office... *sigh*)
3. the stomach, lower belly especially, is the place i struggle with most--but as I age, I'm not so worried about things going awry. I expect to be wrinkly. But as long as my bones don't deteriorate I'm relatively at peace with the aging process.
flex spending is offered through your company/organization's hr department along with insurance/benefits. it allows you to take a certain amount out of your pay check pre-tax and put it aside for medical expenses like co-pays, eye glasses, ibuprofen, nyquil, the dentist, etc. you save your receipt from those things, send them in to the flex spending company and get a refund. so, basically, you get more for your money because that money isn't taxed. you just have to make sure to get receipts for the entire amount of the money you put aside for the year or you lose it.
ReplyDeleteoh, and i bring my lunch every day, too! and i clip coupons. it's sort of therapeutic in a way and there are actually some good coupons in the sunday paper for things like ziploc bags, cereal, household cleaner...