The Couch Potato Work Out

After watching my girls, Olivia and Hannah, kick butt on Biggest Loser last night (and after seeing my scale creep up to the No-No Number) I decided that I would be hitting the gym first thing in the morning.

I woke up and suited up in my work out clothes.  Hello Yoga pants.  Haven't seen you in awhile.  I thought that I would drive the kids down to the bus stop and leave straight from there that way I would not come home and dream up some excuse not to go.

Spring time snow is different then winter snow.  Winter snow is dry, light and packs on the road.  Spring snow is wet, heavy and melts on the ground as soon as it hits.  Sometimes it completely melts away but other times you are left with slush.  On dirt roads it's a muddy slush! 

Despite this, I drove fearlessly down to the bus stop.  I saw my neighbor Kevin's car at the stop as well.  I put the car in neutral and gave a slow break.  I began to slide. Oh.  Remember what to do...Don't panic.  Another slow break.  I did.  I gave it another slow break and the car obeyed and stopped with still another cars width of room between Kevin and I.  The bus pulled up and I got the kids out for hugs and kisses.

"I almost hit you Kevin!"  I called out to him.

"I know.  I was getting ready to pull forward a bit."

"Nah.  Your wife taught me well."

"Where is your coat crazy woman?"

"In the house.  I'm just running down to the gym and the grocery store."

"No you're not.  Not on these roads.  They're too slushy.  Follow me home."

"But not too closely!"  Caren called out from the car.

If the Mountain People tell you not to drive then you don't.  I obediently followed them home with no incident.  Kevin parked down in front of his house.  I pulled up next to him and rolled down my window.

"I did it!"

"Yeah you did!  You did great!"

"Thanks.  Now we'll see if I can get up my drive way."

"I'm not even gonna try."

Hm...if Kevin doesn't think his car can get up the drive I probably shouldn't try either.

I tried anyway.  She only made it about 1/3 of the way up so I slipped and slided her into a parking spot down by the wood pile.  Boo.  I was just thinking yesterday how it's been a long time since I've heard anyone tease me about being One Step Closer to being a Mountain Woman.  I thought maybe I had graduated to that.  Not quite.  When I have a 4X4 then I'll be a Mountain Woman.

If I've learned anything from the Biggest Loser this season it's that there can be no excuses.  If you have an excuse you have to counter it with a solution.  Since I watched the BL last night I did not get to watch the result show for Dancing with the Stars.  I let Drake in and watched the result show I had DVR'd, running up and down my stairs during the commercial breaks.  This was a great work out and it's my understanding that stopping and going like that is great for burning calories.  It was also a nice little work out for Drake.

At first he kept trying to do the stairs with me but this was scaring me because he's such a Hulk and he could accidentally knock me down the stairs.  I put him in a sit-stay at the bottom of the stairs and kept going.  Up, down, up, down, up, down.  I think I counted going up and down about 12 times until the commercial break ended.  I didn't keep count well though because my mind was wandering.  Can never turn this brain off.

"All done," I said to Drake, his cue to break from his sit-stay.  I rewarded him with a bit of hot dog and cheese.  (Can you believe his progress with just one meet up with a trainer?  He's amazing!)  We did this during every break and I think there were 6 of them.  I lost count.  I worked up a sweat and everything.  I'm going to start a new program: The Couch Potato Work Out.  You can still sit and enjoy your shows but you have to do some sort of work out during all of the commercials. 

I did a little of this during Biggest Loser.  I did it more like a drinking game though.  Every time they showed Olivia and Hannah in a "confessional" type interview then I would have to do 25 push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks or the like.  Those two talk so much though that I was only able to do it for the first hour of the show.  Then I gave up.  I know...not very Biggest Loser of me. 

For Grey's Anatomy one could do a work out every time one of them says "Seriously."  Ha!  Or every time there is a trauma or something.  Probably the most consistent thing though would be to work out during the commercials.  I think this could catch on.  You still get to curl up on the couch and watch your shows but you sneak in a little extra for your body at the same time.  I think this is genius!  Seriously. 

Drop and give me 25.