As I recently lamented over on Fit Bottomed Girls, I’m having a bit of an issue with my pants. They’re … well … they’re kind of hard to button these days. No, I’m decidedly not pregnant; I just got a jump on holiday weight gain starting a couple of months ago. I shared three theories as to what’s going on, and thinking on it a bit more, I’ve got more to add.
Theory one was that training so hard for my Tough Mudder meant a lot of eating so hard post workout. There’s that whole “I’m working out a ton, I can totally afford this extra helping of everything single thing on my plate!” mentality that a lot of us get into. Theory two was that I have been wearing workout clothes practically all of the time, and those stretchy pants are mighty forgiving of a few extra lbs. So while I would notice my jeans were tightening, I would throw on some workout clothes the next day and they fit just fine, so it’s all good, right? My third theory is stress, and I’m trying to get a grip on that. Currently my to-do list is so long and my inbox so full that I honestly spun in circles for a bit just figuring out that this post was the next thing I needed to write so it must be my top priority.
Now, another weight-gain theory to add to my weight-gain group of theories, as if three weren’t enough: The laundry in the house is out of control. Kids generate so much laundry. From needing a new outfit immediately after breakfast gets all over it to stripping off their clothing just because they can, my entire house is a laundry room. And I decided that instead of trying to keep up with it during the week, I’d dedicate one weekend day to laundry. This accomplished several things. It took one thing off my plate during the weeks, and it let me have a day where I’m cycling laundry through when my hubby is home to keep an eye on the kids and/or help tag-team the laundry. It also prevents forgotten loads in the washing machine that have to get rewashed, and it helps that at the end of the day, I feel “done,” which isn’t the case when you’re just constantly doing laundry.
But the drawback to my new and awesome laundry system? I’m not getting several trips up and down the stairs every day of the week. Whereas before, I’d get mini-workouts hauling laundry and baskets up and down two flights of stairs, those are condensed into one day — and usually split with someone else. It sounds kind of ridiculous, but that was a LOT of “working out” that I’m not getting any more! I’m certainly not going to change my laundry system because it works out too well for me. But I have been taking a look at my eating habits a bit and making tweaks here and there. Maybe I just need to add a few minutes of stairs every time I hit the gym for my workout!
Are you getting an accidental jump on holiday weight gain? Do you have theories, too? What’s your laundry strategy? —Erin