Today I am officially NOT obese!!!

okay seriously...... the definition of obese is to be grossly fat or overweight. I know I am overweight but I have always had a problem with the label "obese." I do not get winded with a minimal amount of exercise. I do not require a seatbelt extender on an airline. I can fit in my movie theater space (even the older ones with the hard skinny seats). I do not wear mumus or ride around on a motorized scooter. I do not have high blood pressure (actually very good blood pressure) or high cholesterol. My weight does not interfere in my daily activities. I weigh too much. I am overweight. I am not obese.

despite my protestations......my BMI until today was in the "obese" catagory. golly gee, now I am just considered "overweight"........doesn't that sound so much nicer?!?!?

and seriously........I would need to get down to 140 to be considered "normal weight." people......I would look sickly at 140.

but hey, apparently this health issue is no longer my fault. according to the AMA, obesity is now a disease. what a crock! that is as much bologna as me being obese in the first place! while the AMA has great intentions.....better focus on the problem, more medical intervention, etc.........I just see it as an easy way for people to discard their responsibility for their own health. "hey, I can't help it.......it is a disease!" no it isn't.......there are medical conditions that can lead to obesity.....thyroid issues come to mind. and there are medical conditions exacerbated by obesity......can you say diabetes??? but when it comes down to it.....unless there is a chemical imbalance in your body, your weight is a direct reflection of your caloric intake and caloric output. eat less, exercise more, weigh less. (of course that is a very view simplistic)

thankfully I am not the only one who thinks this "diagnosis" is ridiculous!! #IAmNotADisease has popped up all over Twitter and even an article on CNN. while I may not agree with Marilyn Wann's request to "end the war on obesity," I do think she brought up an ongoing issue for overweight people......one that will now become even more prevalent: whereas an overweight person seeks medical care for something not related to their weight but having their "medical professional" attribute it to their weight. um, no......my sinus infections will not be cured when I hit that magical 140lbs thankyouverymuch!

after all that, I read an article in the June Fitness Magazine that seemed to make sense out of all of this. Can You Be Fat But Fit? why, yes Virginia, yes you can! this article could have been written by my own internal thoughts and questions. despite what the scale says, if you are not on blood pressure, cholesterol, etc medications and are able to exert a reasonable amount of energy without having to take a break to catch your breath, etc, you are okay. yes you probably should still spend more time every day doing some type of exercise, but even if you do, no one can expect you to show up in a few months at the perfect weight with the perfect body. that just isn't going to happen for everyone.

like I said at the beginning, my blood work and blood pressure all tell you I am healthy. without knowing my weight and height, the doctor would proclaim me in great health. and I may not be in perfect health, but I am darn healthier than I was a few months (or years) ago. other than not being at that magical 140lbs, there is nothing wrong with my body!

so there!

Come to the Fair........California, life as it should be!!!

that is how the theme song for the first ever California State Fair I ever attended went. how do I know? I can't find it on the internet anywhere, but I hear it in my head and remember being in the house we moved in to when we arrived in Sacramento.......and we only lived there one year. (a lot happened in that one year in that one house.....but perhaps I should save that for another post?)

anyway.......with living in Sacramento, going to the State Fair seems like a "must do".......and for our family that is pretty much the case. we have had season passes, attended free concerts, done sleepovers, assisted in the birthing of animals, ridden rides, eaten way too much fried food, drank some of the World's Largest Margarita, etc. good times! good times!!

a general family Fair memory is back in the day when the Fair was held in August. I would take the boys' last day of summer off and we would go to the Fair. we would be there at opening, get all you could ride wrist bands. then the boys would ride their hearts (or perhaps stomachs??) out until late afternoon when Jeff would join us. the afternoon and evening were spent looking at exhibits (with Jeff telling me every year I should enter the next year), seeing shows, and then dinner of lovely Fair foods......usually fried ones.

but the BIG memory is of the boys' obsession with wheels at the 2007 State Fair.....you know, the ones you spin and possibly win something. the boys would spot one in the distance and race to get there first. it didn't matter whose wheel it was, what they might or might not win, etc......it was just spinning that wheel!

they were even excited to spin a wheel that would require them to answer a question! (looks like Ryan has a tough question.......but he still wanted to spin that wheel!) the crazy addiction to wheels continues but nothing like that summer at the State Fair!
 
what are your favorite California State Fair memories? if you have been once or a dozen times, this is when you should dust them off. you can enter the California State Fair Memory & Photo Contest......hey, you could be in a commercial for this year's Fair!!!

btw, tickets are on sale now. I thoroughly recommend the Family Pack. it is a great price even if you don't use the monorail tickets......but really, why wouldn't you? it is a nice break on a hot day where you can check out an aerial view of the Fair and maybe figure out what to see next! this year I definitely want to try the deep fried watermelon and spaghetti ice cream......the boys can help with that last one!

Remember when I did that half marathon???

you don't? well.....probably because I never blogged about it.......even though I think I manage to fit it into an average of 50% of my conversations! I knew I should have pre-blogged so I could quickly edit after the race and get posted before I hopped on a plane for a week!

it started when I foolishly told someone I could totally do a half marathon if I could walk it and she called me on my bluff. yeah.......that half marathon! but it gets better! not only did I do the half, but hubby joined me.....and my friend Lori got suckered in again!! (I wonder why I haven't heard from her in awhile?!?!?)

well.......we did it! we pretty much stuck together for the entire walk with Lori and I stopping for a quick bathroom break before super speed walking to catch up with Jeff. while our mile times fluctuated, we averaged 16:18 minute miles. not bad! we placed in the top third of the walkers but ended a few minutes over Jeff's goal of 3:30:00 for the race.  we might have been able to make it if we had been able to maintain our beginning pace (hey.....our first half......we are learning here!). 

mile 11 was hard. we were sore, it was hot (got up to 90 that day), and that mile had no shade! while no one said anything horrific like "I'll never make it", we were all feeling the toll of the heat and distance. by the time we crossed the finish line, we had spent the past 10 minutes describing all of our aches and pains to each other.

but we did it and I will admit to being a little teary-eyed when we crossed the finish line! afterall, I had been thinking about that moment, focusing on that moment, for the greater part of 2 weeks. that moment dragged me out of the house on days that, gosh, I just didn't FEEL like going out. and well, because I honestly didn't think at any point in my training that I really, truly, seriously, was going to make it!

on the way home, we three stinky people stopped and got our "13.1" stickers (seriously.....yes we did! I was still wearing my bib and bling too) and grabbed Chipotles. an ice bath and recovery drink later, I was in a worn out daze.....and then headed to the airport for a 6 hour plane ride just about 12 hours later!

btw, didn't take long......I am signed up for 2 more halfs and fingers crossed to get in to a 3rd. one of the races is a fund raiser for a group that supports foster youth. if you are so inclined, you can make a tax deductible donation to the cause here! every little bit helps!

The Year of 24 - Month 5

a day late in posting this.....or 2 days depending on when you think I was supposed to post my monthly update!  I'll assume I can use the boys' birthdays as an excuse? but I don't think that is the truth. life overall has been slammed and May was no exception to that! hey, I did my first half marathon people......and then flew out of town the next day for work.

Scrapbook layouts: 0 (goal of 2)
seriously! no time to scrap!

Operation Write Home cards: 5 (goal of 2)
but only because I am in the card kit swap. (thank you Peggy for the great kit!)

Scrapbook purchasing versus usage:
I don't recall making any purchases this past month. I haven't had TIME to shop......well for craft supplies at least!



Pounds lost: 1.6 (goal of 2)
guess this is the aftermath from being SUPER vigilant in April?!?! might also be a result of being so busy and trying to step up my workout. I think my appetite my have stepped up more than the working out has been burning off. but I am glad to see on paper that I have not been progressing. maybe it will be what I need to get on track in June?

Dolly walks: 14 (goal of 24)
well.....that is what Endomondo says. and it is probably right considering I did 2 races without Dolly (American River Parkway and Bay to Breakers - forgot to mention that, didn't I? crazy last minute....it was fun and should be its own blog post) thankfully the boys......including Jeff......have been walking her too. I am not sure how it is going to go now that summer (and the 100+ heat) is here. Dolly wasn't happy on our walk yesterday and it didn't even break 90 while we were out. but I am fine with later night walks........as long as they are before my bedtime! lol!!


Blog posts: 3 (goal of 2)
I only got 3 posts........and one was actually written in April. (please see comments about the races and working out and being busy with work.....)

Books: 3
great month for books! 3 really good books.....and a lot of magazines, to be honest! The Girls of Atomic City was a really great story (true story)......I don't know that I would have written/compiled it the way the author did, but I loved hearing about the women who worked on such a huge project without knowing what they were involved in!

June is another month.......and I am already 2 days in to it....guess I better go walk Dolly, scrapbook, make cards, read books, and find things to blog about!