Those were the exact words my son and Olympic Gold Medalist, Garrett Weber-Gale said to me when he came home for the holidays in December 2008. He wasn’t trying to insult me or be mean, and understand, I have never been fat. Maybe I’ve been 10-15 pounds more than I was when I got married almost 30 years ago, but never fat. What Garrett was referring to, was my less than, “athletic” appearance.
Exercise makes you healthier
As a child and young adult, I always considered myself an athlete. If they had given scholarships to women when I first went to college, I probably would have gotten one for either swimming or running. Unfortunately, growing up in NYC public schools, we weren’t even allowed to compete against other schools. Only the guys could.
As a young mother, my husband, Mark and I tried to expose our children to totally fun activities that they could do for the rest of their lives. We skied, biked, camped, sailed, swam, traveled and did everything to keep us an active family. So I pondered Garrett’s comments to me. How can I be an “out-of-shape” mother of a world class athlete.? It could be embarrassing, both for him and me.
Understand that I live in frigid Wisconsin. As I have grown older, I have come to dislike the cold. With my grown children living in different cities and no young children at home, I don’t partake of many outdoor activities in the winter. Garrett gave up skiing back in high school to avoid getting hurt and jeopardizing his swimming. So did we. During the summer months, I would walk four to five miles a day and bike.
I needed to ponder, how I would “get fit,” and stick to an exercise program. Something I have never been very good at.
So, I decided to do something about it. Please follow my blog posts as I update you on my efforts to get “buff” and to help others through ATHLETICFOODIE I would love to read your thoughts.
AF Admin 
July 29th, 2010 at 6:42 am
although not the mom of any Olympians (yet!!) my kids are athletes, and i too have 10 (well, maybe 12) pounds that i have hanging around that my athlete son often reminds me about. like last week, when he was making some gluten free pancakes, Jon said ‘mom, the first one is yours – i made it WITHOUT the chocolate chips. point taken. so im on board with getting back into shape. as i head into my fifties and i think that in the near future i will have to pose in my kids wedding pics, i want to look and feel GREAT.
Shelly
July 29th, 2010 at 10:26 am
I am the mom of two sons that swim competitively ages 11 and 15. I had always done aerobics to keep in shape and swam mainly in the summertime. I work full time as a high school teacher. When I started having some problems with my neck, back, and ankles, my chiropractor suggested that I do swimming all year round. I joined a Masters Swim team about a year ago. I haven’t done swim meets since I was 12. I had competed in the age group range of 8-12. I am 45 years old. I recently started to do a few local meets. I don’t swim that fast, but I had fun, and plan to continue. I did lose some extra pounds, and I feel better and am in shape.
July 29th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
I have never liked exercise but I really for once would like to be fit and feel good. I am hoping you will motivate me. Looking forward to your blogs.
I have a lot more than 15 lbs to lose. Here’s hoping.
July 29th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
Glad to hear from all of you. I plan on taking you on my journey to “get fit” at least once a week. No it isn’t easy, but very rewarding. You will all feel much better and have a lot more confidence in yourself. Remember, someone else may have put the “tidit” in your ear to lose weight or “get fit.” However, you are doing it for yourself, before anyone else. Thanks for leaving your comments. Being there for someone helps you be there for yourself. Put yourselves first….
July 30th, 2010 at 5:20 am
I think this is one of the healthiest vegetables. It always helps satisfies my hunger and doesn’t have much calories versus the amount.
July 30th, 2010 at 9:48 am
Let’s just put it this way…I told my Mom she needed to get in shape. She has gone wild on it and is more fit than I can ever remember seeing her! Last year at the Holidays I tried to push her away from the sink and take over the dishes and we got into a pushing war…I’m not kidding you that she latched onto the sink and I couldn’t even move her. She’s nothing to mess with now. All of y’all can get there too. Little steps is the way to get there. Good Luck