Dog Days x



Dog days…or perhaps the title should be: Cycle of Fat..the story of a mother’s waistline?..

Y’see every term starts with good intentions…healthy eating, increase of exercise and determination.  And every time it all slips then slides away…why??


1. Because the start of every term requires unblocking the dam of jobs that have been stored up throughout the the term time..when of course you’ll have time..hoho

2. It takes a while to crack the routine again: Early mornings, new after school clubs, hockey sticks, gum guards, out-grown shoes, lost PE kits.. but you do and it gets you take the plunge and add in the exercise..adapt to the new routine and wait in hope for the endorphins to kick in (exercise equals endorphins equals happy mum equals not shooting the kids..or so they say) it takes it’s time – no pain, no gain..but you get there.

3. You take pride in the transforming you. Almost back to pre-second baby weight. Yay!

4. Then disaster strikes: School holidays..back to cooking through the day, no walking to and from school, cupboards now over-flowing with kids ‘stuff’ and temptation, meals out, no time to go to pilates or a run – no babysitters, everything is slower now you’re working as a pack, and generally there’s a festival of sorts: Christmas, Easter, Summer Holiday which means much much more alcohol and calories are tripled doubled..

5. So in the time it takes for the holiday to end…you’re back to where you started..


I was talking about this, trying to pin the butterfly down with a friend who’s a personal trainer: She’s got all the stuff in her house to do 15 mins a day to keep the dogs at bay (we’re talking fat cells..)..but she can’t make that mental/physical jump either.  On these child-centric weeks it’s incredibly hard to focus the mind and do exercise ‘properly’ so the brain says, why bother, we just want to enjoy this time?  We decided it made a difference when you could do activities with your kids, like tennis..but that means waiting till they’re of an age when it becomes worth while.  Mine are a bit young and without the stamina, and you really don’t want to book a court just to adjudicate a fight.  But we agreed that the problem is, if you don’t even try, the middle-age waist-line just builds up..and so does your age..I can confirm, the older you get, the harder it is to shift..

The truth is, heart on sleeve and tits on a platter: Exercise at this stage of life isn’t for improvement and a parade of rude health, it’s just to standstill..otherwise when the time comes to finally be able to play a genuine game of tennis with the kids…I’ll be the one oozing gently on my mobility scooter..


Food for thought..

Laters, Kate x


  1. sadnesstheory

    Oh, that’s easy for all to do less in a period of holidays. Probably we get out of the routine and since we do have much more time we think we don’t bother booking up for activities. Hehe.

    Thank you by the way for your like. Just reading your blog right now. And feel free to let me know what you think!

  2. dievca

    M. says a little bit of vanity is healthy and carries us forward. Just remember that it isn’t the large workouts, every little thing counts. That is what will get you through the busy times. Taking the stairs, standing for the subway, walking the extra blocks. Etc. It adds up. XO

  3. thegentlemanfarmer

    Dear Kate
    I love this time of year because it reminds of all the similar past times when the exact same resolutions and the exact same determinations were made. Didn’t someone once mention that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, like all those previous resolutions and determinations? Oh well, glad to know that I am as insane as the rest of the poor buggers out there with their newly minted resolutions and determinations, and I might add my dear Kate, so are you…

  4. jackiemallon

    Tits on a platter is it! Happy new year to you too!
    The husband says life is all about maintenance: yourself, your house, your car, your relationships…charming way to look at it but s’pose he has a point. Then I tell him, Drop and give me fifty 🙂

  5. redlipstickmama

    Word. Got a Pilates package as a gift from hubby; went only 4 times …long enough to realize that Pilates has nothing to do with Steps which I have done twice in my life anyway. The only parts of my body that seem to be shrinking are my ankles. So odd but true story !!! Love the drawing!

  6. Angie Mc

    Oh, Kate, I laughed out loud! Holding steady is crazy hard with young children so give yourself and your friend a hug for doing so. My youngest will be 10 soon and I can feel a shift. I wrote about it here So back to your sketch and not being able to choose; ya, after weight loss (great!) I just ordered new (A cup) bras (not so great, blech.) Well, at least I can run a few miles 😀 So glad to catch up with you post holidays and have a terrific year.