Working in the Workouts: Got eight minutes to spare?

Each week, Debbie will share her goals, challenges, successes and tips on how to fit in fitness when caring for a rambunctious toddler.

Well, here I am, newfound motivation at the ready. Am I chomping at the bit to start fitting in the fitness? Not exactly, but I am ready to take baby steps toward regaining my fitness and "me" time.

Where to start . . . Pre-baby, one of my favorite fitness pieces to my day was Jorge Cruise's Eight Minutes in the Morning. I had done this strength training workout for years with amazing results for the amount of time I put into it. The book highlights an eating plan as well, but instead, I focused on the two-muscle-groups-a-day exercises, as I don't like anyone to manage my portion control except me.


So, I added back "Jorge," as he is fondly referred to in my household. I figured it was a sensible place to start. So Owen watches eight minutes more of television a day; could he really be losing IQ points at that rapid of a pace?

Oh, just a little tidbit that I will continue to share -- or not -- with you all. I measured my waist, hips and thighs before I started this whole thing, and I will hopefully have wonderful progress to report. I won't measure again for a month, and I don't own a scale, so the measurements are the only way I will measure my progress. That, and how well my pants fit.

Some observations: my legs and butt are much tighter very quickly, but I don't think I have lost any inches yet since my pants aren't exactly hanging loose. My upper body looks great and this is going to be the summer of the tank top. It is encouraging to see the changes start, albeit slowly.

So there you have it -- my first attempt at carving out some time devoted just to my fitness. I figure, if you can't spare eight minutes a day for yourself, than you are in contention for Martyr Mom of the Year, an award that no one should strive to win.