Everyone loves insulation, right? Good insulation keeps your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter. I came to appreciate the importance of good insulation when my husband refinished the attic in our 1.5 story home. The room used to be like an oven in the summer and an icebox in the winter. But even before the vents were installed we noticed the temperature had leveled out with the installation of good insulation. Even better, our utility bills decreased. What a difference! Obviously I’m talking about the good kind of insulation, you know, the kind that makes the pocketbook happy. Now let’s talk about the bad kind of insulation.
I rolled out the yoga mat this morning fully aware of the extra 10 pounds of insulation on my tummy because it puckered over my yoga pants. I lay down to begin my crunches and felt my belly pushing back. I pressed on and in fact, was feeling pretty good about myself until I got to the plank part of my workout. Then I felt like I had two 5 pound bags of flour strapped to my middle.
I have really noticed my sensitivity to temperature since I lost weight. First, I get really cold in the winter. I mean, seriously, my bones are cold. I even began to take cayenne pepper pills to help me stay warm. I always felt hot when I was heavier, even in the winter. But summer was worse. All I did was sweat. The weather has still been cold for March but I haven’t really felt it. Could it be because I’ve added an extra layer of insulation? My husband complained twice this past week that I’ve lowered the temperature in the house below 70 degrees when we normally keep it around 72. I think he might be onto me.
I have really enjoyed summers the past few years because I don’t sweat like I used to. In fact, on a sunny day, as long as I am well hydrated(and the humidity isn’t 80%) I feel really comfortable. My body has become an efficient machine. When it is not loaded with extra insulation and I’m running on clean fuel(fresh fruit, veggies and lean meats), I feel fantastic. But now I’ve got this extra layer. It’s like a warm, fuzzy sweater except that I can’t take it off. Also, I feel sludgy. It seems that the cookies(and ice cream and Chick-Fil-A) have prepared my body for an extended winter, only, I think Spring it here. Crap!
I know that my people still love me. Nobody is going to stop liking me because I gained a few pounds. (Even though my husband said it’s not bad motivation) After I punched him in the stomach and kicked him down the stairs(kidding) I ate an ice cream cone to prove my point. But seriously, I don’t like this feeling. My clothes are tight. I’m hot when I shouldn’t be. I can jiggle my belly like Santa Clause(Child #2 says he will never recover from the sight of it) and I literally thought I would die when I was doing planks this morning. Something is terribly wrong with this picture.
If I sound like a broken record, I also feel like one. I just keep trying to say no to sweets, but it is SO difficult. I want to eat cookies and ice cream. I freely admit that every single time I see a skinny person eating candy I want to poke them in the eye. I do draw the line at candy. No candy for Margaret unless it’s sugar free. See? I’m still sugar free. Sort of.
I have literally been gaining and losing the same 10 pounds for over a year. And I never even reached my goal weight. Right now I need to lose 20 pounds to reach my goal weight. To quote the many characters in the Far Side, “Eegads!” My point is this, insulation for your house is good! It saves you money. Insulation on your body is bad(unless it’s a warm, fuzzy blanket). Because even though everybody loves Santa Claus, he could never be accused of looking sexy. And while my goal has never been “sexy”, I really don’t want to associate my body with a “heavy-set” man in a red suit.
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