Sweat

Since the dawn of time, or at least my birth - which was the dawn of time for me, I have been sweaty.  Always.  I would play basketball, and be the sweatiest mess that ever lived by the end of the game.  I have visions of the end-of-tournament photo, of these hideous heather blue t-shirts from our one 6th grade basketball tournament - where everyone is smiling so nice, and my shirt is many shades darker than everyone else due to my extreme amount of perspiration.  In high school, during summer softball, I would sweat through my t-shirt and jersey during warm-ups.  The game hadn't even started, and I looked like someone had dumped a bucket of water on me.

As time went on, and the pounds came on, the frequency of my "sweating spells" increased.  It was no longer something that would happen only when working out, or on particularly humid days (seriously - does anyone else just sweat instantly in this insane humidity?).  I would sweat from standing.  In one place.  Not doing lunges.  Standing.  I wasn't even doing butt clenches.  I was just standing there, and I would start to sweat. (it was this fantastic new development that caused me to adopt a "I don't go outside until the sun goes down" rule in the summer - which is just so sad!  We get like 4 months of good weather a year, and I would spend them indoors)  You see that pic on my blog that has the caption "why fat camp is needed" near it - I was baking cookies with my sisters, and was sweating my butt off - in December!!  Ridiculous.  I think that was one of the biggest causes for concern for my family - and one of the more major reasons the fat intervention had to be called.  I get it.  If I saw someone standing in one spot, who didn't have the flu, who hadn't just finished a jog - I would be concerned too. 

I am feeling pretty good lately.  I have gotten myself back on a routine of exercise - and I'm getting to know my new neighborhood at the same time.  One thing that has definitely not changed is the amount I sweat when exercising!  I am drenched every time!  But sweating is healthy - right?  It keeps your body cooled down, and is supposed to help with your complexion...maybe?  I am going to go with that.  Anyway...I had a lot of errands to run yesterday - and decided I was even going to wear "real" clothes.  No fat pants.  No workout t-shirts.  I put on my capri's (which now have a bit of wiggle room, and the snap no longer comes flying open every time I try to bend over.  Victory!!) and head out.  As soon as I walk out the front door I notice my old friend, humidity, is back.  No problem.  I lost some of my body mass - so this shouldn't be an issue, right?  Wrong.  A second thing that has not changed - - humidity makes me sweat.  Period.  My pants and shirt are instantly sticking to me.  Even slightly smaller, I turn into a completely sweaty mess - although not nearly as miserable as I was when I was bigger. 

I had to make a stop at the bank, went to Sam's club, and the grocery store.  I even went to a farmer's market for the first time.  I have wanted to buy locally for years, but was always too lazy (it just seemed like too much work to possibly have to walk a few blocks to the markets in MN - so instead of trying it, I just stayed home) - but look at the sweet stuff I got!!  I am not going to lie - those tomatoes taste as good as they look!  

 
By the time I returned home, I was a sweaty mess - but had accomplished all I set out to do.  I went out during daylight hours, and it didn't kill me.  I am just going to have to embrace the face that I am going to sweat when I exercise, or when it is really humid - it is just a fact of life.  And as I shrink I can also,  hopefully, look forward to having my body no longer categorize "standing" as exercise.