Where, Oh Where has my Metabolism Gone?

Where, Oh where has my metabolism gone? 

Oh where, oh where could it be? 

When I could eat to my heart's content,

And never a pound would I see! 

- to be sung to the tune "Where, Oh Where has my Little Dog Gone."

We all know the day will come when we can no longer eat the way we did as a young person, but it doesn't make the reality any easier to cope with. I'm the first to admit my metabolism was never an overactive puppy, but it was predictable and loyal. We functioned well together and I understood its quirks and deficiencies. 

Sure, there were days I wished for a greyhound-like metabolism. When I joined my first husband in nightly visits with Ben and Jerry, he maintained his 28 inch waist, I gained 20 pounds. Just smelling chocolate would put pounds on my hips. But really, now just one sniff goes on my hips, my chin, my thighs, my stomach. What happened to that predictable companion I counted on for so long?  

The problem is my metabolism has become one lazy ol' dog. And my life has changed. I went from an active stay-at home mom to working a full time desk job. These days I sit in front of a computer screen all day.  With only one kid at home full time, I no longer run from one activity to another in the evening. There isn't much kicking me or my metabolism in the butt, we have grown complacent. 

Obviously, the damage has been done. The reality is here and it's time to get to know this new thing in my life. Get ready, you lazy ol' beast, you will be learning some new tricks! 

Photo Credit

Whistling Girls and Crowing Hens

As a kid, my Grandmother chided me with the saying, "Whistling girls and crowing hens always come to some bad end." She had been raised that proper young girls didn't learn to whistle. I enjoyed whistling and wasn't going let a silly saying stop me.

I found out later there is some truth in the saying. We owned a hen who late in life began crowing. Henrietta began crowing one week and died the next. I remember seeing Henrietta crowing in the chicken yard. She strutted proudly and seemed proud of her new found voice.

As a middle-aged woman, I'm faced with many challenges and lots of changes. It often feels like the rules have changed and no one asked me. My kids are flying out of the nest, my body has more aches and pains, losing weight is harder, gaining weight is easier. Sometimes I don't feel like I have say in anything.

But I'm reminded of Henrietta who found a reason to crow and broke all the rules to do so. This blog is a celebration of women who aren't done with life but are learning to look at things differently. We don't have to be proper women anymore than I wanted to be a proper little girl. We can crow about the good and the bad. We can make our voices heard and face the new rules with our heads held high.

My name is Fara, I'm a 45 year old mom of 3. My oldest is 21 and living out on her own. My son is 19 and in college. My youngest daughter is 15 and still at home. I'm a newlywed of 10 months with my second husband, Tony. I've been a stay at home mom, a single parent, and a working mom. Even though I've known some hard times, I have always looked for ways to laugh.

Join me as I laugh, learn and exercise my new voice! Come crow with me!

Fara

"Whistling girls and crowing hens 

always come to some bad end."

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/8144560007/">Thomas Hawk</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a