Hours in a Day...

I remember reading a Fitness (or was it Glamour?) magazine in college where a reader posed the question: "I don't have anytime to workout? What should I do?" - LoveHandles in Louisville. Or, the ever-popular "My family goes out to eat four nights a week. Help me with easy recipes!" - T.G.I.Friday's Addict.

I remember thinking that this poor women was really lacking in the organization department. How hard is it to find 45 minutes in the day, slap on some shoes and go to the gym - or talk a walk? Or, just hit up the grocery store of spending your money on at Chili's (or worse...Applebees. The horror!).

Well, Dan and I did our fast-food equivalent this week - we treated ourselves to a Veggie Pizza (plus sausage...) at Papa Murphy's. Doesn't that make us sound like a couple of food-snobs? In reality, we both gain about .2 pounds just looking at the Golden Arches.

Back to the issue at hand.

I think LoveHandles in Louisville was really struggling with was the guilt of spending yet another hour away from the house - and, away from her family. When I was home with Ingrid, I didn't feel an ounce of guilt when I would go to the gym, a coffee shop or over to a friend's house for a few hours of Bravo (ugh, when does Top Chef return!). I spent 24 hours a day with Ingrid - spending 23 or heaven-forbid, 22 hours was fine with me.

Now that I'm working full-time I seriously don't get how I'm supposed to make everything happen. Dan's a champ and does a better job than I do with keeping the house in order - I'd just like to go to the gym a few days a week, take a yoga class (or 12) and make dinner a few nights a week. Doesn't sound hard, but when you slice away eight hours a day for working, plus nursing, plus sleeping - I seriously don't get it. As much as I love being hyper-organized and have my "ducks in a row" (oh no - here come the work-phrases...) - I don't want to be chained down to a schedule and feel forced to go to the grocery store or the gym.

I feel like a whiny-snob complaining about this too - but it's a tough balance. Invest time in yourself or take away time with the family? I guess one viable option would be to stop putzing on the internet and do a yoga DVD at home. Like right now. But, I'd rather watch this week's Project Runway.