A Bit of Exercise Won't Hurt

In response to an innocuous remark I made about getting complacent after having settled in my new home, my mom took the opportunity to point out it seemed I’ve gained a little weight… only to follow up with a gentle correction that actually, it was a little more than a little weight!

I could have argued that working from home shortly after my firstborn’s quitting daycare before turning one had robbed me of ambition/discipline and contributed to my flab, except that I knew well enough I had none to start with (ambition and discipline, that is.) My mom’s comments certainly rang true in that I’ve myself noticed that lately, the only positive comments I received about my appearance came solely from the loyally blind – my four children.

So in keeping with my belated New Year resolution to improve myself inside and out, I humbly and undefensively called Mom to ask if she would join me in daily walks around her neighborhood so I could lose weight while getting some mother-daughter bonding time. Mom graciously accepted my invitation. Was it my paranoia that discerned a note of relief mixed with eagerness in her voice??

I gingerly drove to my parents’ senior apartment complex… noting to myself how ironic it was that I had to embark on a 15-minute drive for a 15-minute walk. I definitely could’ve gotten more of a workout getting there on foot, except while I was in the mood for self-improvement, it’s never been my style to be a masochist about it… which was exactly why more than a little weight had crept up on me and refused to leave. I’m at that age in a woman’s life where every pound shows, and the bulges tend to collect in places that form the most negative impact. Could somebody tell me why my breasts remained flat no matter which way my weight fluctuated?

Amazingly, the first thing Mom asked when she saw me was whether I had anything to eat that morning. In face of my weight gain pointed out by her – no less – she was still showing her customary Vietnamese mother’s concern the wrong way! I, however, held steadfast and suggested we take an immediate walk to head off my hunger pangs.

The stroll I’d imagined exhilarating, relaxing, nature-communing… turned out rather disappointing and guilt-inducing. Even in my sorry physical state, I was still a bit nimbler and a whole lot faster than my 70+ year-old mom and had to wait up for her every time we rounded a bend in her tiny neighborhood. In fact, my mom was such a slowpoke that I became convinced we’d be positively gaining instead of losing calories at her pace. By the time we completed our first circling of the community, I was already feeling pretty awful for leaving my mom behind so often and agreed to end our walk earlier than I would have liked.

So we got back to my parents’ apartment and my mom buzzed about her kitchen like she did every day, preparing my favorite dishes. I swear the food was calling out my name. By the time we finished eating, I was about two pounds heavier than when I left my house this morning… at which point I’d felt cheated enough to exclaim that I should give up on “exercising” with Mom. My dad rightly pointed out I’m behaving like the lady who sued McDonald’s for her scalding coffee, and my mom good-naturedly protested that at least her food was far healthier than the usual fares I served at my place. Touché on both counts!

Bún bò Huế (this is a web-obtained image but no one makes it as good as my mom, IMHO)



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%BAn_b%C3%B2_Hu%E1%BA%BF

In searching for bún bò Huế photos on the web, I stumbled upon this Vietnamese cooking tutorial featuring a friend whose web presence I was unaware of until now (she's the woman with the "sexy smile" as described in one viewer's comment).  Her gastroenterologist husband was the guy in the yellow apron serving their guests at the end of the video clip.  LOL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0puyxpEmY4&feature=rec-LGOUT-real_rn-1r-2-HM