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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">I read an article in a fitness magazine that
stated if someone wanted to look good, especially if they have a big bottom,
they should lighten up on the weight work for their legs.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Then their bottoms won’t be so
big.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">My legs are worked HARD in my exercise
sessions.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I do squats, lunges,
extensions, curls, and I always use the max resistance on the cardio
machines.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I climb stairs at
work.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My legs are so big that my
logic in working them hard is to reduce the fat and build up the muscles.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Well, they still look like big fat legs
to me.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I know they’re smaller than
they were, because I wear a smaller size, but when I look at them in the mirror,
they look like tree trunks.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">My butt is massive.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>No matter what butt exercise I do, it
stays HUGE.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My butt gets in the way
of wearing smaller sizes, because as the rest of me shrinks, my butt stays the
same.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My butt’s only hope is
liposuction.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, I don’t have
the money for it and I also read even if someone has liposuction, the fat will
come back.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">So after I read this article, I thought maybe
this is the way to have a more balanced look with my bottom matching my smaller
top.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I’ll lighten up on my leg work
and lessen the resistance on the cardio machines and see how that
goes.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">I used lighter weights for about three
weeks.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It was nice not to work so
hard, but it felt weird.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It felt
weird on the cardio machines, too.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>I could do a lot of rotations, but I wasn’t burning as many
calories.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I quit doing the stairs
at work.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">Three weeks isn’t enough time to evaluate any
exercise program.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It seems it takes
a body at least a couple of months to adapt to something new, but this way of
working out didn’t seem right.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And
my butt certainly wasn’t getting smaller.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">During this time, I signed up for a 5K and it
was race day.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I don’t actually race
and I don’t run in these things, except a little bit.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I just walk really, really fast.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Race day turned out to be perfect, lots
of sun, comfortable temperatures, and the course went along the banks of the
Mississippi River.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">I stretched out.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I soaked up the energy of the
participants.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I already spotted the
Kenyans that would zip along the course and win it in about 5 minutes.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Their bodies are built for running.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My body is built for farm
work.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">I’m a walker, so I stayed at the back of the
pack.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I’m also a slow starter.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It takes my body about 10 minutes to
realize that it’s OK to be working hard.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>My body tries to fight me on that.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>But I usually finish strong. Perhaps all that excess fat gives me the
energy I need at the end.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">I moved along the course, glancing at the
river shimmering in the sun, and picking out people ahead of me that I could
pass and keep up a good pace, too.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">About three quarters through the race, I made
my move.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I passed a bunch of people
who had been ahead of me the whole way.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>I was kicking it good.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My
arms were moving, my legs were churning, and the sweat was pouring down my
face.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">But about 20 yards from the finish line, I
had to slow down.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>All the people
who I worked so hard to pass were passing me!<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I had no kick at the
end.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">I felt bad as I walked back to my car.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I’m not a competitive racer by any
means, but I want to do well.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A
heavy guy with an ace bandage on his knee and who limped most of the way left me
in the dust for gosh sakes.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">I’ve done other 5Ks and I always had juice at
the end.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>What happened here?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Then I realized it had to be those
lighter workouts.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Sure, they were
supposed to balance out my body, but I lost strength.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At my age, muscle disappears very
quickly.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">When I went to the gym the next day, I
grabbed the heavier weights for my legs.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>I upped the resistance on the cardio machines.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I started climbing the stairs at work
again.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It was hard.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I really had lost muscle, because I
struggled with the old routine for about a week.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But my strength started coming back and
my workouts became challenging again rather than
struggling.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">I feel back in tune again.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I need my strength.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When I do my next 5K, the walkers better
watch out (The Kenyans have absolutely nothing to worry about).<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The woman with the big fat legs and the
bubble butt is going to kick some . . .<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P></FONT></DIV>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Margaret R.
Kramer<BR>margaretkramer@earthlink.net<BR><BR><A
href="http://www.polarispublications.com/"
target=_blank>http://www.polarispublications.com</A><BR>Be a star!</SPAN></P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A
href="http://www.skywaybpw.org/">http://www.skywaybpw.org</A></SPAN></P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Skyway Business and Professional
Women</SPAN></P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Working women connecting.</SPAN></P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A
href="http://www.bpwmn.org/">http://www.bpwmn.org</A></SPAN></P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Business and Professional Women of
Minnesota</SPAN></P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Bush is a "President who has no
foresight, who cannot think properly, and wants to plunge the world into a
holocaust."</SPAN></P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><EM>~Nelson
Mandela</EM> </SPAN></P>
<P class=Section1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
face=Verdana size=2></FONT> </P></FONT>
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