Is that cellulite?

My whole life I've been short and skinny. I never really became aware of how tiny I was until my little sister became taller and bigger than I was, which happened when I was 12 or 13. One day I remember her coming into my room and trying on a pair of my jeans...and they were too small for her. Of course that experience delighted her, being two years my junior, however I was horrified.

Thus begun the 20 year struggle to get bigger. Obviously, other than using kick-ass 4 inch heels that I discovered in college, I wasn't going to be able to make myself taller. Therefore, gaining weight became my focus. The problem I kept facing was that I didn't really care for eating. Unlike most people, I don't stress eat. When I'm upset, anxious or otherwise stressed, I lose my appetite. Couple that with generalized anxiety disorder and skinniness was unavoidable.

Then something happened. I think there are probably a multitude of factors that lead to me gaining weight (not on purpose), however I have put a lot of thought into it (almost 6 minutes of thought, to be exact) and I think I've identified the main contributors: Michael and chip dip.

Since getting married, I have noticed that I have slowly gained weight, and I mean S-L-O-W-L-Y. When I got married I weighed 90lbs, which was four pounds more than I weighed all through high school. So it took me 10 years to gain four pounds, basically. Then over the past three years of martial bliss, I have noticed a average climb of about 3lbs a year. So for those that aren't too fond of math word problems, that makes me 31 years old and 99lbs. From time to time I get to 102 then I'm all the sudden 97 -- but 99 seems to be my new average, which I credit to Michael and his calming energy. I'm happy, I'm comfortable, I'm settled; so stress is no longer keeping my appetite at bay.

Speaking of appetite, God, do I love chips and dip. I'm not a sweet tooth person, and never really was, but it turns out I can go to town on a bag of Cape Cod chips and Heluva Good French Onion dip. We always (unless one of us just polished it off) have these two items present in our house. The "chip dip" element is the one I credit for the current surge of weight gain (4lbs) over the last two months.

So great, I'm gaining weight. However, it isn't the type of weight I want. Before I would have been thrilled, but because I'm riding and training for the Rugged Maniac in September and Tough Mudder next May, I need to gain muscle. Therefore, my wonderful husband put together a workout plan for me a little over a month ago.

The workout plan is great! It's a full body three day cycle, which I can do at home after work. I have stuck to the workouts since he gave them to me, but over the past week I have decided to switch up the schedule. Originally I was doing one day on and one day off, but now I've decided to do three days on and two days off. In addition, every day at work I run the stairs of my building. I'm on the second floor and I sprint all 24 flights of stairs to the 15th floor. We, like most buildings, don't have a 13th floor if you were wondering why the math doesn't click.

Which is a whole other discussion, but can I say, just because you don't label the 13th floor the "13th floor" doesn't mean you don't have a 13th floor.

Anyway.

Since starting the workout I have noticed a total improvement in my riding. My legs have more control and stamina, my arms are stronger and can pick up the bike much easier than before and my abs have gotten so solid that I really do get the whole "engage your core" mumbo jumbo.

This has all led to a more confident Annie when it comes to riding. Plus, I've noticed that the cellulite, that I never had before, is slowing going back to whatever special corner of hell it originates from.

-A