And so here we are, the endless mental game of gaining weight and worrying I am gaining too much too fast. I know, even I am boring myself to death.

A Little Post Thanksgiving with Punch and Judy

Stories of a Midlife Bikini Mom
3 min readNov 27, 2023

It’s Monday morning, the first day of the work week after Thanksgiving.

I didn’t go too crazy with the eating over the holiday, but I definitely was a bit “loosey-goosey” with the tracking.

The image of one of those old-timey Punch and Judy puppet shows popped in my mind the other day. One part of my brain is Punch telling me to go ahead and enjoy the food — I’m supposed to be gaining and adding calories, afterall. I’m in a build. The other part of my brain — Judy — is yelling back that I shouldn’t be gaining too quickly and therefore slow the fuck down.

And so here we are, the endless mental game of gaining weight and worrying I am gaining too much too fast. I know, even I am boring myself to death.

Still, I stepped on the scale this morning and it read just under 10 pounds up from stage weight. I’m not sure how that is possible, I think as the image of me finishing off the apple crumble I had made for the holiday flashed in my head.

All of the things I want to focus on are hovering above my head. I know I need to get to work if I want to be better:

  • Practice posing
  • Go to yoga more
  • Work on flexibility and mobility (see above)
  • Listen to more podcasts/audiobooks on confidence
  • Improve stage presence
  • BUILD MUSCLE

We are nearing the end of November and rounding the corner to December. It’s that time of year when we all go into the, “I’ll do it after the holidays” vortex. This is why gyms get packed after January 1st. We all want that fresh start, a new me, a better me, but we all want to start it after the holidays.

Cuz…it’s the holidays. We are busy. We have shopping to do: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday. We have trees to set up and adorn, lights to string, candles to purchase and light, food to buy and plans to be made.

The fact is though, it’s all just days slipping by. Today is a Monday, like other Mondays, even if it is the Monday after Thanksgiving.

I’m reminded of the fragility of life and the intense velocity of how it zips by at light speed when I think how much ash changed in just the last couple of years.

People I love have passed on. My kids are no longer kids — they are graduating college soon, planning out careers and where they will eventually live after leaving the nest.

When I dream, I often dream about my kids much younger — elementary age or sometimes they are in high school. Typically I am with them and other family members, my parents, and we are traveling on some big family vacation. My dad is still alive and my mom is more mobile. It really wasn’t that long ago when we were living these days, but now they are behind us.

I know this.

I wash my face in the morning and look in the mirror and wonder how a decade flew in the blink of an eye.

So today is Monday. After today there will be only four Mondays until it is Christmas. I can wait until “after the holidays” or I can make these Mondays (and Tuesdays and Wednesdays) count.

I silence Punch and placate Judy. It’s time to work.

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Stories of a Midlife Bikini Mom
Stories of a Midlife Bikini Mom

Written by Stories of a Midlife Bikini Mom

Mom embarking on a journey to the bodybuilding stage.

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