Last Thanksgiving, I raided my mom's closet.

Now, to give you a little background, you should know that my little sister constantly "borrows" things from my mom because she's in college and is back at home a bunch. My mom is something of a packrat, which means she hangs onto clothes forever. To boot, she has a flair for fashion and most of her stuff is really timeless. In other words, it's a rare treat for me to dig through her closet. One of the things I pulled out was this fantastic trenchcoat that was in perfect condition. A basic, belted trench, double-breasted. Mom said she got it in the early '80s. I tried it on, and it was really perfect. So, I swiped it. Obviously.

Well, I didn't end up wearing it last year because it had these shoulder button-strap things, which are meant to hold up the sleeves if you roll them up. You might know what I'm talking about. Really more function than fashion. Well, last week, I got to looking at the trench, and realized that the straps were sewn on externally, and it would be a snap to remove them. So I did. Obviously.

With the cooler, blustery weather, I've been wearing the trench almost daily, in the mornings especially. I love the feeling I get from it. Just knowing my mom wore it more than twenty years ago gives me this strong sense of connection to her. I also found a ticket in one pocket from a jazz concert that my little sister went to. Which means that at some point, she stole it, too. How I managed to get it in the end, I'm not sure. But I plan to keep it. Obviously.

Why, American Heart Association, why?!

I could have gone a long time without reading this.

In a fitness article I just read yesterday, I saw a little piece of information, direct from the American Heart Association. But before I break the traumatic news, I want you to keep in mind that this article is titled "Killer Tone-Up, Trim-Down Workout." Sounds good, huh? Tell me more about this killer workout! The explanation and exercise moves look great. I think I'll incorporate them into my 30 minute, 3-days a week workout. Cool.

Not so cool. In a little pull-out box of text, I read that the "American Heart Association now recommends the new fitness guidelines of 30 minutes of exercise per day to maintain your weight and 60 minutes a day to shed pounds." It says nothing about my old faithful 3 days a week routine. In fact, if I were to up my ante and complete my workout on a DAILY basis, I would still only maintain my current weight. Sure, I wouldn't gain, but let's be honest. How many of us, including me, have tons of cute clothes we're still hanging onto for that far-off dreamy day that we might fit back into them again?

So what now? I could just quit. Because what's the point? OR--and this is the philosophy I'm going with--I could be bittersweetly grateful that I read what I did, and accelerate my workout to 60 minutes, EVERY day. Yes, there will be days that I don't make it. But if I get it done most of the days, I may begin to see a difference on the scale and might even be able to wear said cute clothes in the back of my closet again.