One of my other goals for this two week vacation (which is almost over now. Thank God) was to instill some kind of regular weekly exercise/diet regiment.
There’s a few problems with that, though.
One- I’m not big on ‘real’ exercise. I’m more of a situational exerciser. Which means I only exert physical effort when there is no other alternative. For instance: I lost a ton of weight my first year in Paris because I was too broke to pay for a cab and had to walk everywhere. I worked on the other side of the city and had to basically run from my front door, through the various metro stops and systems (including the 3 mile walk through Chatelet station. In heels.) to get to work every morning. I used to call it the ‘Chatelet shuffle’. I could have probably sold a video if citywide subway systems were readily available for in-home use.
Then there was 2010- when I was trying to get my French drivers permit. I couldn’t very well drive to my daily class and it was a pain to pack up all the kids so the hubs could drive me there and back every day. So I walked instead. Nearly 5 kilometers each way.
Since that time, though. There’s been no real need for exercise. I’ve been trying to find my ‘situational exercise’ wherever I can- telling myself things like ‘Cleaning is exercise. Eating is exercise. Breathing- it’s exercise!’
‘Going up a couple flights of stairs a few times a week? Total exercise! And I walked! To my car! Sure- it’s parked right outside the building but walking is exercise, man!’
Yet, no matter how I try to convince my body that we are consistently active, my waistline doesn’t seem to agree.
Two- The closest I’ve ever come to dieting would be something like the French ‘forking it’ diet. Yeah. Look it up. My weight has fluxuated over the last few years. But I was always able to get back down to ideal by doing something simple- like giving up soda. Now that I’m approaching thirty, though- those extra pounds have seemed to weld themselves in place. For awhile, I tried to convince myself it was muscle mass- you know, from all that stair climbing and eating with a fork.
But deep down, I know the truth.
Any tips for this ‘forking’ situational exerciser?
27 comments:
Good luck! The older one gets the harder it is to lose weight or maintain weight w/out cutting back on the diet and/or exercise! :) Teens can not fully appreciate this fact.
Take it from someone who's 45, the "cling-ability" of extra pounds gets worse as you get older. The only way to beat it is for exercise to become a way of life. Sorry. :( I plan it into my schedule, just like writing, laundry, etc.
Oh good luck Creepy Query Girl! I really don't know the answer!
It's like I know I need to eat less and do more active stuff - I mean it's so simple and yet so difficult to achieve! But I have forced myself to try and it's only in the last 2 - 3 years that I've found a happy equilibrium. So long as I do 10 minutes daily vigorous exercise, I'm happy. That's all I can do - I try to eat as healthily as possible.. ahem. Well ok, not really but I try! LOL! I've come to accept my belly and hips ain't going anywhere! LOL!
Take care
x
Eat off small plates. It really works.
I had lost quite a bit of weight just eating lean meats and vegetables, but now I am watching it creep back on with the sugar I have been eating...so sugar is not the way to go I have learned.
Haha...I know nothing about 'forking it.' What I do know is that exercising is like writing. Either you commit to it or it won't happen.
Eat really clean. No processed foods, things that look like they did when they were growing in the garden. I really enjoy hitting a treadmill (walking, see today's post) with my tablet and reading for 45 minutes but getting in three miles while doing it.
But the food that you eat has more to do with the weight than the calories you burn.
I've got nothing. I have to go to the gym for exercise, and I haven't been in weeks!
I really need to do that too. Maybe I should try running to work except it's 20 miles. D'OH! Makes me wish I knew how to ride a bike.
Being in my mid-thirties, sorry to tell you, but it gets even harder to get rid of that "muscle mass". I have the same problem, but I do some cardio so I'm all fit when I'm famous and called to DWTS or survivor (It's the only way to trick my mind to do cardio). I also stand on one foot to brush my teeth. Heard it on 'The Doctor's' that you burn more calories that way. Other than that, I think I'm in the same boat as you.
Takes proper diet and exercise to make weight loss permanent. Is there a sport you enjoy? Physical game you could play with your kids? A dog to walk?
Ugh. I remember that when I turned thirty. It is so frustrating when you are so used to being able to just drop the pounds. Walking really does help...maybe you should get rid of your car again. :-) Happy weekend!
Hey, going up a flight of stairs once in a while is totally exercise! I tend to go for a walk when I'm brainstorming, which helps me burn calories and be productive all at the same time. Good luck!
The French can eat all that and be thinner because the portion sizes are way healthier. American portions are disgustingly huge and way too much. Ick!
I've found that walking and Pilates (not necessarily on the same day) are the keys to staying between a size 4 and 6. I'm 41 so staying that size is an effort.
And I try to eat fairly healthy but I've been known to down an entire box of Girl Scout cookies in one sitting. Yeah. I totally do that.
Really you just have to try different stuff until you find something that you don't hate doing.
I've been trying to get back into an exercise routine lately, too. The thing that works best for me is waking up a tiny bit earlier than usual and doing 20 minute of an exercise DVD. It's still too cold here to walk, but when it warms up, I'm going to start walking instead. But yeah, it's hard. I was in a pretty good habit and then I had foot surgery which made me lazy again. I'm just starting to get back into it again. It's hard!!
Let's see, a situational exercise. I suggest pretending you have forgotten something from the car so you have to keep going back. Or how far away is the nearest grocery store? You can convince yourself to grab just a couple of things then walk to and from the store. Other than that...still thinking :-)
My solution was to sign up for a half-marathon. Motivation galore! Best of luck finding something that works!
I got nothing. My ass is trying to grow a friend and that's a little depressing.
I think I'm going to try the Atkins Diet again. The family hid from me for two weeks last year when I went on it so thats like a bonus.
Up until I was 40 I had one of those anamorphic bodies...I could lose a ton of weight quickly with very little effort. But from 40+ its been a struggle. I hit the health club three times a week just so I can continue to eat close to what I'd like to eat. Sorry...its just not easy. :(
Find something you love to do or give yourself a reward for doing something you don't love. My sister told me about a web site to track calories - loseit.com. It shows a red line if you go over your goal - strangely motivating for me.
You're still very young, so better to try to lose it now rather than struggle even more later. Getting old sucks! The best way to lose weight is to cut your carbs way, way down, and just put your iPod on some peppy, happy tunes and go for a walk. It's amazing how much better this will make you feel, not to mention look.
Just a reminder that there are a lot of us in the boat with you. Maybe rowing's the go?
Ugh! I used to be able to eat & drink all I wanted and never put on weight. I think all those pounds just lurked in an extra dimension until I turned 40 and then decided to come home to roost.
My solution is to cycle to work whenever I can. That seems to keep the worst of it at bay. For now.
Exercise is not the way to lose weight. Exercise is best for getting fit and stimulating cardio-vascular system. True, you do lose weight if you exercise but then you must keep exercising to maintain the lower weight. Stop, and it comes back on.
Diet is the only way to lose weight and keep it off. Too much to tell here in a blog post, but dieting is E-A-S-Y. The diet industry wants you to think it's hard to you buy their products. All you need to is shave 200 calories off per day. Meaure weight once per week always at exactly the same time ( Sun morn, for instance ). When weight loss stops, shave off another 200 calories per day. Never lose more than 1 pound per week, or your body will think it's resources are lacking and will try to hang on to body mass. Be patient. The result? You'll lose approx half a pound per week diet will fall alongside body mass, and you'll eventually reach the desired weight and stay there. There is nothing more to it.
I am so like you. I hate exercising. :)
---Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2012
Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge
Finding time (and desire) to exercise is so hard! I've been walking home from work sometimes - but when the weather stinks it's so easy to accept a ride from a friend who goes by my house. It's really hard to say no!
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