Exercise » Talking It Off

Approaching the Starting Line

Jan 152010

That’s what life has felt like this week.

I’ve said my good-byes and performed the last minute motherly and daughterly duties,
I’ve travelled across the world to my other (real?) home,
and I’ve hit the ground running through a jet-lagged fog to get ready for a weekend working away.

And all that time I’ve been thinking, “I’ll start thinking about my eating and fitness next week.”

I know that’s diet mentality but I can’t fight it in this blur of sleep deprived busy-ness.

I want to erase the above write something more upbeat and proactive, but I know without a doubt that this is a weekend for going easy on myself and letting me get caught up with myself.

On a positive note we have eaten vast quantities of vegetables – why oh why are the vegetables on this tiny island so superior to their Canadian cousins? Even the huge wintry carrots are sweet and juicy. And the broccoli makes you want to eat more of it.

So now I’m looking forward to doing a proper grocery shop on Monday and getting ready to be on my own for another couple of weeks as the husband jets off to exotic places. I’m already planning the soups and evening meals: Moroccan chickpeas and mushrooms served on roasted butternut squash. I might add a bit of chicken.

And I’m looking forward to dropping a few more pounds. That’s actually quite a huge statement because it means that I’m planning to be lighter than I’ve been for many years. To go along with this, I’m hoping to finally finally get to grips with seeing myself accurately. I want to develop objective eyes for looking in mirrors. Is that asking too much?

And rowing. I fantasise about rowing. And I’m looking forward to improving my 4 mile walk/jog time and adding a mile or two. (Aside: On that note, here’s an article from last weekend’s Times: 20 Fitness Myths Debunked)

So that’s what’s running through my mind as I approach the starting line…….I’m looking forward to what comes next.

Excuses, excuses, excuses

Exercise No Responses »

Dec 102009

What is it that makes us want to rationalize everything? I’ve been somewhat lax about exercising lately – nothing major, but this past week only walked 3 times instead of 5 or 6. Anyway, I realized that I have been putting off the treadmill because I’m “too busy with the holidays.” What a crock! I’m busy, but no more so than any other time of the year. And it’s what? 30-45 minutes? Sometimes I just want to slap myself up the side of the head and say “DO IT!” But I don’t – I just make excuses.

And on another note, I’m heading up north for Christmas and will be really (really!) watching my food intake while I’m there. But it’s always tough for me, and I’ve never been truly successful before at doing it when I visit my daughter. It’s strange because they never have any processed foods–it’s all natural stuff like whole wheat bread, butter, cheeses, etc. Just the sort of foods I can binge on happily. So that’s the question of the month–can I eat moderately when there’s an abundance of choices?

Speaking of binging, there was an interesting article in the LA Times recently on whether it should be classified as a psychiatric disorder. Food for thought….

Move to Eat or Eat to Move

Exercise, Thoughts on the Process 1 Response »

Oct 272009

Thinking about the diet/non-diet thing again and how exercise reflects my frame of mind.

When I have my diet head on, I exercise to eat. I see my hour on the treadmill as earning calories. I think that attitude comes largely from Weight Watchers which does encourage exercise as “earning Points”.

But my non-diet head strives to eat to live and I want exercise to simply be part of living. So yesterday, before I went to the gym, I ate a tablespoon of peanut butter on a ryvita and drank a small glass of milk. Of course, I barely burnt off enough calories to cover that, but I felt great on the treadmill.

Even writing this, I’m wondering if the difference is so subtle that it doesn’t matter. As long as you exercise, why fuss about the reason?

But I’ve always failed at maintaining weight loss because of the on-diet/off-diet attitude and exercise gets tangled up in it and disappears when I’m “off”. So maybe I need to be strict with myself for a while and only eat to exercise because that’s the attitude I want to take with me for the rest of my life. I want to eat to fuel my body and enjoy social times without ignoring that. I don’t want to exercise like mad because I’ve got a dinner coming up where I might want to stuff my face.

What do you think? Do you eat to move or move to eat?

Thinking About Exercise

Exercise 1 Response »

Oct 222009

I love a good workout.

I can happily sit on the sofa for a week.

These are two truths that make it complicated to be me. Or maybe everyone is like this.

I have always been sporty with or without extra weight. I suppose that innate enjoyment of exercise is why I’ve never had more than thirty pounds to lose. The amount of exercise I’ve maintained has ranged from almost nothing to obsessive levels.

wandering around the house in search of food or the tv remote
walking for everyday life – errands and shopping
playing orgainsed team sports
walking for fitness
walk/jogging
going to the gym once or twice per week
going to the gym four or five times per week
running miles and miles in order to burn calories

Can you sense the shift from depressed to sane to compulsive? I have a genuine fear of both extremes.

I read this quote today over on the Paul Plakas site:

Melissa Joulwan once wrote: “An athlete is someone who takes joy in movement. Who knows they feel better after their workout than they did before. They enjoy the first trickle of sweat because they know that the reward for stretching won’t be too far behind. It’s also someone that knows you don’t have to be on an organized sports team to be strong, to have enthusiasm, or to be a winner.”
There is absolutely no mention in the previous quote of a top-10 finish or a personal-record time achieved. No relevance to personal performance relative to others.

I relate to that and I love that little bit at the end. It helps me crave moving my body without fearing the euphoria that always leads to a crash. I want to find moderation and that sheer pleasure of feeling my heart and lungs working hard. I don’t want the kind of exercise that traps me into a routine that gets ever more demanding, just to keep getting better and better results. Instead, I want “balanced life” exercise that leads to the freedom of having a healthy and leaner body.

So today is another “first day”. Better get moving.

Gym-free Fitness

Exercise No Responses »

Oct 222009

I go through phases of liking the gym and resenting the time and money that it demands. I’m in the latter phase right now.

I’ve had many vague thoughts about starting routing at home with hand weights and a balance ball but have never quite got that to the reality stage. But I think it’s time.

I’ve always been a fan of Paul Plakas from X-Weighted, a Canadian reality show and decided to see what he had to offer on his website. Have a look at Bodcast Episode 1. I guess I’ve got no excuses now.

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