The Weighing Game
Being healthy is hard.
A while back I thought I would take up running in order to get back in to shape. Bought a nice pair of running shoes (my feet thanked me), and I probably did it for a good 3 weeks or so. Now the shoes are collecting dust in a closet.
A little while before that, I thought I would take up bicycling. I bought a nice bike, and I got into it for a couple of months or so. Now the bike is collecting dust in a garage.
In both cases, some minor discouragement turned into a major obstacle, which then turned into a complete disaster. In the case of the bike, I can trace it back to one day I planned to go on a fairly long ride but had not one but two flats before I even got halfway. I returned home on a leaky tire, felt discouraged as I didn't have another replacement tube. I didn't get around to buying replacements for a few days, perhaps a week, and when I did pick up a couple I did not feel motivated to install them. One thing led to another, as it goes.
Why is it always so hard to become more active? Why is it always so easy to fall back off the bandwagon?
Eating right is just as hard. I am afflicted with a most terrible case of the Sweet Tooth. Give me a box of cookies, and I'll eat half of them in one sitting without so much as pausing to think about what I'm doing. Cakes? Devoured. Ice cream? Inhaled. It's really no better with fatty foods. Big greasy hamburger oozing with cheese? I'm there!
Salad? Chicken breast? Well, if I have to ...
I'm blessed with a decent metabolism that has allowed me to indulge to my heart's content without becoming obscenely overweight; if I don't work out and don't watch what I eat, I tend to reach a sort of equilibrium at 230-235 lbs (107 kg). My height, for reference, is an even 6 foot (1.83 m), so I'm certainly overweight if not outright HORRIBLE. That metabolism means that when I do decide to knuckle down and eat right the weight comes right off. But again, it's like with the becoming more active - I manage it for a while till some hiccup rolls around. I get invited to a party where indulgence is the rule of the day, or Thanksgiving comes around, or the Girl Scouts and their pernicious cookies. One indulgent day becomes an indulgent weekend which becomes an indulgent week ... next thing you know I'm back to a diet of french fries and pizza and donuts.
I know I won't have this advantage forever. I also know that being even a little obese is bad for one's health. I also know that my blood pressure is high and my cholesterol probably isn't where it should be.
This weekend I went through my closet and pulled out a bunch of items that are old and threadbare to throw away, or ones I don't wear for one reason or another to donate to charity. I realized that half of the shirts I have were bought when I had gotten down to a much healthier weight. I think the idea had been to refresh my wardrobe and get rid of the "bigger" clothes but for some reason I didn't, and now I've settled back into them. Comfortable.
Not to mention my riding jacket fits a little TOO snugly now. Uck.
I dunno how to get out of this cycle and this way of doing things. Going to try again though. Maybe this time ...
A while back I thought I would take up running in order to get back in to shape. Bought a nice pair of running shoes (my feet thanked me), and I probably did it for a good 3 weeks or so. Now the shoes are collecting dust in a closet.
A little while before that, I thought I would take up bicycling. I bought a nice bike, and I got into it for a couple of months or so. Now the bike is collecting dust in a garage.
In both cases, some minor discouragement turned into a major obstacle, which then turned into a complete disaster. In the case of the bike, I can trace it back to one day I planned to go on a fairly long ride but had not one but two flats before I even got halfway. I returned home on a leaky tire, felt discouraged as I didn't have another replacement tube. I didn't get around to buying replacements for a few days, perhaps a week, and when I did pick up a couple I did not feel motivated to install them. One thing led to another, as it goes.
Why is it always so hard to become more active? Why is it always so easy to fall back off the bandwagon?
Eating right is just as hard. I am afflicted with a most terrible case of the Sweet Tooth. Give me a box of cookies, and I'll eat half of them in one sitting without so much as pausing to think about what I'm doing. Cakes? Devoured. Ice cream? Inhaled. It's really no better with fatty foods. Big greasy hamburger oozing with cheese? I'm there!
Salad? Chicken breast? Well, if I have to ...
I'm blessed with a decent metabolism that has allowed me to indulge to my heart's content without becoming obscenely overweight; if I don't work out and don't watch what I eat, I tend to reach a sort of equilibrium at 230-235 lbs (107 kg). My height, for reference, is an even 6 foot (1.83 m), so I'm certainly overweight if not outright HORRIBLE. That metabolism means that when I do decide to knuckle down and eat right the weight comes right off. But again, it's like with the becoming more active - I manage it for a while till some hiccup rolls around. I get invited to a party where indulgence is the rule of the day, or Thanksgiving comes around, or the Girl Scouts and their pernicious cookies. One indulgent day becomes an indulgent weekend which becomes an indulgent week ... next thing you know I'm back to a diet of french fries and pizza and donuts.
I know I won't have this advantage forever. I also know that being even a little obese is bad for one's health. I also know that my blood pressure is high and my cholesterol probably isn't where it should be.
This weekend I went through my closet and pulled out a bunch of items that are old and threadbare to throw away, or ones I don't wear for one reason or another to donate to charity. I realized that half of the shirts I have were bought when I had gotten down to a much healthier weight. I think the idea had been to refresh my wardrobe and get rid of the "bigger" clothes but for some reason I didn't, and now I've settled back into them. Comfortable.
Not to mention my riding jacket fits a little TOO snugly now. Uck.
I dunno how to get out of this cycle and this way of doing things. Going to try again though. Maybe this time ...