My lack of activity on this blog pretty much says it all: I have nothing good to tell you about my lifestyle at the moment. I'm still taking the stairs but no other physical exercise is taking place and bad eating days are more normal than good eating days. I'm conscious of my slothfulness but somehow I can't seem to get out of the rut.
However.
I went for my yearly check-up today and almost fainted when she put me on the scales. I'm 15 pounds heavier than I thought I was - and the weight existing only in my lively imagination was already fifteen pounds too heavy. Good. Grief. I knew I was...shall we say...well-rounded, but I had no idea I'd gained so much. I feel like a freaking Stay-Puff marshmallow. If only I was so light and fluffy.
Interestingly enough, the nurse didn't say anything about me being too heavy - which I do not take as approval, by the way, but I do find it curious. Granted, I'm tall so I know I can technically carry more weight than someone a few inches shorter but still. This cannot be good for me.
So, back to the beginning. I know what I need to do:
(1) I need to stop eating more than I burn. This is such a test of willpower. I know I eat sometimes because I'm bored or because I'm lonely or because I can - not one of those is a viable reason to eat. I have to pay attention to the food, figure out ways to distract myself from eating for no reason, and starting eating more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff.
(2) I need to start exercising. If only I could find something I liked! I hate exercising, I really do. Now that winter's coming, a gym seems to be my only option, which means I get to pay to be miserable. I hate the idea of getting up, driving to campus for the gym, driving back home to get ready and then driving back to the exact same parking deck to go into the office. That's better than getting ready in a locker room, though; I just don't work that way. And working out later in the day means working out with undergrads - who may or may not be my students but who will certainly be young and skinny - and my ego can't stand it, quite frankly.
Okay, enough whining; this is even less attractive than my pudgy tummy. I can manage better eating habits if I just try. Case in point: I had a cup of cottage cheese and a lowfat yogurt for lunch; I'll heat a can of soup up for dinner a little later. The exercising, though...does anyone have any advice?
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4 comments:
Get a workout partner. Make a schedule that is realistic for both of you--not too heavy/intense/demanding at first. Agree together that *something* is better than nothing. Learn to understand your workout as a responsibility to your *partner* as well as yourself. Do make a regular schedule but don't make a long-term committee--agree with each other that you will simply commit to that week's workouts and to *be there* for each other.
Don't be too quick to say "I don't work" this way or that way. It's not the end of the world if you encounter your students in the gym. Believe it: seeing you in schlumpy workout clothes will not reveal anything about you that they don't already know. In fact, I'd argue that letting your students see you schlumpy in the gym is actually part of teaching responsibility--our students need to know that we are human, flawed, and overweight. They also need to see us *facing* this as mature individuals--it helps them grow up. Have the confidence to believe that you're a valuable mentor for them, up to and including showing weakness.
Good luck.
I don't like the idea of using the campus gym b/c I don't want to see my students either. Not b/c they're skinny....i just really don't want to see some of them. and I hate the overly helpful people who want to "correct" something I already do properly to begin with.
It helps me knowing that my husband is working out the same time as me even though we don't do the same things. It's like a guilt motivator I guess. I also look for short workouts in different magazines (glamour, women's day, etc.) those 15 minute things seem more tolerable. I feel if I can do 15 minutes everyday that's pretty good instead of saying "I need to do a half hour or an hour".
For me, the key is accountability. I answer to the scale every week and it keeps me on track. What/who can you be accountable to (besides yourself - that is a given)? I like the comments offered by CJS. If you can't find a workout partner, does your gym have a personal training program? For me, shelling out $$ to a personal trainer helped me get on track with weight lifting.
Akso, visit here! Let us know how you are doing - good or bad. We are here to support, encourage, and mope with you. :>)
A workout partner is a great idea. I have four of them and we keep tabs on each other. If I feel like skipping a workout, I feel like I am disappointing them. We rely on each other for support. Plus, we have a set time that we work out. We have "rescued" each other from students and other things that interfere with our workouts.
If you are not comfortable with gyms, consider purchasing used workout equipment for your home.
Hang in there. We are here for you!!!! You can do it!!!!
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