Routine Progress

17. August 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,

So the routines.  The kids are doing great.  They’ve gotten up every day at the appointed time and balanced their day well between work and play.  Geeky Boy is on a strict 3-hours per day computer schedule.  The rest of his time is spent reading, watching tv with his sister (they’re on a Phineas and Ferb kick right now), playing Boggle, or doing household chores.  I had planned to do my workouts before coffee, but it’s just not working out that way.  For one, my shoulder injury is making it difficult for me to sleep, so I wake up feeling just awful.  I have worked out in the afternoon, though, and I think that’s where the workout needs to stay.  I can’t force myself into a habit that I think just isn’t going to take hold.  I’m planning to work out again this afternoon (after skipping yesterday).  And I’m going to also aim for working out tomorrow, skip Friday, and do either Saturday or Sunday.  I’m also having to do PT exercises for my shoulder–but those are mostly stretches.  So the routine is coming along, though it’s been tweaked.

On the house front, I’m now tackling the master bathroom and the office.  Both are going pretty well.  I dumped a bunch of things in both places, and I plan on tackling my main filing box today, which should be a really good thing.

I’m hoping to continue progress next week, and, when school starts up, I plan to make a real effort to keep at it.  The payoff will be less chaos, and hopefully, fewer pounds. :)

Things I need to do more of

18. February 2011 · 4 comments · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , ,

Exercise.  And to go with that, less eating.

Read offline.

Exercise has totally fallen off the agenda.  It has to get back on it.  And I hate that this topic keeps coming up.

Reading has also fallen off the agenda.  For much the same reason as exercise has.  I come home and I’m too tired to do much of anything.  I tend to zone out in front of the tv–current obsession: How I Met Your Mother.  I read blogs and news online, but reading books, despite having several good options on my Nook, has not been part of my regular routine.

I need to figure out how to make this happen, but part of me thinks that juggling a job, afterschool activities–my own and the kids’, and a house, leaves little to no room for much else.  The reading could easily replace tv, but exercise requires a bit more motivation.  But now that the snow is clearing, maybe there’s hope for exercise.

Oh, and the Wii exercise plan failed, not because the idea wasn’t good, but because the remodel took away the original space designated for Wii Fit goodness.  Once it’s done, there’ll be space again, but that’s probably a month away.

Health, Exercise, Food

19. April 2010 · 5 comments · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags:

Like Laura over at 11D, I’ve been thinking about food and health and exercise more since I now have the time to do so.  I’ve slowed down on cooking randomly through my cookbook, but that’s due in part to the fact that Geeky Boy has decided to become a vegetarian.  This is killing Mr. Geeky, but the rest of us don’t really mind going without meat.  I did a little clothes shopping this weekend and found it to be a depressing experience.  I haven’t really changed much size wise and my size, by all standards, is a size most people would kill to be in, but I have gained weight in the last five years or so and that weight is settling in places that make me feel, well, fat.  At the very least, it’s making it hard to find clothes that fit well.  Winter was easier.  Everything is bulky and pants cover up any unpleasantness in the hips and thighs.  But shorts and t-shirt weather is coming and there are bulges that I just can’t live with anymore.  Mr. Geeky thinks I’m crazy, and maybe I am.  And this will be the millionth time I’ve declared I’m doing something about this, but really, I mean it.

Although I walk the dog every day for 1/2 hour to an hour, I feel like I need to do more than that.  I’m not going to run because my knees are bad, and I’m don’t feel like going to the gym.  It just doesn’t appeal.  I’ve tried it.   So, I’m going to try going back to the Wii Fit in addition to walking and perhaps upgrading to EA Active.  And I’d like to do that for at least a 1/2 hour every day.  Bolstering my new-found desire to increase my physical activity is this New York Times article about some of the latest scientific research about exercise.  The bad news: it’s true that women have a harder time losing weight and exercise can make you want to eat more.  The good news: we may not need to exercise as vigorously or for as long as originally thought:

Streaming through much of the science and advice about exercise and weight loss is a certain Puritan streak, a sense that exercise, to be effective in keeping you slim, must be of almost medicinal dosage — an hour a day, every day; plenty of brisk walking; frequent long runs on the treadmill. But the very latest science about exercise and weight loss has a gentler tone and a more achievable goal. “Emerging evidence suggests that unlike bouts of moderate-vigorous activity, low-intensity ambulation, standing, etc., may contribute to daily energy expenditure without triggering the caloric compensation effect,” Braun wrote in the American College of Sports Medicine newsletter.

Ideally, what I’d like to see happen is for exercise to fit into my day as seamlessly as writing does.  Like the writing habit, it may take me a while to establish it as a habit.

An Update on the Gym Situation

07. December 2009 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags:

I joined the gym this afternoon. The owner actually remembered me, which was nice. It’s actually a bit less meat-locker-y than I remember it. They have a huge number of classes for seniors and when I was there this afternoon, I’d say the average age was about 45-50. I suspect this has something to do with the time of day. I used to go in the evenings, when it was often young 20-something men and women looking to beef themselves up.

As I was walking into my house after signing up, I ran into my neighbor whom I often see on my walks. She runs and/or walks every day, often accompanied by her husband, who rides a bike. “Isn’t this weather great?” she shouted to me. I grimaced a little, as it was just under 40, a temperature I can manage, for sure, but I don’t consider it pleasant. Turns out, she’s from Canada. This feels balmy for her. I’m from the South. This is as cold as it gets in many of the places I’ve lived. I used to ski and do winter sports through my 20s. But I’ve lost my tolerance.

Plus, through the gym, I have access to yoga classes, which I’ve been wanting to restart. I think it will be good for me.

Please consider donating to my efforts in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure

Contemplating Training

03. December 2009 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: ,

So, I kicked off some serious fund raising efforts yesterday and although the walk itself is 317 days away, 20 miles is a lot. And it’s winter. And I am a weather wimp. And I’m running out of paths. A treadmill would offer me the opportunity to walk as far as I want without having to figure out where I can walk to. In my immediate neighborhood, through which I have walked numerous times, I can count on sidewalks and other amenities for walking. A long circuit I developed is a little over 3 miles. I could zigzag through blocks and probably get it up to 5 miles. But bleh. Venturing out of the neighborhood, to walk to the next town over for example, means no sidewalks in many places and heavily trafficked streets. Sometimes both together. I don’t relish the idea of walking along a main thoroughfare with no sidewalk.

So, in thinking about the treadmill, I’ve thought, well, I could purchase one or I could rejoin the gym around the corner just for the use of the treadmill. They don’t have contracts or anything and it’s a nice gym. On the other hand, it might be nice to have a treadmill in the house, problem being a) we have no room; and b) they’re really pricey. Even if both Mr. Geeky and I joined the gym, the cost for a whole year would be half that of a good treadmill. So I’m leaning toward joining the gym, even though it seems a little silly to do so just for the treadmill.

Long time readers know that I am not good at keeping up with exercise. And even with a 60-mile walk facing me, I find myself easily putting off the work. If I’m putting money into the gym membership, that would certainly make me feel compelled to use it. And I can walk at a variety of times–early morning, night–times I won’t walk outside because it’s too cold or it’s dark. Any advice, oh wise readers?

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Graph of the weight, wealth relationship over time

13. August 2009 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: ,


Heh.

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More on Exercise and Food

11. August 2009 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags:

It turns out my ideas about exercise aren’t entirely off the mark:

Many obesity researchers now believe that very frequent, low-level physical activity — the kind humans did for tens of thousands of years before the leaf blower was invented — may actually work better for us than the occasional bouts of exercise you get as a gym rat. “You cannot sit still all day long and then have 30 minutes of exercise without producing stress on the muscles,” says Hans-Rudolf Berthoud, a neurobiologist at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center who has studied nutrition for 20 years. “The muscles will ache, and you may not want to move after. But to burn calories, the muscle movements don’t have to be extreme. It would be better to distribute the movements throughout the day.”

A friend told me about this article yesterday and I bumped into it this morning and read the whole thing. It’s ultimate conclusion is that it’s your food choices and not your exercise routine that does the most for your weight. That doesn’t mean you can be completely sedentary. It suggests, as the quote above notes, that we should just all move around more within our daily activities rather than scheduling a trip to the gym. That’s something that’s easy to incorporate for many people. I can walk or ride my bike to many places instead of driving. And most people can. Even parking far away from entrances and taking the stairs instead of the elevator can make you healthier. Things people have said all along, but which now makes a lot more sense.

Please consider donating to my efforts in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure

Swimming

10. August 2009 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags:

So that exercise thing? Barely made two laps. I’m out of neath. Sad.


– Post From My iPhone

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Ignoring time

10. August 2009 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,

I really appreciated seeing this post this morning about not focusing so much on the clock. I have a real tendency to do this, scheduling every minute of every day. Today, for example, Geeky Boy and I had to go to the high school to rework his schedule, so I started my planning from there. I decided I would go to the high school at 10, followed by a trip to the grocery store, lunch, cleaning, and then a trip to the pool, exercising either there or when I got home. I planned free time in the hour before dinner, dinner, and then just open time. Sounds oppressive, doesn’t it? The other thing that happened was that I didn’t wake early enough so a few things I wanted to get done on a writing project didn’t happen until just now. And, though I should be cleaning, that’s not happening now because I wanted to post this and read a few other blogs, which is not quite leisure, not quite work. So, you see, my schedule is easily disrupted and then I feel bad about not getting things done, etc. Bleh.

Jonathan Mead (author of the above post) echoes this sentiment:

Trying to constantly manage and monitor my time has only led me to greater anxiety, and always feeling like I’ve not “done enough.” I’m always thinking about how I could have “spent that time more wisely.” But the purpose of life is to enjoy it, is it not? So can’t we perform highly without the anxiety of counting every minute?

He makes a lot of good recommendations for being productive without feeling pressed for time. My favorite is having a theme for the month. Although I didn’t quite consciously think about it, my theme for this month is about getting organized and eliminating clutter. I wanted to be prepared for the new school year with a house that’s more streamlined and with everything in its rightful place. I think the idea is that, while I might schedule time for cleaning, if that’s the theme, then when I have the time and motivation during each day, I can tackle a cleaning project.

Next month, I’m going to tackle exercise, something I’ve struggled with forever. I really hate structured exercise–going to the gym, being in an exercise class (except for yoga; I like yoga classes)–but it’s not like I’m a total lump. I don’t mind walking instead of driving places. I’ll play soccer or tennis with the kids. I like gardening. Generally, moving around on occasion, even every day, is not something I’m opposed to. But it’s extremely easy for me to make excuses. It’s too hot, too cold, too wet. I have this that or the other that I need to do. I’d rather read, play games, watch tv. You know the drill. So I’m going to make some effort now, but really focus next month on moving at least a little every day.

The exercise thing is partly why I’m not as fond of Mead’s advice to follow your rhythms. That’s easy enough for me to do with intellectual activity, but inertia keeps me from doing physical things that I find unpleasant. And that’s where I think a schedule can help. And I suspect some people find the same is true of other kinds of work. Certainly people can schedule those activities for times when they know they’re more motivated, but they might have to semi force themselves to at least getting started.

I’m trying, then, to find a good flow for myself where I feel productive, but don’t feel anxious. Easier said than done, but I’m giving it a whirl.

Please consider donating to my efforts in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure

Wrong week

06. December 2007 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags:

So it’s been a tough week to start up the walking regimen again. I was much more successful than the guy from Airplane! at least. On Tuesday, it was freaking cold and there were 40 mph winds. I only walked 15 minutes, mainly because by the time I got all my gear on and got out the door, it was 6:15. Since I have to be in the shower by 6:30 so I can arrive at work by 7:30, I couldn’t do more than 15 minutes. Wednesday the winds had died down, but it was still cold. Today, I thought I’d get up at 5:45 to accommodate for the gearing up time, but opted to sleep in and walk in the afternoon (I’m home by 3:00). That was a good plan since it was 18 degrees this morning and there was an inch or two of snow on the ground.

It’s not bad after the first block or two. The first day, I didn’t have enough butt coverage, so I was plenty warm on top, but my butt was cold the entire time. After some long underwear and warmer workout clothes purchases, I managed to keep the butt warm. I’m catching up on podcasts and generally enjoying it so far. I still have to convince myself. The voices in my head say, It’s so cold. Don’t go. The bed is nice and warm. I have to fight that still. I’ll say this, spring is gonna feel really warm to me.

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