Monday, May 17, 2010

Today

Well, I met with the woman who's going to help me with an exercise program.

The good news is, I believe that together we can get good results from the exercises. She has a number of ideas about cardio training and weight training, and she'll work with me to get me going on them. All that is goodness. I think it will at times be difficult, but I also think it's doable.

The bad news is, she's a strong believer in a) the theory of multiple small meals --5 or six a day, and b) eating all sorts of things that I regard as strange. The first, I can at least understand, though some quick reading suggests that more than a few people think it's more of a fad concept than a solid one. I can't even remember the names she rattled off, though there was frequent mention of protein shakes and "Omega 3, Omega 6, and Omega 9". This unnerves me. She basically thinks that I need to 'restart my metabolism', and along the way start eating much, much healthier. It certainly works for her, and I'm willing to believe that it might work for me. I just don't know if I can bring myself to do it. Heck, even when she mentioned foods that I recognized, like brown rice and cottage cheese, I shuddered a bit.

I just don't know what it will do to the results if I don't do that part. I know what I'd tell someone else -- try it for a while -- but me? That's another story.

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Tomorrow, I get to be the judge of elections, which is actually fun of a sort (much more fun when it's busy; it's an off-election, and its supposed to rain, so guess what). Don't expect to hear from me.

5 comments:

Wendster said...

So you are going to work out?

You sound like you want to but you don't sound invested in the plan. I would also say "try it" ... but if you find yourself slipping back, just have a list of things you don't eat. I would suggest the "ingredient" thing. First off, if it has LOTS of ingredients don't eat it. Apples, for instance, have NO ingredient list. Candy has about thirty ingredients, I imagine.

When you pick up an item, flip it over, read the back, and if the following ingredients are among the first three ingredients listed DON'T BUY IT.

Refined flour
Sugar
Hydrogenated oil
which includes saturated fats and what is that other fat that is included under that? Well ... watch out for fat in the first three ingredient spaces.

That one thing helped me choose a LOT healthier foods while eating in a similar way to the way I had before.

My second suggestion? (my how I blather) link this "new behavior" of exercise and diet to your highest value. How is doing THIS (exercise and diet) going to get you THAT (the thing that REEEALLLLLY MATTERS TO YOU) ... will diet and exercise help you do that thing longer? With more clarity of thought? Without fatiguing? If the "I don't really want to do this" THING gets you to the "I SO TOTALLY WANT THIS" THING ... you will begin doing it automatically.

That's what they say.

Good luck.

I'll be excited to check back in.

You gonna post your weight every day?

Wendster said...

OH. The other thing is pay her (or a savings account that you can't touch unless you get your goal) a BUTTLOAD of money for this service. People who pay a ton of money for a service usually take it a lot more seriously.

Oh ... and I didn't mean "sugar" I meant high fructose corn syrup ... AND sugar.

genderist said...

You could always just try to exercise portion and some diet changes at first to see how you go, then add the supplement stuff if/when you plateau later.

Tabor said...

Wendster has it right. Healthy eating. Eating several smaller meals also helps shrink your stomach and you don't feel the need to pack away a large meal. I rarely eat all the food when I go out to eat. Almost always I take half home for lunch the next day. Don't panic. No pain no gain and that means a few cravings now and again. Remember this is you life we are talking about.

Cerulean Bill said...

W, I don't hardly even tell MYSELF what I weigh. I'm not huge -- imho -- but there have been times when I recalled Archie Goodwin's descriptions of Nero Wolfe, and thought hmmmm....

I am not 'invested in the plan', for sure. I am not happy about the idea that something that gives me great pleasure -- baking -- might have to go by the boards. Not sure I can do that. In fact, sure that I CAN'T. And don't say 'well, you can just bake healthy stuff!' Last time I looked, chocolate chip cookies, Tuscan Bread, brownies were not classified as such. (Though I've yet to make the Tuscan Bread, but I'm looking forward to it.)

And then there's pepperoni and pineapple pizza....

I think I tend toward the moderate view -- do some of it, back off on some things a little, give it a chance.

"You mean there was no deep fat? No steak or cream pies or hot fudge?"

"Those were thought to be unhealthy. Precisely the opposite of what we now know to be true."


- Woody Allen, "Sleeper"