Yesterday I went to a birthday party where there was a mountain of free pizza and cupcakes. The only contact I had with the temptations was to help haul them from the truck to the beach.
Instead of stuffing my face, something the Old Me would have done, I burned calories by pitching in to set up and playing with the kiddos that needed adult supervision.
I feel good about that, and I feel even better today because my spin bike arrived. It was a pricy investment, but it was something I felt compelled to do, especially given the air quality in california due to all the smoke from the fires.
When it comes to exercise, I’ve realized that I need to set it up so it’s as frictionless as possible. The Old Me would use any excuse to get out of exercising after the initial burst of motivation died off. Driving half an hour to the gym— gas is too expensive and my car anxiety is too much to overcome today. Go for a walk— I’m not willing to tackle the mountain dubbed Mount Agony I live on. Last time I climbed it 3 days in a row, my foot arches needed months to recover. Time to hit a treadmill— it’s too loud and it hurts my knees, besides, I’d rather be watching TV...
Some of these excuses may have been valid, but the Old Me had no persistence. The Old Me would have folded my hand and hopped on the couch to indulge in my vices at the first sign of resistance.
To make matters worse all my hobbies tend to be sedentary. For example... I freaking love TV. Entertainment is one of the biggest pleasures in my life. So this time, I decided to turn my love of movies and series into an asset for my weight loss journey. I specifically chose a piece of equipment that was fictionless to my needs. This was my criteria: 1) Something I could do without leaving the house. 2) Quiet. 3) No motor or batteries. 4) There couldn’t be anything blocking my view of the tv— like a large display interface. 5) Something I could do mindlessly yet is challenging.
A spin bike seemed to check off all the things. Plus it’s fairly portable which was bonus points. The goal I’m working toward is to burn 500 calories throughout my daily TV binges. That adds up to 3,500 calories a week which most of you know is 1 lb. Its a very good feeling knowing I’ve got this exercise safety net for the inevitable occasions in which I cave and slam down a double baconator. Because let’s face it, there will be those days and I’d be setting myself up for failure by thinking I’ll eat perfectly for the rest of my life.
Anyway, so far I can only seem to ride 2 miles at a time before I need a break. But that’s ok, because I got to write a sweet Reddit post about these positive decisions I’ve embarked on. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a bike ride and an episode of 24 to get back to.
P.S. movie and tv series recommendations would be greatly appreciated (preferable no subtitles— I don’t think I’m at a riding & reading level yet)
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from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/2Dig9fC
