Posts Tagged ‘gym’
Loved one was going to go to the gym for the first time in a while yesterday.
Then he didn’t.
He couldn’t find his swim shorts.
Looks like I’m not the only one who is finding reasons not to exercise. Loved one needs to just as much as me. He’s been secretly building up his fat reserves. Which at least means he probably still weighs more than me (it really bugs me when he doesn’t, especially with him being over 6 foot tall and me a measly 5 foot 3 or so)
But it is strange just how many obstacles seem to get in the way. Take next week, for example. I was really proud of myself for getting through 80% of the BodyStep class without needing to adjust the steps – the remaining 20% I was in danger of tripping over the step, so I thought I’d better save myself, and the person next to me, by doing the steps on the floor – but next week I need to babysit for a friend. And the week after. And I missed the ‘dance & tone’ class last Weds because loved one didn’t get home till late.
I meant to dig out the Davina DVD on occasions like this, but I’m feeling stressed and tired. Last week was quite emotional for various reasons which I won’t go into here, which didn’t help, but on evenings where I’m supposed to put on my trainers and do kitchen aerobics* the evening flits by and it’s half ten or eleven o’clock before I realise I haven’t done it.
Admittedly I’m not motivated to do the DVD. It’s not Davina’s fault, I just seem to need extra motivation for any kind of exercise. External financial motivation is a good one. It always helps if I’ve already paid for it. I try harder in a class setting too – no half-hearted leg curls like the ones at home – which means I feel much better for doing it properly.
In the past I’ve gone cycling, which I love, but the bike is currently unfit to ride, and the effort of getting it fit is yet another obstacle.
Dear oh dear, it’s all about the excuses today. See what I mean though? It’s as if, in the grand scheme of things, I’m not meant to exercise.
Well, we can’t have that. I’m trying to brainstorm exercise possibilities on this hottest of days, and all I can think of is how wonderful it would be to swim right now.
Swimming pool closes shortly, and it wouldn’t go down well to vanish off at such short notice anyway, but, after a quick discussion with loved one, I’m all set to do the 6.30am earlybird swim, having promised faithfully to be back before loved one needs to leave for work.
Must… Keep…. Trying..
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* Kitchen aerobics – if your living room is carpeted, aerobics just don’t work – your trainers and the carpet fibres will give new meaning to the word friction. Stick the DVD into your laptop, plonk it on the kitchen counter and do it there. And try not to crash into the table in the process.
Friday Fatchecker: Fatter but fitter
Posted on: 20/05/2011
I did manage to weigh myself in the end…last week I was an unflattering 12 st 3.8 lb, which can only mean that back in France I was inhaling cheese in much the same way as drug addicts must inhale cocaine. Not that I would know; I just have a very active imagination.
This week I was 12 st 2.4 lb. A small but significant improvement.
I’m keeping up with the portion plate idea, and feeling better for it. Only today have I lapsed due to not having time to eat a real lunch.
I did actually start the dance and tone classes, which was immense fun as well as making every part of me ache afterwards. (Also, I do find it comforting to see other overweight people there – nothing worse than being the only fat person in an exercise class.)
So, yes, I’m fatter than I was last time I checked before the Easter holidays, but improving slowly. And I’m slowly on the road to being unfit, a vast improvement from extremely unfit.
I do feel that I have more to do on this front. In the long run, if we’re lucky enough to get the house we want (and ideally the school we want too), we’ll be looking at a half-hour’a brisk walk to school every morning and afternoon, with yours truly doing the return route too. So I suspect it’ll be less of an issue.
In the meantime, though I don’t want to get complacent, and I feel that one dance exercise class and one non-aerobic Pilates class isn’t going to cut much mustard. I like one friend’s idea of doing the Couch to 5k training programme, which happens to fit in beautifully with roughly the amount of time we expect to stay in this house. So that might be an idea. My other idea is to get back to the gym once a week, since they have a creche that smallest one can go to.
I can’t decide right now. Both plans have the flaw that they only work for as long as I can be bothered to do them; there is no I’ve-paid-for-half-a-term-and-I-need-value-for-money incentive, so both will require self-discipline. I’m going to go away and think about it. I’ll let you know how I get on.
State of stasis
Posted on: 15/03/2011
As you may be aware, we are trying to move house this summer. So far, all is going as well as can be planned. We have made a final offer on the house we would like to buy. We have our own house on the market. We are now playing the waiting game.
Of course, my nutty anxiety dreams are not letting me off that easily. Each morning I wake up way too early thinking house thoughts.
But, at least the rational part of my brain can ignore all the what-ifs and get on with life. Admittedly it’s tricky trying to do anything when you are trying to stop a baby smearing food all over your pristine kitchen (the easy answer is to go out to eat, but it does seem excessively indulgent) and keep the rest of the house from degenerating back into its usual mess.
However, I have got to the point where I will go quietly mad (OK, quietly madder) if I don’t try to focus on something else very soon. So I’m thinking of the two other priorities in my personal life. That is, the ones that are not specifically family related.
Firstly, I am going to go spare if I don’t get any exercise. So my first call tomorrow will be to book a place at the municipal pool’s crèche for smallest one with a view to getting to the gym for the first time in nearly a month. Hopefully they won’t be out of spaces.
I do need a back-up plan on that one, however, so I’m going to consider – eek – Power Pramming. Basically you turn up with your baby in a buggy and go running. I’m not a big fan of running. But I am a big fan of (a) getting some exercise, (b) not having to worry about childcare and (c) not having to pay anyone for it.
My second priority is to get a move on with my next assignment. I’ve managed, by the skin of my teeth, to observe a class so I’m back on track for the moment. Now I just need to put a plan together (and research it so that what I say is definitely true rather than probably true). Ha. Probably easier said than done, but I remain optimistic.
I hope to be in a better position to report back successfully with both these items before long.
I wonder what’s going to happen soonest? House stuff, exercise or studies? All bets are off as far as I’m concerned; I don’t want to jinx any of them…
braindribbles 