My cousin used to be married to a man who suffered from bipolar disorder but did not keep up with his treatment. One of the stories she told me about him was that he decided, while he was unemployed, that he wanted to take up surfing. He bought a high-end surfboard, got the car fitted with a rack, and indulged in all of the other accessories that accomplished surfers buy. Despite the fact that they lived in Northern Alabama.
I have to admit that this story struck a bit of a chord with me because I have a tendency to approach big changes in my life, particularly health and fitness, with this attitude: if I buy it, it will happen.
Join me over the flip to talk about the accouterments of success in health, fitness, and weight loss.
WHEE (Weight, Health, Eating and Exercise) is a community support diary for Kossacks who are currently or planning to start losing, gaining or maintaining their weight through diet and exercise or fitness. Any supportive comments, suggestions or positive distractions are appreciated. If you are working on your weight or fitness, please -- join us! You can also click the WHEE tag to view all diary posts.
So the really amazing truth about eating well, keeping fit, and staying healthy is that, in most cases, no gizmos, gadgets, or gewgaws are necessary. Two feet help, but thanks to remarkable determination and near-miraculous medical advances they aren't a deal breaker.
Most people in most circumstances can stay fit and eat in healthy ways without spending a lot of money or investing in fancy accouterments. I have really tried to not put the cart before the horse in my attempts to change my health this time around: no exorbitant gym fees or expensive pre-paid food plans. That said, we all know that there are some gizmos and gadgets that can help in our plans. So, I thought I'd share some of the trinkets & tricks that seem to be helping me this time around.
Water
I think making sure I was drinking enough water was one of the first things that I did right this time around. I've never been a big soda drinker or even a juice drinker, but I do drink a lot of coffee and some wine. I think that I was generally dehydrated. I live in an old house in an old neighborhood and the tap water is pretty filled with crap, to the point that I just didn't feel comfortable drinking it. So I invested in one of those on-tap water filters. The gadget & 3 replacement filters ran about $65--which is a great savings on bottled water for a year, both for me and the landfills! Now my water tastes great and I am much more likely to drink a lot of it. I've also invested in 4 32 oz water bottles that I keep at home, in the car, and at work, so I can keep drinking anywhere. Drinking enough good water keeps me hydrated and helps me fight hunger and exhaustion.
Exercise
I don't have a gym membership because I just couldn't make myself use it in a way that seemed to be an appropriate expenditure. I am fortunate to have inherited a very nice elliptical from my parents (who no longer needed it, as their treadmill holds their clothes very nicely). It's not my favorite thing--a bit boring and it's on my second floor which gets pretty toasty in the summer, but I am appreciative of it for giving me no excuse. I do go to yoga 2-3 times a week. Once I realized that I really enjoyed yoga and would commit to it, I gave in and bought a nice yoga mat. If I'm going to spend 2-3 hours a week in downward dog, I need to protect my wrists.
source (that's not me. sadly. yet?) I also bought a yoga towel that's super absorbent and dries quickly because it keeps me from slipping all over the mat. All that water makes me sweat!
I have been doing some running* with the Couch to 5K program. I haven't yet invested in good shoes because I'm still trying to figure out how committed I am and how much I enjoy it. I have some old falling apart running shoes that are excellent and that I will stick with for now. I have also downloaded the C25K app on my iphone (apx. $3), which helps me keep track of where I am within the program, prompts me on when to run or walk, and allows me to play my ipod music while I run. I use sparkpeople.com (both the website and the iphone app & both free) to track my exercise & food intake.
*really slow jogging?
Healthy Eating
Eating is tricky for me. In terms of what works for me, I think eating "real" food (not prepared or substitutes) in controlled portions is best. There are things that simply can't be in my house, like real ice cream. I have no sense of portion control with things like that. However, I have found that I can keep things like cheese as long as they are packaged in individual serving sizes. My grocery store (Kroger) sells string cheese in packages of 1 oz servings and cheddar in .75 oz servings. Buying these helps me get in healthy fats and proteins without eating an entire block of cheese. Trader Joe's sells some simple trail mix in individual servings. The organic section of my grocery sells Fage, Greek yogurt, in one cup servings. Buying in individual servings is more expensive, but I'm trying to train myself to pay attention to serving size. Fit & Fresh sells some plastic food storage containers that have specified measurements--I'm going to use those to pack my lunch when school starts back up, so that I keep better track of calorie intake. Of course, any old food storage containers will work for that if you use measuring cups, too.
So, those are all of the gizmos, gadgets, and gewgaws in which I've invested. All in all, I think I've gotten away pretty cheaply and haven't needed too much. I'm quite certain that I've saved more on fast food, take out, and (long term) health care, now that I've invested a little bit in gadgets to help my nutrition & fitness. What are the accouterments you are using that are giving you success on your journey? Any suggestions?
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