Monday, April 19, 2010

dieting and exercise...sucks!


I'm not going to come on here and tell you I love to workout and eat healthy. It's Monday and I'm in the mood to get a few things off my chest. To put it simply, I hate to diet. I hate having to eat healthy. I hate that I can't sit down and watch a movie and much on Doritos or cookies or pizza. All my favorite foods are B.A.R.F.--Beyond Anne's Reach Forever

What makes it worse is seeing these commercials that promise weight loss if you try their diet or their exercise machine. I swear it seems like I've had the new SlimFast commercial shoved down my throat. I even have the tagline in my head: SlimFast, because who has time to slim slow?

Yes, by all means you should drink a shake for breakfast and lunch, then eat a sensible dinner. That's definitely the way to long term weight loss. *rolls eyes* Then there's the commercial for the BowFlex Treadclimber. Okay, now this is a machine that clearly works. I love the concept of having a stairclimber and treadmill combined into one workout. However, the price will have you choking. At $2,500 you too can be slim and trim and beach ready. Yeah, okay, I've got nearly $3,000 to drop...not!

And if the above isn't enough to make you nuts, you have the diet pills that promise a fabulous new body with one little pill. I love the before and after pictures that come with these commercials. Before, the woman is always wearing something totally shapeless, she's pale, and her hair looks really drab. In the after picture she's tan, has on a gorgeous, flattering outfit and has highlighted, shiny hair. So, one little pill did ALL that, huh? Wow, can't wait to get me some of that!

So, what do I do instead? What's the answer to losing weight and keeping it off? To feeling fit, healthy, having more energy, treating my body like it's a well oiled machine? The answer is different for everyone. For me, I went back to the old method that always seems to be the RIGHT way to go. Eating food that's good for me, eating in moderation, and exercising daily. Also, using weights, building muscle, staying out of the cookie jar, and watching the alcohol consumption doesn't hurt either. A piece of chocolate now and then is even okay, as long that piece isn't the size of a dinner plate. LOL

So, the quesiton...is it working? Yes, but it's sloooow. And the scales don't budge much, if at all. It's enough to have me sitting in a corner and crying, it really is. Oh, I have up days for sure. I do feel like things are coming along nicely. Then I have days where I'm wondering to myself 'why am I doing this?' Where's the payoff?! I see my husband doing the same things as me, but his results are actually showing up on the scales, while mine aren't. And while I tell myself, and my friends, that the number doesn't matter, deep down, I admit, it sorta does. When I look in the mirror I can see changes, but then I can see what still needs work. Logically I can tell myself that this is simple. Eat less, exercise, you burn calories and lose weight. It's not rocket science. But, here it is Monday and I'm just...discouraged.

Where does that leave me? In the words of Joe Dirt, I'm going to keep on keeping on.
The alternative is to give up and I'm too stubborn for that. Just ask my husband. LOL
So, that's my Monday vent. You may now go back to your regularly scheduled programming. :)

8 comments:

Jeff said...

Hmmmm--if you are putting on muscle mass, you will slim down, but the weight can stay the same for awhile as the one offsets the other. The scale doesn't own you--you own the scale.

Lissa Matthews said...

Hi, Anne! I completely, totally, 150% agree with you on everything you wrote here. It does all suck but, at some point down the road it will be worth it all.

My mindset changed and came when the dr gave my husband a diabetes diagnosis a few weeks ago. It was a shock and it was a loud alarm buzzing without a snooze button wake-up call.

We changed our eating habits and exercise habits overnight. Literally.

And while I've been monitoring religiously for 3 weeks now, both mine and his calorie/carb/fiber/sugar/sodium/protein intake, the scale hasn't moved for me really, but it's working for him. It's all slow.

We don't have a fancy machine. No magic pills. It's been walking outside and trying to work on portion control (which reminds me I need to order that food scale), eating 6 small meals a day, fresh foods, lots of water. I do drink an Atkin's Low Carb shake when I walk in the mornings. It helps me more than eating actual food or not eating at all, but I don't follow any 'program' like that.

We have to now do it the smart way. And it sounds like you're doing the same!

Lissa

Jake - but not the one said...

Well, all I know is that I work to admire my friends just as they are, not as some advertiser says they ought to be.

And that goes double when it comes to you, Anne!

Madison Scott said...

*sigh* I struggle with this so much. I'm an instant gratification kind of girl. lol. Working on that...

Anonymous said...

I loved this post and it's all so true. Some years back I dropped 70lbs by changing my eating habits drastically. Took me about 10 months. Now it's taking me years to get the last 18lbs off....I go down, then up, then down, then up....phew!!!!

I need to get really strict again! sigh!!!

Valerie
in Germany

Anne Rainey said...

Thanks for the advice, Jeff. :)

Lissa--I'll have to try those shakes. I enjoy the Atkins low carb bars. I eat one for breakfast and sometimes one for my midday snack. High protein, low carbs, and great for fiber!

Anne Rainey said...

Jake--I like the way you said that. And yes, I agree! Thanks. :)

Madison--I'm the same way! You and I have talked about this so much. I am very impatient. I'm trying to change that about myself, but it's so hard!

Anne Rainey said...

Valerie--I'm sort of in the same boat. I know I need to get more strict, but it's so depressing! guh!