How’s the new year’s diet & exercise going?
I am working on getting more active now the holidays are behind me. Unfortunately, I can’t go at it full throttle because of injuries from yard work after Christmas. I blame it on muscle overuse (for me) but as you know, I’m suspicious it’s a nerve-related issue that’s been going on forever. Things have improved somewhat but still I’m listening very careful to my body or wail which ever.
The diet part stinks as it always does. I really dislike food restrictions and I can’t resist having a little something sweet every day. It just makes me feel better or bad, it depends on how I look at it. At times like this, I wish I were a snow woman.
I think I know why DH is a huge donut lover.
If only that argument was true! I realize the big thing with dieting isn’t what I eat so much as how much I eat. The surest way to lose weight is to not consume more calories than your body can burn. It’s just that simple!
It’s time to grab a cup of coffee and follow along with me as I head off to visit Sandee for some Happy Tuesdays giggles at Comedy-Plus, then I’ll check out Random Tuesday Thoughts with Stacy Uncorked, and finishing things up by checking out this week’s word prompt found at Eugi’s Causerie for the wannabe poet buried inside. That’s a wrap for now but come back tomorrow for Wild Wednesdays where just about anything goes! 😉
X
X, Cathy
22 Comments
messymimi's meanderings
Diet is “die with a t!” How i wish i didn’t need to watch what i eat. Have a great week!
Cathy Kennedy
Mimi,
Ain’t that the truth! I hate watching what I eat, too. But, I’d rather do it now then be forced later on because of health reasons. My folks have type II diabetes and that has got to be the pits! I know you adjust but thinking about it just kills me.
-Eugenia
I believe in moderation. Diets seem to be only temporary weight loss, IMO. If you want to lose weight and keep it off then it is a lifetime commitment. I try to exercise more and some days I succeed and others I don’t. I love the one about the donut.
Cathy Kennedy
Eugenia,
Moderation is the key to everything! We tend to forget to keep ourselves in check until it’s too late. A few pounds extra soon turns into 20 too many. That’s where I am. I don’t like being that heavy. When you’re height challenged and petite built then 20 pounds looks more like 30. It’s amazing how I can see the difference with as little as five pounds. We have to be comfortable in our skin. What I do or push myself to do isn’t for everyone. Exercise along isn’t the biggest weight reducer I found, it’s making sure I don’t eat more than I can burn trick that works best. Exercising makes me feel good. It’s a great mood booster! 🙂
-Eugenia
You and I are a lot alike, Cathy. I am also petite and 5 lbs either way can make a huge difference. Plus, I found the older I get the harder it is to shed that 5 lbs. And, you nailed it with making sure not to eat more than we can burn. 🤸🏼♀️
Debbie D.
Sorry you’re still dealing with pain, Cathy! 🙁 And I can relate completely with the diet issues! Love the snowman meme. 😀 If only it were that simple! I agree, it’s mostly about portion control and burning calories. The only success I’ve had with weight loss is by logging every morsel of food and keeping track of calories, carbs and fat grams. That gets old really fast, though. My goal is to get into a daily exercise routine, but, I get so lazy in the winter. If only it wasn’t so cold, I’d take longer walks, for sure.
Cathy Kennedy
Debbie,
Logging calories is monotonous and grows old quickly. I’m glad you understand that it’s about watching what you eat. There are so many hidden calories in everything and it doesn’t take many bites of this and that before you’ve eaten a whole more than you intended. You might not even know you’re doing it, especially during the holidays when you’re sampling and testing recipes. I’m better about not doing so much of that now than I used to be, so chalk up a point to my favor. Walking is a great exercise. I have a good friend who lost a lot of weight doing this and she’s kept it off. That’s wonderful! My joints have taken a hard beating from the weight that comes from multiple pregnancies and while I’m about 20 pounds heavier on our wedding day currently, which isn’t horrible there’s room for improvement, the damage down from those maternal years can’t be undone just made better by keeping my weight in line. At this stage in life, I just want to look and feel my best. No brow beating, no nail biting, no stressing just find what works then stick with it. Well, I know what works it’s the sticking part that comes unstuck frequently. lol Here’s to warmer, sunnier days ahead for you, my dear. I can’t imagine living in Canada. I don’t do cold very well. 🙂
15andmeowing
I wish the snowman method worked on humans 🙂
Liz A.
Yes with bells on to everything Cara said. I’ve never been able to diet. I’ve tried, but I fail in the first couple days. I can’t stick to diets as I’m way too picky, so my food choices are limited anyway.
Equating health and skinny is something those who are trying to sell us something came up with. Sometimes weight is indicative of a problem (that the health care industry then will ignore because it’ll “all clear up if you lose some weight”), and sometimes not. People should eat healthy and exercise, but you can go from fat to thin and never hit healthy on the way there. Skinny can also be indicative of health problems.
Think about human history. Droughts happened. Famines happened. The human race has not been able to count on regular meals for much of our history. So, how should our bodies have evolved? Wouldn’t those who carry a few extra pounds be in a better position to survive in that world?
I’ll step off my soapbox. I don’t poo-poo those who strive for the diet. I wish you luck, and I hope it turns out the way you hope it will.
Cathy Kennedy
Liz,
Good eating habits while not over indulging on any foods is the best way to maintain a healthy weight hands down. Drastically reducing calories might yield fast results but we all know the weight comes back setting you up for failure and you’re always yo-yoing on the scales. Exercise just adds perks to one’s health. The bottom line is women need to know their bodies and find the right balance for oneself. We’re not made a like and that reading on the scales while it’s helpful it’s not everything. Just put two women side by side who are the same height and weight. I guarantee you one will appear heavier to the eye. That’s because of our bone structure. Age plays into it, too. The older we get generally have more fat to muscle ratio. That’s why we see women with bat wings on the underside of the tops of their arms or the abs shifting downward. Oh gracious that’s a bad one for me after three kids. My hopes are to do what I can to stay active, healthier, and look good longer. There are variables out of my control but I can do what I know to do to offset these things from being producers of bad things in my twilight years.
You’re right if someone can capitalize on someone weaknesses for a profit, then they’ll do it. Being skinny doesn’t mean you’re healthy and vise versa. I often wonder how some old timers lived well into their 80s and 90s consuming lard all of their lives or how is that someone can smoke a pack of cigarettes daily never developing cancer? I believe being too thin or too heavy is bad for your health generally but then you have to be educated and in tune with your body size, height, age, activity level, and eating habits to know how to adjust properly, not with fad diets and other quick fixes but life style changes. This is how a woman needs to tackle her weight issues instead of listening to the industry or comparing herself to her girlfriend or a runway model with a shapeless figure of a 14 year old boy. I reckon the word ‘diet’ evokes a negative vibe and I certainly understand that because usually people think about radical food changes.
As for carrying a few extra pounds, I say yeah that might help our odds of surviving. I think about pregnancy and how the body will store extra fats in the thighs and stomach after the baby is born for breast feeding purposes. I also know that you need a certain amount of fat to protect the organs which really makes me wonder about body builders who have less than 10% body fat. How healthy is that? I don’t know the answer but there’s one thing for sure, I’ll never be that lean even in my wildest dreams. lol
Thanks for stopping by to share your thoughts. We can all learn from one another. 😉
scr4pl80
The diet part is going well. Not so much the exercise except for walking the dog.
Cathy Kennedy
Janet,
Good for you! You keep at it girlfriend. You’re doing great! 😉
allstarme
Somehow, I am not sore after raking the other day. I almost always hurt in my arms after a bit of that action. It’s definitely the time of year to get back to physical activity; I ate a lot of garbage over the holidays. Too bad it’s now Girl Scout cookie season!
Cathy Kennedy
Claire,
If the truth is told, we all ate a boat load of garbage over the holidays. It’s time to get serious, though.
songbird1329
Yeah, diet and exercise…
Cathy Kennedy
Robin,
Two not-so-pretty words spoken in the same breath. It’s gonna get ugly, right? lol If I can curve my sweet tooth then would be no sweat to drop at least one pound a week. 🙂 I’m trying, really!
Cara Hartley
I ditched diet culture ten years ago after 33 years of yo-yo dieting and trying to hate myself thin. I don’t do new year’s resolutions. If I’m going to exercise, I’m going to exercise. It’s hard to do much at this point with my disabilities, but I do try to get in a walk every day. I absolutely do not diet. Dieting destroys a person’s metabolism. I was a serial dieter and every time I dieted, the weight I lost came back with friends. Yes, I’m fat, and if people are going to be jerks about it, they are not people I want around me anyway.
“Is ‘fat’ really the worst thing a human being can be? Is ‘fat’ worse than ‘vindictive’, ‘jealous’, ‘shallow’, ‘vain’, ‘boring’ or ‘cruel’? Not to me.”
― J.K. Rowling
Cathy Kennedy
Cara,
My goal is to try not junk out more than eat healthy. I also know that if I eat too much of anything good or bad and I am not burning the excess calories then it result in unwanted weight. That I do not want. Also being too heavy comes with unhealthy consequences like diabetes II, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancers, joint disorders, etc. I’m not getting younger, so it pays to keep my guard and not to succumb to bad habits. The bottom line is you have to be happy with who you are and where you are in life. J.K. Rowling is right ‘fat’ isn’t the worse thing a person can be. For me to fight against the unwanted weight is for a healthier life when I’m elderly. Walking is a great exercise and I’ve known a number of people to achieve their personal weight loss reduction with walking being their cardio. 🙂 Thanks for joining me today. 🙂
Brian
Yep, that’s why diet is a four letter word!
Cathy Kennedy
Brian,
Yeah, it’s the dirtiest four letter word I utter at the start of every new year. I really need to wash my mouth out with an ice cream float! 😀
My GBGV Life
Around here there are no diets. If we feel our furs getting snug, we just exercise more. Diets never seen to work well for folks. Mom also just exercises more.
Sandee
I see both of us know the secret to weight loss. The weight loss industry isn’t going to get any money out of the two of us. Moderation in all things.
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