As I sit here contemplatng life on my 39th birthday, I have come to a few conclusions: 1) Grey hair is inevitable, 2) wrinkles are earned, 3) maybe, just maybe, the kids ARE smarter than me and 4) for the first time in my life, I have a protruding belly ('Stomach fat' is an ugly set of words). I blame my metabolism. Yeah, that's it...metabolism.
Who am I kidding? I used to work out every day, watched what I ate and rode my bicycle whenever I went somewhere within a 5 km radius of my home. In the last 2 years, I have reduced my exercise routine to the point where walking to the garage so that I can drive the 300 feet to the corner store for soda and potoato chips seems like a chore, so I have only myself to blame for my exponential growth. I mean, a person can only treat their body like an amusement park for so long before their feet start shrinking.
So what happened? I used the excuse that working long hours limited my ability to do a "regular" exercise routine; I told myself that the odd hours that I work limited my ability to eat properly. Then I bought a new wardrobe after the washing machine gradually shrunk my pants.
At my peak of 210 Lbs, I was still lying to myself that I did not have time to work out, and that my schedule was responsible for my eating portions big enough for Goliath. However, I DID realize that it was time to start looking for calorie-burning "activities" which could be easily fit into the lifestyle of a REALTOR. I found that banging my head against the wall for one hour will burn 150 calories, a half hour of lawn mowing will burn 100 calories, thirty minutes of raking (grass or leaves) will also burn 100 calories, and a half hour hike will also burn 100 calories.
But my other problem with losing weight is food: I like to eat...especially pizza. One slice of pizza is approximately 300 calories...but I find it hard to stop at just one or two slices. I usually have three, which means that, in order to burn those pizza calories off before they have a chance to make themselves at home, I would have to mow and rake the lawn twice, go for a two hour hike, and bang my head against the wall for 40 minutes. The truth is that stopping at 3 slices is hard for me; I could eat so much pizza that, in order to burn the calories, I would have to mow the entire province of Nova Scotia, rake all of the leaves from Sherwood Forest, hike from Halifax to Toronto, and bang my head against the wall until I couldn't remember my own name! But I DO stop at 3, mainly because I figure that limiting my food intake might be easier than putting myself through the abuse of exercising. Well, I might have said that about a month ago...
The fact of the matter is that I started exercising sporadically about a month ago, cut many fatty foods out of my diet, stopped eating food after 8 pm and drink water like it is a new religion. While I admit that my exercising has been not been as regular as I would like, some exercise is better than no exercise. However, the results of the combination of my efforts have been amazing: I am down two inches in my waistline and have dropped 12 pounds of weight. I have not drastically changed my routine, and yet I have seen positive results; I can't help but wonder: if I did this well with minimal effort, what would happen if I really tried? I have decided to find out, and will be putting more effort into my health, regardless of my schedule
I hope that this blog does not come across as a platform to brag about my "accomplishments". I mean it to be more of a public declaration that I will work harder towards my goal of a healthier lifestyle, so that I will not give up on myself and my goals. I also hope that my article will motivate at least one reader to make a lifestyle change that they have been contemplating; I know there are some out there who do feel the same way that I do. Studies have shown that up to 80% of men are not satisfied with their body, and the stats are even higher for women. We have the power to change; all we need is the will to try.
Thank you for reading!
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