Do Something Active Every Day

It's day 36 of my 2016 goal to 'do something active every day'. 

Let me back up a minute.  I don't do resolutions anymore.  They suck and I suck at them.  The last couple years, I made goals.  2014 was the year of not letting outside influences get on my nerves.  2015 was the year I only promised to maintain my sanity. 

So here was 2016 staring me in the face and there was my total sedentary life kicking my ass.  I was a toad.  I was lucky if I did anything active a couple times a week.  Sit here and write.  Go into the living room and sit there in front of the TV, reading.  Every rare once in a while, I would go for a walk or do yard work.  And I was slowly turning into Jabba the Hut. 

Now, something I learned a while back - my broken bits hurt more when I'm lazy.  The joints and muscles seize up for no reason.  I throw my back out doing simple shit - like picking a piece of lint off the floor.  Stupid stuff. 

Two plus two = get up off your ass and do something already.

So, I started thing 'do something active' thing.  Like I said, it's day 36.  Out of the previous 35 days, I did something active on 30 of them.   

What active things am I doing?

Well, for the most part, I'm dancing and exercising.  I turn on the Retro Disco satellite music channel (DirecTV) and boogie for x-number of minutes, then I go into the spare room where I run through a series of exercises for x-minutes, then I go back into the living room and dance until I've reached my minutes goal for the day.  I started out at 5 minutes of each part.  I'm up to 25 minutes total - usually 10 dance, 6-8 exercise, 7-9 dance. Then I walk around the house for a couple minutes to cool down.  When the exercises got too easy, I added reps and/or weights.

I also go for walks around the area.  The loop is about 1.25 miles.  Toward the farm is about 1.5 miles out and back.  Toward the other neighborhood can range anywhere from a mile and a half to three miles depending.  Another active thing I do is yard work.  I also count cleaning the house - especially vacuuming.  (I do not count things like dishes and laundry.)  Yesterday, I did 20 minutes of dance/exercise then I vacuumed the office.

How's it working out for me?  Well, I feel better.  The fat on my stomach isn't touching itself anymore.  (Which was both grody and uncomfortable.)  My twinges and aches are less frequent.  And I don't get winded as easily.  Oh and I lost 5 pounds. I started the year at 195 pounds.  On day 30, I weighed myself again. 190. 

Now, let me make one thing perfectly clear.  I did not do this to lose weight.  I hoped it would be a happy side-benefit, but it wasn't my goal. I did this to feel better.  I did this so climbing the hill out back wouldn't make me breathe like a bellows.  And I did it so I wouldn't hurt so often.  All of which, I'm happy to report, are in the win column.

I also did not 'diet'.  I tried to cut down on the size of my portions, but I'm still eating ice cream and mini-candy bars pretty much every day.  I'm still drinking my Mountain Dew (regular, not diet) and my coffee with sugar.  I just try to eat a smaller bowl of ice cream, fewer little candy bars, and less Dew.  Nobody's touching my coffee.

I don't know if this proves anything for anyone else.  It underscores for me what I already knew - I need to be more active or I feel like crap.

Now, over the years, I have tried all sort of things to lose weight and get back to a less lumpy body.  Nothing worked.  Diets totally suck.  I set them up and then I spend the day thinking about food until I drive myself nuts.  And then I cheat.  And then I give up.  Exercise sucks.  I'd push myself until my muscles hurt the next day and then I'd give up.  This.  This light stuff with minimal pressure is working for me. 

Eat less.  Be more active.  Simple. 

And no kicking myself for 'falling off'.  If I want a big bowl of chocolate ice cream with peanut butter and chocolate sauce, I freakin' eat it and don't guilt about it.  I don't exercise more the next day to make up for it.  I just motor along.  And next time, I might have a smaller bowl of ice cream with less peanut butter.  (Not less chocolate sauce.  I could drink that shit straight.)

And now, it's time to exercise - not because I 'have to' but because I want to.  I feel better when I do, and that's what really counts.  =o)

Hope my little story helps anyone who's in a similar position. Remember, your mileage may vary.