I have really let myself go. I have never been "skinny". But there are a few times in my life when I have been pretty close to my ideal weight. This is not one of those times. I'm big and fat and hardly get any exercise at all. Regardless, I have perfect cholesterol and blood pressure.
My lifestyle is a huge part of why I'm not fit. I have very little time for physical activity. I travel 2 to 3 weeks a month, sometimes more. When on the road, I work long hours, typically finishing work around 6:30 (central time). After which, my co-workers meet at the hotel and regroup. We don't sit down to dinner until around 7:30 or 8:00. Since I live in a different time zone, this is more like eating at 9:00 to me. We take a long dinner and when finished eating and return to our hotel rooms to sleep. Occasionally we go out drinking after dinner. I don't exercise after work because I don't want to eat dinner any later. I don't work out after dinner because I'd then not be tired enough to go to bed. So, I get almost no exercise and eat a big meal right before bedtime. I have a sleeping disorder, sleep apnea. As a result, I wake up exhausted and the thought of exercise in the morning is therefore repulsive. Logically you'd think I could just bring a sack meal in to eat at work and skip dinner. But dinner is a social time and without it the life on the road would be unbearable.
I recently bought a family membership to the YMCA. But, when I'm in town, I find it difficult to make any time to exercise. I work until around 5:00, help fix dinner, spend a little precious time with my family and then start trying to get my little kids ready for bed. There is no time for TV and certainly no time to work out. How do other people do it? Is it a matter of priorities? Would I be more willing to take the time at home if I were not on the road so much? I absolutely need to resolve my schedule and find a way to make time for physical activity. This will need to be an important part of my "Shaping" plan for body.
I also have sleep apnea. I've always been a snorer. Obesity didn't cause the condition but it likely makes it worse. I believe that the sleep apnea is also a contributor to my obesity problem. The condition slows the metabolism and increases cravings for energy dense foods.
My back often hurts. I take Naproxin Sodium (Alive) on a regular basis to fight inflammation in my lower back. I know the weight aggravates my back but I still had problems when I was slender. Many years ago, I took a yoga class and had no trouble the entire time.
I am addicted to caffeine. For many years, I have wished that I didn't crave caffeinated soft drinks. I don't know why I can't give them up. I know that I should quit buying them. The energy boost is minimal as I have built up resistance. Yet, I feel bad if I don't have them.
I'm not changing anything just yet. I'm currently doing a pre-study for my upcoming shaping project which begins on Easter Monday. At that time, I will post my starting stats (weight, measurements, etc.). Then, I'll keep you posted as to my progress. My wife wants us to try a reduced calorie diet. In the past, I've used low-carb successfully to lose tons of weight. If I do not lose 8 pounds each month for the first two months, I'll drop the reduced calorie approach and do low-carb again.
Hi, Daron. What a fascinating, thoughtful blog. I have a couple of ideas about the challenges you're facing when it comes to exercising.
ReplyDeleteI've been on my own weight-loss journey for several years--it's detailed at www.mysparkpeople.com/tinkmcd. I've had pretty good results (which I define as slow but steady loss of pounds and inches) whenever I've been able to focus on keeping my calories (as well as the proportions of carbs/protein/fats in what I consumed during a given day) within an appropriate range for my size, eating 5 to 6 times a day, and increasing my activity levels moderately but regularly (i.e., 10-30 minutes of walking on most days, split into 10-minute increments when I have no time for longer sessions, plus a bit of strength training).
I've recently been researching low-carb and paleo eating, and I followed a link from Dana Carpender's blog to yours.
Some exercise suggestions for when you're on the road and can't find time for a "real" workout: I'm finding that even 10 or 15 minutes' worth of moderate exercise can have an effect--probably not so much due to the relatively modest number of calories burnt at the time, but for the increased metabolic rate that lasts for some hours afterward.
Back in March, I needed to walk off a high blood-sugar reading, but it was a blustery day outside. So I just stepped out into my apartment building's hallway, wearing exactly what I'd been wearing inside (jeans and Crocs--notice that I took no time to change into "workout gear" or even running shoes), started at one and and walked to the other. Turned out that distance was 150 of my (smallish) steps. Ten times back and forth takes 15 minutes (first and last 3 "laps" are at leisurely warmup/cooldown pace, and only the middle 4 laps are at a brisker pace--roughly the pace of an upbeat song like "Born to Be Wild," so still nowhere near a true powerwalk). At my stride length, 1500 steps covers half a mile. I've found it pretty easy to squeeze in at least one and often two such walks most days. It strikes me that you might be able to adapt that approach in the hotel: maybe once before breakfast and once either before or after dinner?
Another option might be to do one of the free 10-minute workouts that SparkPeople offers at http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1330 (scroll down to the titles that start with VIDEO). Here are the 2 I started with: the first one has low-impact options, which my knees appreciate, and the only equipment needed would be a resistance band--easily tucked into your luggage, no?: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1038 and http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1330.
The same page includes several strength-training routines of roughly the same length that use only a resistance band and maybe a chair--again, quite do-able in a hotel room.
You might also look for ways to "sneak in" some extra steps here and there during your day: when coming back to your hotel room, get off the elevator one or two floors early and take the stairs the rest of the way? And when waiting for an elevator, instead of standing still and sighing or tapping my foot, I now try to pace: depending on how slow the elevator is, I might walk 50 to 100 extra steps.
Hope these ideas prove helpful, either by themselves or as catalysts to your own creativity. I'll look forward to following your continued adventures.
--"Tink"