My Weight. My Age.

How to put this delicately?

I'm gaining weight.

It started when we moved here in 2008 from Boston. In Boston, not only did I have a commute that involved extensive walking and subway riding (which I call commuter's interval training: walk briskly to station, sprint down stairs and through closing doors of train, stand on train and tighten ab muscles to stabilize your core, sprint to an open seat, clench legs to avoid touching your neighbor, dart out of train and up stairs so you can cross the street without getting get stuck at the red light; repeat several times a day) but most other activities in our lives were accomplished without a car.

Grocery shopping - which, granted, is a GIANT pain when you have a half walk mile back to the house with cartons of milk and OJ, and who knew canned beans could be so heavy and why did I buy these again...? - dinners out, visiting friends, going shopping. All of these were accomplished without the use of a car on a regular basis. 

Then we moved to Southeast Michigan, the birthplace of the automobile, and while Ann Arbor is really transit-friendly as far as this part of the country goes, we still found ourselves using the car more and more, mostly because we had to. 

Now I have a traditional full time job, I take a 50 minute bus commute - which involves very little walking - or drive or catch a ride with Matt - which involves no walking - and sit on my butt for 8 - 10 hours a day. The end result is that I'm heavier that I've ever been. Not fat, but big for me, a 5'2" small-framed person who's never had to worry too much about diet but now given the rapidly approaching 3-0 and my sedentary lifestyle will have to make some changes.

High cholesterol and diabetes run in my family and that's something I've always been aware of but never made permanent lifestyle changes to address. Now, however, I'm feeling the urge. 

The reason? The wedding.

Basically, vanity is now forcing me to do what family health history could not. I need to start exercising and I need to stick with it because I want to look cute on my wedding day.

I don't want to spend money on a gym membership but I do own a bike and have large indoor spaces to jump rope, lift weights, etc. How do I start this exercise thing? Any tips?

Comments

[E]

First of all, and I know this is what you're supposed to say, you're gorgeous and I don't think you need to change a thing. However! you have listed good reasons for why these changes have happened, and why you need to change them in the other direction.

One of the first useful things I took away from the book I'm reading is to make an exercise program stick, you should:
1. Make concrete goals. ('Lose 5 pounds' instead of 'get healthy')
2. Keep track of data. (Jump rope minutes, miles biked, inches lost - more encouraging than weight by FAR)
3. Incentivize your progress. (Right now a day off is a HUGE incentive to stay on track for me)
4. Make it a game. (Challenge a friend, make bets, set small fun goals)
5. Commit to doing five workouts.
The last point was supported by Nike+ data - they noticed that if users uploaded five or more runs, they were dramatically more likely to keep uploading.

SO maybe try using something like Daily Burn or Two Hundred Situps or an Android app to track what you're doing - jumping rope, taking a walk, riding your bike, etc. I've found that the combination of tracking stuff and blogging about my fitness program keeps me WAY more honest and on track.

I hope this is helpful! Even though I'm doing well right now, I've really struggled over the years to keep a consistent routine (and weight), so I'm always happy to be a friend's workout cheerleader. :)

[Jaimie]

I'm gaining weight too! Mostly because I'm lazy. I've always had a sedentary lifestyle, and while over the last 4 years I've gone to the gym, lately I've felt unmotivated.

Exercise is great for writing inspiration!

[gaia • Illustration]

As a fellow used-to-be serious walker, here are a couple of things that helped me.
1. I joined a team. Never one for sports, imagine my surprise when I found out I love rowing. Whether you take a class, or join a meetup, or a friend, having someone there counting on me really helped a lot with the excuses.
2. I just got a TRX. Which is insane if you know me. But...I love it. If you can find one on Ebay or craigslist, totally go for it. (I'm still annoyed I paid full price for something that I swear I could make myself. But I got hooked.)

I haven't tried this, but a friend of mine got a pedometer and she tries to do x steps a day.

Anyways, I struggle with all this as well. Staying fit, finding a routine, sticking to it... :) Hopefully this helps a little!

[rifferaff]

Elizabeth, great tips, thank you!
Jaimie, good point about the writing inspiration. It's good time to just let your mind kind of wander, but in a constructive way.
Gaia, I just had to google what a TRX is. I'm intrigued!

[gaia • Illustration]

Yeah I had no idea what it was a couple months ago:) Tho apparently some gyms offer classes?

[Rete]

Don't just look at the scale, take measurements too! I've recently gotten on the exercise train as well and I'm amazed on the weeks where the scale didn't move a bit and I've lost 4 inches total! I measure once a week and have started taking a picture in my full length mirror so I can see the toning as well. :)

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