When I bring up the word exercise, you would think I said exorcism based on the looks I get.
I recently had dinner with a group of women. (a SMALL GROUP. Outdoors! RELAX. I’m not playing out here in these Covid streets!) One of them had been waging a losing battle on weight loss for years. As a result, she was turning to drugs for weight loss. I struggled to remain silent. Anyone that reads any of my posts knows how I feel about pharmaceuticals. Especially as a first resort!
So, you might think, “well you just said she had been struggling with weight loss for years. Doesn’t sound like a first resort!” Well, that depends on what you mean by struggle. Some people actually do struggle. Some have health, or even mental issues that prevent them from doing certain things. (Eating right probably isn’t one of them.) This woman had tried not eating at all. Bad idea. She tried fad diets. Mostly bad ideas. What she never tried was overall lifestyle changes. I wasn’t trying to judge. I wanted to offer support and encouragement. I wanted her to feel better about herself and her body. She worked hard and often long hours. I understood that. I can totally relate to long hours after pulling a few years of 72 hours weeks myself! It’s difficult to find time to eat right and exercise. Difficult. Not impossible. Not with a plan. It wasn’t unusual to see her eat a salad. Good right? Well, not if it’s always followed with cheesecake!
I started to ask her what she had been doing lately to lose and she looked annoyed and basically said, “I’m just going to take the drugs.” I tried to just let it go at that, but I had one last question. Have you tried exercise?
The answer was, “I walk places.” Okay, walking is a start, and all movement is good. But walking to and from your car ain’t gonna cut it sis! I cannot tell you how many times I have had this conversation with people saying they want to lose weight. They’ve tried “everything.” Everything but EXERCISE.
Another friend of mine also wanted to lose. She spends a lot of time working and helping others, and like most of us, not enough time taking care of herself, but I get it. She’s over committed. I suggested she do this one thing. Whenever you go to the bathroom during the workday, do 10 squats. If you are drinking enough water, that should be 3-4 times a day at work and another once or twice in the AM or PM. I’m guessing here. Not like I’ve counted. While she did make dietary adjustments, like eating MORE which contrary to what most would believe could be needed, (Yes, it can be a thing!) she is now down 40lbs and up to 100 squats a day! While I am sure that the results are a combination of changing her diet and exercise, the exercise definitely played a significant role. I promise you it does.
She didn’t have to count goldfish crackers or anything else. (No disrespect to Weight Watchers. It works for many!) She counted squats instead and looks great! No drugs needed.
See my post: YOU DON’T KNOW SQUAT linked below!
Do others have more severe issues that may require medical attention? (or even therapy) Of course! You might not be able to even do a squat without holding on to something. So, hold on to something! Baby steps. Baby squats. No one said, run a marathon the first week. I walk miles each week and even I’m not in shape for that!
I would typically say, as always, consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program, but sadly, so many doctors out there just want to deal some drugs!
I once gave some dietary advice to a friend that had been diagnosed with high blood pressure when we were in our 30’s. She ate a lot of processed foods! My simple advice. STOP THAT!
It’s loaded with sodium, chemicals and sugar. She followed my advice along with starting the practice of Tai Chi. When she returned to the doctor, he asked her how she reversed her diagnosis. The same happened with another friend who followed some suggested lifestyle changes and lost weight. Her doctor also asked her what she had been doing to lose the weight. (I’m sorry. That’s not right!)
Try this. STAND AND WALK MORE THAN YOU SIT AND EAT! That is a good first step! Key word? FIRST.
MOVING! Doctors don’t seem to suggest the obvious! Hell, half the doctors don’t look healthy. It’s like taking culinary advice from the fry cook at McDonalds! No disrespect to the fry cooks! They’re working.
So, sure, go ahead – count calories. Count so you use (by MOVING) more calories/energy than you take in is a great place to start. But you must MOVE! If you want to move later, you best move your ass now.
Maybe people would exercise more if the word exercise wasn’t associated with “loss.”
First of all, the idea that you only need to exercise to lose weight is just plain wrong!
You actually exercise to gain – NOT WEIGHT. Even if your goal is to lose fat, the idea is to replace it with lean muscle. So, you want to GAIN muscle. As a result, you GAIN strength. You want to gain MOBILITY and BALANCE which means you gain INDEPENDENCE as you age. And most importantly, you GAIN years of your life. Quality years, not just quantity.
So, get up and move. You have everything to gain, except fat.
Here are five tips to help you get moving, and to keep moving:
- Baby steps. (Not actual baby steps!) But set small, achievable goals.
- Sneak movement into your day. Take the stairs. Take the long route. Lift a weight while watching TV.
- Enlist friends. Make it a group thing!
- Find movement you enjoy. Make it fun. Dance. Jump rope. Yoga. Swim. Bike. Walk. Trying adding a little weight. (ankle, wrist, dumbbell)
- Select some 5-10 minute Youtube workouts and gradually work your way up to 30 minute workouts.