My negativity cannot be sidetracked for long. I frickin HATE "fill in the blank" Parties. You know, the ones where a friend or relative sucks you in by inviting you to their home for some sort of party where some sort of (mostly) useless product will be displayed. Then you will feel obligated to buy some useless thing at this party so you don't look like a schmuck. I have been able to avoid this for some time now by simply not attending these stupid parties. I made the mistake of attending one -- out of guilt -- because the friend is recently divorced, needs some money, etc, etc. I went to the party for a surreal, out of body experience as I floated above myself screaming silently the entire time, "WHY AM I HERE? I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM SITTING HERE WASTING MY TIME LIKE THIS! AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!"
To add the "bamboo shoots under my nail" for the afternoon the gathering started with a game. The same type of game one might play the first day back from summer vacation in grade school. The one that corporate trainers through lack of creativity have latched onto for grown up trainings. Yes. And now these mind numbing, irritating things have hit the home party circuit. Could it really be any worse? Probably. But not today.
I vow with google blogger as my witness that I will not accept another of these invitations ever, ever, ever, ever again. And should anyone be reading this who sells any "stuff" and you really need the money I have an alternative for you. At least when it comes to me. Ask me for money. I will gladly hand you over all the money in my wallet in exchange for never being invited to a home party again.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Run Interrupted
This morning I woke up at 7a.m. and readied myself for a run. I haven't been running outside for some time due my quirky aversion to falling on ice. Today was beautiful. My goal was to do an easy 6 miler. All signs pointed to a perfect morning as I put on my shoes -- GTC graciously woke up early, O didn't complain about me leaving, the girls were still asleep -- but then. Of course, something usually gets in the way. I now think some part of me creates obstacles for myself when somewhere deep inside my body or mind doesn't really want to run. The problem was I really needed to go...potty...but my body wasn't cooperating. I know many runners wake up early in order to take care of this bodily function. But I couldn't. There is nothing worse than being in the middle of a course and having an emergent situation. I won't get any more graphic. Deciding I had to get moving now or never I went ahead out the door despite my body's slight discomfort. I accepted that if I could only do 3 miles it was okay. Around 7:15 I departed.
As soon as I walked outside I knew that would not be okay. The sun was shining. The air was clear, crisp, exhilarating. Then my mind hatched a plan. I would run 3 to the rec center, take care of business and finish off with at least 3 miles more. Today I felt like I could run forever. Perfect plan. But then. Another snag. I approached the doors, the ones that automatically slide open and just in time, too. But they didn't open. The rec center doesn't open on Saturdays until 8. I walked around for a couple of minutes trying to decide how much more I could manage without relief. I decided just to wait it out at the front door.
It was here that I encountered a woman waiting. A very friendly, morning person. She immediately greeted me with a hearty "Good Morning!" along with about 5-7 rapid fire questions/comments. I thought to myself, "just my luck. My rhythm is interrupted. I have to poo AND I have to endure this mindless chatter of a stranger." But something interesting happened as she continued to talk. I started to relate to her. I learned about her recent divorce, her age (64), her struggle with weight gain, her recent weight loss of 34 pounds, her niece's passion for running, her friend who had gastric bypass surgery. And this was all in less than ten minutes. I started to see her face morph into that of my mother-in-law. A woman I both admire and love. Then more people began to gather at the door waiting for the building to open. A young gentleman joined the conversation. I thought him only polite at first because the others in line were avoiding eye contact and awkwardly ignoring the talking woman.
The man who joined us then said, "I have lost 195 pounds in the last 18 months." I was immediately interested. The friendly woman began asking questions one of which was "HOW?" The man replied, "I hate to call it a lifestyle change because that's too simplistic. I mean I have changed my daily routine, of course, but even people who aren't overweight should probably do that. I still have 40 pounds to go to get me to 235 -- but that's half my body weight when I started. I have had to change my entire relationship with food. That was the key." I was awestruck because this is exactly what I've been saying for the last several months. The two of them continued to talk and I sort of phased myself out and retreated into my own thoughts. I was standing there amazed that this annoying delay in my wonderful run had turned into a pretty cool moment of awareness.
When it comes to health everyone has their story, their challenges, their issues. But it's all the same whether you are a 64-year-old recently divorced woman, a twenty-something man wanting to lose an entire 235 lb person, a runner, someone with an illness or disease, a wound tight heart attack waiting to happen or a couch potato. Food might be your weakness. Caffeine might be your vice. Type A personality might be the undoing of your good health. Kudos to the two people I had the good fortune to meet today and to anyone else making any change, no matter the size, toward better health.
As soon as I walked outside I knew that would not be okay. The sun was shining. The air was clear, crisp, exhilarating. Then my mind hatched a plan. I would run 3 to the rec center, take care of business and finish off with at least 3 miles more. Today I felt like I could run forever. Perfect plan. But then. Another snag. I approached the doors, the ones that automatically slide open and just in time, too. But they didn't open. The rec center doesn't open on Saturdays until 8. I walked around for a couple of minutes trying to decide how much more I could manage without relief. I decided just to wait it out at the front door.
It was here that I encountered a woman waiting. A very friendly, morning person. She immediately greeted me with a hearty "Good Morning!" along with about 5-7 rapid fire questions/comments. I thought to myself, "just my luck. My rhythm is interrupted. I have to poo AND I have to endure this mindless chatter of a stranger." But something interesting happened as she continued to talk. I started to relate to her. I learned about her recent divorce, her age (64), her struggle with weight gain, her recent weight loss of 34 pounds, her niece's passion for running, her friend who had gastric bypass surgery. And this was all in less than ten minutes. I started to see her face morph into that of my mother-in-law. A woman I both admire and love. Then more people began to gather at the door waiting for the building to open. A young gentleman joined the conversation. I thought him only polite at first because the others in line were avoiding eye contact and awkwardly ignoring the talking woman.
The man who joined us then said, "I have lost 195 pounds in the last 18 months." I was immediately interested. The friendly woman began asking questions one of which was "HOW?" The man replied, "I hate to call it a lifestyle change because that's too simplistic. I mean I have changed my daily routine, of course, but even people who aren't overweight should probably do that. I still have 40 pounds to go to get me to 235 -- but that's half my body weight when I started. I have had to change my entire relationship with food. That was the key." I was awestruck because this is exactly what I've been saying for the last several months. The two of them continued to talk and I sort of phased myself out and retreated into my own thoughts. I was standing there amazed that this annoying delay in my wonderful run had turned into a pretty cool moment of awareness.
When it comes to health everyone has their story, their challenges, their issues. But it's all the same whether you are a 64-year-old recently divorced woman, a twenty-something man wanting to lose an entire 235 lb person, a runner, someone with an illness or disease, a wound tight heart attack waiting to happen or a couch potato. Food might be your weakness. Caffeine might be your vice. Type A personality might be the undoing of your good health. Kudos to the two people I had the good fortune to meet today and to anyone else making any change, no matter the size, toward better health.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Yep. We're Fat.
The results are in.
Ohio is fat. Among the fattest in fact. We rank somewhere around 11th out of the 50 states though it may just be the "lower 48" that make up these stats since Hawaiians have always been fat and Alaskans were all out shooting their dinner or campaigning and could not be reached for inclusion in any study.
I guess it's not really all that surprising. I felt a small bit of tension when I scrolled down and saw us on the list. But then I did a quick mental survey of the landscape and realized, yeah, though I don't travel much this must be accurate. It brings me back to my latest obsession which is nutrition.
Once I start reading on a subject it usually steamrolls until I've read no less than 10 or 20 books on the subject. This time I actually attended a meeting at OSU regarding re-enrolling in school to get another degree. This time in HUMAN NUTRITION. As I learn more and more I learn both things I already knew and also things I was not aware of. But through it all I believe nutrition can be boiled down to a few simple, easy steps that most of us will refuse to follow thereby solidifying my future job prospects as a Dietician. Things like: Exercise. Now. Doesn't matter how much or how intense. Something is better than nothing. Even if it's Wii Just Dance, or cleaning or walking around the block or jumping up and down ten times with your child. Something is better than nothing. Should I repeat that again? and try to eat stuff that grew from a plant instead of food that was killed every once in a while. Or maybe don't ingest so much alcohol or caffeine or sugar or fast food and so on.
But I don't think those tips are going to get anyone thin or keep anyone thin. I think a huge shift in thinking has to occur before the epidemic of obesity begins to abate. As a society we want everything comfortable and quick. That's all we ask, right? Is it really so much? For example, we want to be able to abuse our bodies with one or many substances for decades while simultaneously depriving our bodies of other life affirming substances and activities and when we come down with illness we want a cure, dammit. We want a prescription. And we want it in a little yellowish, brown bottle that we can drive through the pharmacy to pick up. We do not want it to be too large or to taste bad or to have any effects aside from PRESTO! magically disappearing whatever it is that ails us! If we can't have that bottle then our next desire is a quick, painless, and inexpensive procedure, surgery, treatment, etc. But then we want to go back home, open a beer and some chips and sit on the couch and watch "The Biggest Loser" so we can feel like it's really not so bad.
For those more motivated we want to peruse the library or the bookstore wellness sections and take home books or magazines with titles like "Lose 40 pounds in 40 days" or "Only 6 minutes a day to your perfect body" or "Lose weight and be healthy without any change in your diet." Or maybe more pills can help with this end of it. Maybe we can take a pill and then sit on the couch as the pounds and damages to our bodies melt away.
I know it's difficult. I've struggled for years with weight. And now feel it's finally under control. But only because I've made that connection between me and food and wellness. I don't just think being a healthy weight is what it's about though. I think once we decide that we want to be healthy and we know it will take major eating, activity and mindset changes and we accept that it will be for a lifetime vs. in "4 minutes a day!" then we can make these changes slowly and gradually. Instead of telling our kids they can't have the cupcake on Valentine's Day we can let that slide and vow not to drive through for dinner for awhile. Instead of having six beers we could settle on one or two. We could do push ups or sit ups while we watch TV. I dunno...
It ain't gonna be comfortable and it's not gonna be quick. But it has to be done.
Ohio is fat. Among the fattest in fact. We rank somewhere around 11th out of the 50 states though it may just be the "lower 48" that make up these stats since Hawaiians have always been fat and Alaskans were all out shooting their dinner or campaigning and could not be reached for inclusion in any study.
I guess it's not really all that surprising. I felt a small bit of tension when I scrolled down and saw us on the list. But then I did a quick mental survey of the landscape and realized, yeah, though I don't travel much this must be accurate. It brings me back to my latest obsession which is nutrition.
Once I start reading on a subject it usually steamrolls until I've read no less than 10 or 20 books on the subject. This time I actually attended a meeting at OSU regarding re-enrolling in school to get another degree. This time in HUMAN NUTRITION. As I learn more and more I learn both things I already knew and also things I was not aware of. But through it all I believe nutrition can be boiled down to a few simple, easy steps that most of us will refuse to follow thereby solidifying my future job prospects as a Dietician. Things like: Exercise. Now. Doesn't matter how much or how intense. Something is better than nothing. Even if it's Wii Just Dance, or cleaning or walking around the block or jumping up and down ten times with your child. Something is better than nothing. Should I repeat that again? and try to eat stuff that grew from a plant instead of food that was killed every once in a while. Or maybe don't ingest so much alcohol or caffeine or sugar or fast food and so on.
But I don't think those tips are going to get anyone thin or keep anyone thin. I think a huge shift in thinking has to occur before the epidemic of obesity begins to abate. As a society we want everything comfortable and quick. That's all we ask, right? Is it really so much? For example, we want to be able to abuse our bodies with one or many substances for decades while simultaneously depriving our bodies of other life affirming substances and activities and when we come down with illness we want a cure, dammit. We want a prescription. And we want it in a little yellowish, brown bottle that we can drive through the pharmacy to pick up. We do not want it to be too large or to taste bad or to have any effects aside from PRESTO! magically disappearing whatever it is that ails us! If we can't have that bottle then our next desire is a quick, painless, and inexpensive procedure, surgery, treatment, etc. But then we want to go back home, open a beer and some chips and sit on the couch and watch "The Biggest Loser" so we can feel like it's really not so bad.
For those more motivated we want to peruse the library or the bookstore wellness sections and take home books or magazines with titles like "Lose 40 pounds in 40 days" or "Only 6 minutes a day to your perfect body" or "Lose weight and be healthy without any change in your diet." Or maybe more pills can help with this end of it. Maybe we can take a pill and then sit on the couch as the pounds and damages to our bodies melt away.
I know it's difficult. I've struggled for years with weight. And now feel it's finally under control. But only because I've made that connection between me and food and wellness. I don't just think being a healthy weight is what it's about though. I think once we decide that we want to be healthy and we know it will take major eating, activity and mindset changes and we accept that it will be for a lifetime vs. in "4 minutes a day!" then we can make these changes slowly and gradually. Instead of telling our kids they can't have the cupcake on Valentine's Day we can let that slide and vow not to drive through for dinner for awhile. Instead of having six beers we could settle on one or two. We could do push ups or sit ups while we watch TV. I dunno...
It ain't gonna be comfortable and it's not gonna be quick. But it has to be done.
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