My Diet, week 7-Exercise

Hoping for the best after last week's badness, I tippy-toed onto the scale and discovered that I had lost eight pounds. Eight pounds? I was expecting to be in trouble, not ahead of schedule. I was a little stunned. How did this happen?

I gave full credit to exercise. Last week I did bad things with food and was very emotional about my lapses, not a bit constructive. But through it all I continued exercising. The bits of exercise that I added to my life were starting to become automatic. I wasn't particularly aware of taking walks, or lifting my weights during TV, or climbing more stairs. But apparently I had done them even while I was being silly with food.

A few tips about exercise:

• Weights and pride---I used 3-pound weights without shame. In exercise classes, there is a tendency to notice what other people are doing and try to match them. Or beat them. But some of the people in my class were 20 years younger than I was, or in very good shape, or their body vulnerabilities were not the same as mine. Know your own body and be nice to it. I personally cannot do pushups (or down-facing dog position) due to the extra weight on my wrists. My circuit trainer showed me an alternative, so whenever she told the group to do pushups, I did the alternative exercise. I didn't worry about what others were doing.
  
• Pain and pride---I rejected the 'No pain no gain' addage immediately. If I forced myself to the point of pain, I didn't enjoy exercising no matter how many other people I kept up with, plus I might injure myself. However, I didn't stop the exercise just because it hurt. I backed off a little. Instead of 20 crunches I did 15. Instead of using the 10-pound exercise ball I used the 6-pound one. I did modified plank, cobra, squats, rope jumping. I was protective of my back, my knees, and my wrists. I even learned how to do cool-down stretches by myself so I could end class early if I was maxed out.
  
• Fun---The classes and activites I stayed with were fun, or I made them fun somehow. If an instructor was too serious about the work, I found another class. I needed to have a good time with my exercise mates. I also created fun with the exercise tools and machines. I gave them names. I talked to them like I talked to my car or my dog. I bought colorful weights, I bought pretty exercise clothes.

Wow! I lost eight pounds!!! (Finally sunk in.) I took a look at my body. A waist had reappeared. Were those ... abs? This was very encouraging, so encouraging that I added a few more items to my list:

41. Bought a set of 5-pound dumbells (red!).
42. Had my body/fat ratio measured at the gym.
43. Joined the strength-building group.
44. Watched the DVD for my exercise ball. Did it.
45. Started reading food labels at the grocery store.