I've been spending a lot of my exercise time trying to avoid the three P's---pain, passing out and puking. I hate throwing up, and have a strong aversion to anything that smells even faintly of vomit, like some cheeses. This is one reason I could never be bulimic...I wouldn't be able to force myself to hurl after every meal.
Anyway, I've been avoiding taking Janice's boot camp class mainly for this reason. She prefers to teach high-impact, no-holds-barred exercises that involve lots of jumping and running and other joint-stressing activities. I am just too old and too fat to accomplish most of her exercises, and I've got a knee that screams in pain every time I try jumping or leaping about.
Yet I managed to survive last nights boot camp class that Janice insisted that I try, and I don't think I could have made it without my workout buddies Charlotte and Beth, heaven bless them, who both modified exercises with me and teamed up with me, the only fat person in the class, to help me get through the series of obstacles and jumps Janice had set up for us. I thought I was going to puke and pass out by the end of the class, but my buddies were triumphant that we'd all managed to finish without having a cardiac! YAY! Beth and Char, you gals ROCK!
From SparkPeople, the article below has some great ideas on keeping your focus healthy when dieting and exercising to lose weight. I know that I am guilty as sin of not seeing the forest for the trees and being dissatisfied with where I am in my weight loss program. Most days I berate myself for eating too much, eating something I shouldn't or just for not losing 100 pounds this year, as I did 20 years ago. But, as with most things, it's all about the journey, not the destination. I've got to remember that. And the shortcuts never work thing is especially poignient for me, as I am always dreaming about ways to get to my goal faster.
Dieting Destination by Mike Kramer
Think about your dieting history. Does it give you the same feeling as an exasperating traffic jam? You never quite get where you want to go as fast as you want to get there. You get aggravated, yell (usually at yourself), and see people in other lanes going faster than you (how do they DO that?!), and it usually ends up ruining your day.Here’s the lesson: Getting frustrated with your diet does no more good than getting frustrated in traffic. It just makes you unhappy, unsuccessful and tense.By the time I got to work (it was a long commute), I noticed a lot of things that we, as weight loss veterans, can learn from traffic jams. Next time you start to feel frustrated with your weight loss progress, keep these "lessons of the road" in mind:
• Pay less attention to how much further you have to travel. Stop asking yourself "are we there yet?" You’ll get there when you get there. Instead, look at the scenery, think about life, carry on a conversation, sing along with the radio, or simply be thankful for how far you’ve come.
• The journey is always more fun with a passenger. Have you asked anyone along for the ride?
• You know the route you need to take to reach your weight loss goals. It’s already mapped out. As long as you stay pointed in the right direction, you’ll get there. Even in the worst traffic jams, you still get to your destination at some point. It’s the same way with dieting – just a matter of time. It may take longer than you first expected, but you will get there.
• There will always be periods of stopping and starting. It’s something that you should just anticipate and allow for. No use getting upset or stressed about not making progress. It’s a normal part of the journey.
• Sometimes, you’ve just gotta go with the flow of what’s going on around you. Life can present some situations that you really can’t do anything about. When that happens, staying straight and steady – doing the best that you can – will keep you on track and sane. In traffic, impatient people stop, change lanes, weave in and out of other cars, driving themselves and everyone else crazy – and in the end, usually don’t get any farther along than you do by staying put and going with the flow.
• Shortcuts never work.
• Driving too fast is dangerous. That’s why they call it "crash" dieting. Slow down, take what life gives you, and make sure you arrive at your destination in good health.I finally did get to my destination after all. Hands were pried away from the steering wheel, teeth were unclenched, and a few aspirin were popped. Of course, people in the cars around me probably had a good laugh at my arm-waving and soundless yelling. Funny how we can lose our senses when faced with something that frustrates us, whether it’s traffic or our diets. Hopefully, remembering these rules will help you reach your destination sooner – and more content – than you expected.
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