Is all exercise created equal?

February 26, 2009 at 12:23 pm (Rants and Vents)
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This post on NeverSayDiet has me wondering. What makes one kind of exercise better than another? Is it good enough to recommend exercise as a general or should we be judging people for what they choose to do?

In particular, this comment got me het up:

It does seem strange when normal kids start going to the gym. Although I guess in that sense, its strange that ANYONE goes to the gym, considering the possibilities of exercise just from lifestyle activities… but sad that this mentality is weighing on our kids, too.

What makes the gym suddenly so bad that kids shouldn’t be going? I didn’t realise that you had to be a certain age or mentality to go to the gym to exercise! Silly me always thought that it was GOOD for us to exercise and it didn’t matter how or where. Nowhere have I read that certain types of exercise are good for “normal” kids/adults and other types are good for the rest (abnormal?).

I joined a gym when I was 11. A new gym opened up near my place and the whole family signed up. I used to get my mother to drop me off and pick me up about 2 hours later – I’d use the treadmill, the weights circuit and the pool to swim laps. I sometimes met up with a friend and we’d make an afternoon of it. I always thought I was normal and it was good that I went to the gym – I’m not a team sport person so how else was I supposed to get fit and be active?

I love going to the gym now. I do get activity in my day-to-day life – I walk to the bus and from the bus on my way to work, I walk to the grocery store and carry my bags home. I take the stairs whenever possible. But my exercise? Comes from the gym. The treadmill, the elliptical, the bike, the weights. All. At. The. Gym.

I’m just wondering where the judgement comes from – are outdoor joggers better than treadmill trainers? Is it a superiority complex or is exercise not created equal?

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A quick poll

February 24, 2009 at 1:10 pm (General life)

So I have work volleyball tonight. I sucketh at volleyball. I’m tired, I’m cranky but it is good to be social.

So, the poll:

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A new diet I don’t recommend

February 24, 2009 at 8:23 am (General life)
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It’s amazing but I don’t think the pros outweigh the cons.

I seem to have lost 5 lbs on it in a week. You’d think that would be a major pro and would outshine any cons. Normally yes.

I’ve had huge success on this diet before and it very rarely lets me down.

But the diet is called the Insane-Stress-Diet. It makes your body go haywire. It makes your stomach knot up and your body either require no food or metabolizes everything at the speed of light. It makes you wonder if you have worms.The constant nauseous feeling in the pit of your stomach means you’re constantly wondering what food you’ve developed an allergy to or who’s trying to poison you.

And you lose weight. Or at least, I do.

But while I did gain some weight a few weeks ago, I didn’t expect to lose it all in a week. If my scales can be trusted this morning, I’m down to my lowest weight, which means I’m down about 5 lbs in about 5 days.  I am eating properly (the cheese and crackers for dinner was before that – I’m back onto full meals) – including salads and chilis and Moroccan chicken (yummy!). I crashed on the weekend and instead of working, I slept. And slept. I’ve been to the gym twice and twice only.

But on the downside again, I barely slept last night after making the stupid mistake of checking my email and then staying up replying and then thinking about it until midnight. I woke up with a fuzzy head and I was at work at 7:30am. I’m tired already and it’s only Tuesday.

I’m making an effort to keep healthy – packed my lunch today (which seemed like a lot of food – a big salad, some leftover Moroccan Chicken with lentils, an apple, a granola bar and a yogurt) and I’m either going to volleyball or the gym tonight, which means I have to leave the office at 5:30. And I’m hoping not to lose anymore weight.

Hope everyone else is keeping well.

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Bouncing back

February 20, 2009 at 11:56 am (General life, Weekly roundup)
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I’ve had another tough week. I won’t bore you with exessive details so here’s a breakdown (not that I’m having one yet):

  • Still exhausted and still working 10+ hour days
  • Still stressed and not really sleeping well because of it
  • Eating better
  • Went to the gym once this week but did manage some home workouts (see below)
  • Number of co-workers I wanted to slap this week: 2
  • Number of paychecks I received this week: 0 (stupid accounts payable)
  • Number of epiphanies: 2

This pattern is likely to continue for a while – this project is challenging to say the least. I am glad to be challenged but sometimes I would prefer some sleep. Minor issue really.

It’s really sad when you get your second wind at 10am.

So, the home workouts. I finally got my 30 Day Shred DVD (Jillian Michaels, you are the devil). It’s crazy – 20 minutes of pain and then suffering the next day. It’s so funny though – every point that I reach where I want to quit, she stops and gives us a pep talk of sorts – almost like she KNOWS when I’m fading. Jillian, are you watching me?

And my epiphanies?

  1. I cannot drink coffee during the workday. We’ve had free Starbucks at work for the past week so I’ve been drinking up. And crashing. And drinking up. And crashing. I know that I’m tired generally but these crashes are not right. And yesterday, when I was *thisclose* to napping at my desk by 2pm, I realised that this could be connected. So we’ll see – I’ll stick to the green tea and same insane schedule and hopefully the crashes will go.
  2. I always thought I was a morning person. After 2 weeks of getting up at 5:30am, I realise that I am definitely not a fan of mornings.

Any relaxation/stress reduction tips for a super stressed gemfit?

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

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Portion distortion

February 18, 2009 at 8:42 pm (General life, Nutrition)
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In all our gnashing our teeth (figuratively of course – dentists would hate us otherwise) about portion sizes in restaurants and fast food joints and how it would be SO much healthier to cook ourselves, we’ve missed something. Our recipe books. Have you looked at the serving sizes there lately?

According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine recently, our recipe books are contributing to our growing waistlines and have been doing so for a lot longer than those sneaky restaurants. According to an article on The Age website, over the past 70 years serving sizes have increased by almost 80 calories per serving.

They compared recipe books, in particular, the classic cookbook, Joy of Cooking, and compared the same 18 recipes over the past 7 editions. Only one stayed the same. From the article:

Of the 18 recipes published in all seven editions, 17 increased in calories per serving. That can be attributed partly to a jump in total calories per recipe (about 567 calories), but also to larger portion sizes.

Only the chili con carne recipe remained unchanged through the years. The chicken gumbo, however, went from making 14 servings at 228 calories each in the 1936 edition, to making 10 servings at 576 calories each in the 2006 version.

This is not something I was even considering. How is it that something that made 14 servings 70 years ago can suddenly only satisfy 10 people now? Are we suddenly hungrier? Or are we so used to excess that anything less is not enough?

I try remember to pack a lunch in the morning but often I forget – either to take it with me or to cook enough the night before for leftovers. So I eat in the cafeteria at work and they pile my plate. I have to watch like a hawk when it comes to noodles or rice and yell out to stop after one pile (I yell nicely though). They look at me like I’m crazy because my plate is still “empty”. I know that I’ll eat it if it’s there and really, I don’t need it. But do we generally expect to fill our plates because we’re hungry or because it shows that we’re well off enough to be able to do so?

Was the Depression in 1936 the reason that the servings were smaller? As we’ve become “wealthier” have we become gluttonous? Will the current recession change that or, as The Guardian writes, is the recession ruining our health?

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An addiction and some drama-rama

February 16, 2009 at 8:34 pm (Family, General life)
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Firstly, I hath a new addiction, despite trying to avoid its siren song for so long.

Yes, I am now on twitter. Follow me – gemfit. More pithy commentary about my life – didn’t you know that’s EXACTLY what you were missing?? Here’s Gemfit – now with more pith!

Seriously, I don’t know what it is, but there’s no pressure with coming up with something good to post. It’s just there. Anything. And sometimes it’s silly but it’s fun. So join!!!

Onto the drama-rama. Weddings. Oh, weddings. There’s a reason there are so many wedding-based reality shows – Wedding SOS, Bridezilla, Rich Bride, Poor Bride. There is so much drama attached to weddings that it’s almost impossible to avoid. And my mother, bless her soul, walked right into one.

My mother gets very involved. She means well, best intentions, etc, but she has tons of trouble seeing that line – she crosses it ALL the time. My brother and I deal with it because we know she loves us and it’s all done out of love. But my brother’s fiance has not come from the same family atmosphere – her family was very different. Plus her previous MIL and family was, to the say least, annoying and totally controlling (with no best intentions at all), so she’s a little proud and protective of her control. Can you see where this is going?

I saw this coming. A few weeks ago there was a blow up about the size of the wedding – my mother was planning a 200 person wedding – they wanted a small 60 person cocktail party. My parents are paying for the wedding. Can you see where this is going?

So they agreed to a smaller wedding so my brother could use the rest of the money for  a down-payment for a house. My mother started surfing the web looking for houses and going to viewings. Can you see where this is going?

And she booked the venue and the synagogue and changed some details (trying to help) and there was a MAJOR blowup. She’s crying and refusing to do anything for them ever (she’ll get over it), my brother is trying to mend fences, his fiance is calling and texting and trying to mend fences and there’s a lot of drama.

And I could see this coming a mile away and I told her so. I told her not to sulk and refuse to do anything – if they ask her for help, she should help but NO DOING SOMETHING WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION – no changing dates or venues or colour schemes. No booking things if they don’t ask. Make suggestions but this is their wedding – or rather, this is my brother’s fiance’s wedding. He’s super laid back and understands my mother so won’t take offense.

So I hear my mother crying on the phone and I want to hug her and I don’t want her to stop loving with all her heart but she needs to remember her early days as a newlywed and her clashes with her MIL and step back.

*sigh* All the drama-rama of a tv show and I don’t even have to subscribe!

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Exhaustion

February 12, 2009 at 1:10 pm (General life)
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I woke up at 3:30am this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. I was at work less than 12 hours after I left the office. I haven’t been to the gym in 3 days and probably won’t go until next week. I feel like death, look like death and the next person who complains that they have nothing to do will be slapped.

On the upside, next paycheck will be AWESOME due to overtime!

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An open letter to the editors of Self

February 10, 2009 at 10:25 pm (General life, Rants and Vents)
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Dear Self,

I’m breaking up with you. As a magazine, you got me motivated by giving me health advice and guidance in bite size chunks to that it didn’t look scary. You promised quick solutions to all my body issues, even while telling me what to wear if I was “thick waisted, bottom-heavy, long waisted, petite, boy-shaped or plus-sized” because, well, everyone fits into those neat, easy categories, don’t they? Nobody is maybe petite AND “bottom heavy” (doesn’t that description make you super happy?)?

I learnt to skip over your clothing recommendations – I’m sorry, but skinny jeans DO NOT suit every shape unless your aim is to look like an idiotic trend-addict. I learnt to ignore your monthly “lose XX lbs in 1 month” features, especially after reading 3 in a row and realising that every article contradicts the one before it. Become a vegetarian! No, eat meat! No, eat carbs! No, stop breathing!

I visited your website and looked at your forums and realised that your articles and your mission statement kinda worked not to empower us to be healthy but instead empowered us to feel like crap about ourselves. After all, we’re always striving to lose weight and conceal our flaws. We’re always looking for a quick fix. I realised that your forums, while not moderated by your magazine, probably should be – do you know how many girls with serious ED issues post and get ridiculously unhealthy advice? You’re lucky that there are a handful of intelligent posters who come in with good advice but really. Really?

And yet I still subscribed. I still held out hope that those once inspiring tidbits would get me back. But you lost me for good this month with this bit of ‘advice lite’ from your pre-Self challenge for 2009:

Forget for a moment the feel-good benefits of exercise and focus on the look-good benefits. Research shows that extrinsic goals like wanting to look fab in Lycra are more important motivators than intrinsic goals such as wanting to feel strong. Visualize exactly how you’re like your body to look on June 1.

Yes, because it’s obviously going to make you feel AWESOME when you don’t magically have a size 2 bod come June 1. Because it never happens that the stupid intrinsic goals are easier to maintain and use as motivation when those fabulous extrinsic goals aren’t coming through quickly.

Now Self, I’m sorry to say this but you.are.dumb. You are all about the exterior and you’ve forgotten about the important thing inside. I know that when I started this healthy journey, it wasn’t with a “Lose XX lbs in 1 month!” program. It wasn’t with the goal of looking fab in Lycra (if that becomes my goal, please someone kick me). It was that stupid intrinsic one: to be STRONG and HEALTHY; to be able to carry my groceries home even if I chose to buy both milk and juice in one trip; to be able to balance with a strong core and not fall over if someone brushed past me.

Sure, I wanted to look better in jeans too but that goal took a LOOOONG time to come through. If I had used that as my motivation, I woulda been onto the chocolate-coated everything within 2 months. My weight stayed the same. My measurements didn’t change drastically. I felt discouraged. And then – then I realised “hey, I’m getting stronger”. Then I realised that I wasn’t getting out of breathe as easily. Then I realised that I was becoming healthier. And I stayed the course.

But that’s just dumb. Who needs intrinsic goals when looking good in Lycra is oh so much more important? Health, I’m doin it all rong!

So yes, Self, I’m not onboard with this whole women should only look good on the outside thing. I don’t want to be skinny-fat. I want to be STRONG. So this is it. It’s not me, it’s you.

Love,

Gemfit.

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On being grateful

February 9, 2009 at 8:47 am (Family, General life)
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Things I’m grateful for on this Monday morning:

  1. My family and my friends are okay after the worst bushfires in history in Victoria. Over 130 people are dead, scores injured, over 800 homes lost, entire towns razed to the ground. I am thankful that nobody in my close circle has suffered but I mourn for those who have.
  2. I have a great job that, while it causes me stress, is very challenging and, most importantly, is there. So many people are out of work and facing tough times and I need to remember this more and more when I feel the pinch. I have a job, I have a paycheck, I have a place to live. So what if I can’t plan vacations and go shopping for stupid things. There are more important things in life.
  3. I have made some amazing friends since I’ve been here. I am as social as I could want to be and, while I don’t have a history here, I’m making one. They’re becoming my family and even though I miss my family tons (and more right now when Australia is in mourning), I value these people who seem to like me in all my weirdness.
  4. I haven’t fallen on the ice this winter yet.

I’m struggling a little bit this morning. I’m missing my family, I’m missing my comfort zone. I slept really badly last night and I woke up to an emotional email from my father. I’m sitting at my desk feeling very teary and wishing I could go home but it’s only 8:45am. I feel like I’m disappointing my father by not going to shul every week, by going out on Friday nights, by not being perfect. And I know that’s not what he intends me to feel. But I do. I always have wanted to please him and make him proud and I feel like I’m failing at that. I feel like I’ve abandoned him and my family by leaving Australia and wanting to stay here. I feel like I should be giving up my life here and going back for them but not for them, for me. I don’t know.

It’s not easy being so far away when you want a hug.

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Confessions

February 5, 2009 at 11:33 am (General life, Nutrition)
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On the not-so-good side

  • I’ve been wearing my ‘big’ jeans the last few days – not because my smaller jeans don’t fit but because I like feeling skinnier.
  • I’ve been rewarding myself with dark chocolate and justifying it by saying that I’m working hard or working out.
  • I’ve been justifying chips and fries and crap because I’m stressed and I deserve it.
  • I’m eating because I’m bored not because I’m hungry.

On the good side:

  • I’ve been drinking TONS of water and green tea (the tea because it’s DAMN cold!).
  • I’ve been working out even when I’m tired and would rather crawl into bed and avoid the world.
  • I’m planning a party on Valentine’s Day (which could be a bad point with all the alchol etc) to be social and stop working such long hours.

I’m not allowing the not-so-good to outweigh the good because life is not black or white. It’s about getting balance and I’m working on it. I’m aware that my eating is not great right now and I’m struggling with making the healthy choice some of the time. I’m very aware of the angel and devil on my shoulders and the intense discussion that goes one whenever I crave a chocolate or whatnot – the justification, the bribery, the guilt. But I’m working through it.

And I’m also aware that I’m in danger of sinking into hermit-like behaviour which is another reason I’m throwing the party. I need to plan some socialising that I can’t make excuses for and bail on. Hell, if people are coming to MY place, I need to BE there, you know?

Anyway, confessions out of the way. Pizza for lunch (lunch meeting, boss has ordered pizza, no choice in the matter) but it’s all good. After all, I deserve it AND I’m working out tonight :P

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