One of the things I’ve always been quite good at, is making decisions and then doing what I’ve said I’m going to do. You know like some people talk about what they’re going to do but what they actually mean is, I might do it, one day, if the Moon is in Saturn and the stars all align. It’s not really a statement of intent, so much as a thought spoken out loud. With me, by the time the words make it out of my head they’ve generally been mulled over and I’m pretty much there in terms of deciding to go for it.
Until I understood the difference between my approach and the thinking out loud approach that some of my friends adopt, it used to drive me bat shit crazy. I thought we’d agreed, you know..? That we were going to do this..? Ah yes, well I’m definitely thinking about it…for those of you who have gotten to know me over the last few months you’ll appreciate that the patience fairy was a bit parsimonious with the magic dust and patience isn’t my strongest suit.
I was chatting to a friend of a friend over the weekend, who just happens to be one of these blue-sky thinkers, and whose daydreams are very much pitched as reality. Had my friend not forewarned me about him I would have left the conversation feeling exhausted at the thought of how much he was going to pack in over the next year, but as it was, my thoughts drifted as he rattled on about this and that. And as I was trying to nod and look interested in all the right places I got to thinking.
I’ve made some bold and cheeky statements over the last few months to you guys, about what I was going to do, right? But we’ve chatted about so much, I got to wondering about whether I’ve followed through with them all. I felt the need to take a quick inventory because I’d hate to turn into one of those people who is known for talking the talk but not walking the walk you know? I have a bad feeling about this, my palms have all of a sudden got a bit sweaty and I suspect a couple of my good intentions might have slipped under the net.
Lets start with the positives. Visualisation, portion control, goals and skinny choices…big tick in all those boxes. I’m all over those…I’ve even found myself choosing a cookie with a broken corner, which made me laugh…first time ever. There’s still no prince charming on the horizon – I mean come on, someone at least send me a tall dark handsome bloke desperate to ravish me so I can be tested! I continue to work on spending my food budget carefully, and I’m planning better across the week. So in all those areas, I’m doing good…I’m walking the walk.
Except, I’m not walking the real walk. Walking half an hour every day, that’s something I said I was going to do when I got back from my trip…whoops. Epic fail. I haven’t been doing it. So, how many excuses do you need? I could probably rattle off at least a half dozen…I hold a black belt in excuses related to diet and exercise, I mean come on I’ve been honing my skills for a lifetime. But the fact is, I just haven’t pushed myself. And that’s a rubbish effort. There’s no wonder it doesn’t feel like a habit yet, I think I’ve only done it twice.
I can imagine what my granny would have said…yes well, all fur coat and no knickers, that one…that’s a good old Yorkshire expression for someone who’s all show. I don’t think that’s me…I don’t think I’m all show. But all the things I’ve said I was going to do were things I put out there as a way of supporting this journey, and they’re not going to pack much of a punch if I don’t follow through are they?
So…I’ve ‘fessed up. And tomorrow, I re-boot and start walking 🙂
Yes, well. Your full disclosure is good; still, all of this isn’t empty talk. The disordered eating needed to be addressed – we’ve been walking that talk. They say, you don’t change everything at once, in a revolutionary frenzy. & I keep reading that “You can’t out-exercize a bad diet.”
No harm no foul! Fleury
I am an exercise junkie, now that I’m retired from working. I have an app on my iPhone that counts my steps and pretends to count the distance I cover as well (it’s able to convert my kicking to distance when I’m in aerobics class, go figure). I take my phone into class, yes. How else can I know how many steps I take every day?
Glad to hear you’re going to step up (ha!) to the exercise challenge. It makes a difference, it really does. And you don’t have to do it all at once, just once or twice around the block to start is enough. Remember you’re carrying a bit of weight around that block with you, and that burns calories! 🙂
Yep, I’m determined to push myself a little more – I’m still looking for that ‘thing’ I’m going to train for…I’ll find it and make a fitness commitment 🙂
If you want to buy exercise equipment, the best place around here is any charity shop!
Do you have a fitbit? I bought one when I joined WW back in March and it really keeps me moving. It syncs your activity points automatically to WW app which is helpful. I set it for 10,000 steps per day and if I haven’t achieved that by the end of the day I walk around the house until I have! Exercise is tough, especially in the winter time, so sometimes getting out to walk is tough but 10,000 steps each day is very achievable x
Hello…no, I don’t but I was lucky enough to get an apple watch for my birthday, and it nags me daily about walking further! I’m nowhere near 10,000 steps but as I drop more weight I’ll definitely walk more than I do now!
Start with setting yourself a more realistic goal – maybe 5,000 steps to start with and then after a month increase that to 6,000. Walking has been a key part of my weight loss success.
You are NOT all show – I think real change is hard, and you’re making real changes. Attacking all things at once is admirable – but life is real and there’s work, and parenting, and having a life and cleaning the toilets – sometimes you miss a step.
I’ve been feeling the same – between holidays and work crises and personal crises and teenagers and their exams . . . and . . .. and . . . I’ve managed to stick with the food thing – the points – the cooking – the planning – but the gym has fallen by the wayside as well. I have good intentions but time is limited and while I am putting myself first in some ways but not in this one. I’ll get on it when I can catch my breath I think – I do some but not with the consistency I had been
For me, sometimes, it’s a baby step thing. I’d rather just keep stepping forward somewhere than fail everywhere LOL.
That’s a good way of looking at it Cherie…I feel like I’m spinning lots of plates but you know what, nothing’s smashed yet!
Yes, yes, yes, to that. They say the biggest hurdle is getting booted up & opening the front door, then before you know it (:)) you’ve “ticked off” your moderate circuit for the day. Thanks for following thru on this… you are rocking the food mindfulness already! (Also, I keep reading “You can’t out-exerxize a bad diet.”)
Remember musing (it truly was thinking out loud. No commitment), about an exercize bike? Maybe as the deep discount sales begin to really get frantic…. If it came down to going out in the dark, cold, rainy morning or sitting on the bike in an old tee-shirt finishing off a library book – imagine how much more attractive that thing might look.
No whistles-and-bells model, but hey some exercize bikes feature an odometer!!
Yrs, Fleury
It’s funny you should say that Fleury, I’ve tried a couple of times to chance my arm on eBay, but I’ve been outbid. Don’t want to spend a fortune because it might end up being another clothes stand…but yes, I’m on the hunt 🙂