From Fit to Fat to Fit: Slacking Off

Posted by Greg Laden on January 14, 2010
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All good things come to an end. But then if you work hard enough, you can get them back.

…. continued

Like I said earlier, I returned from South Africa in similar or better shape than I left in. And I kept that level of exercise up for a long time, and kept in shape for a long time. Over the years, I had a couple of friends I’d go to the gym with on a regular basis. Amanda and I formerly did that quite regularly, but we have slacked off a bit.

But eventually, life got the better of me, and I started to slack off and go to the gym less and less often. Then, I got a job that actually did serve as a great excuse for not getting to the gym, and then I had some other excuse, then some other, then some other.

So right now I find myself in a similar situation as to when I first met Lenora. But this time, I don’t need a trainer, and the gym is one block from my house. What I need, rather, is the obsession. I need to get back the obsession with exercise that drives a person to the gym because it feels bad to have not been to the gym for a while.

This is not hard for me to do. I’ve been able to do that for periods of a couple of weeks, or a month, here and there over the last two years. My wife does the same thing. If she goes to the gym often enough, it becomes something she has to do. We’ve often done that together. We need to do that again.

The other thing I might need is a walk in the Kalahari with Lynne, or something similar, to act as motivation. Perhaps my brother’s recent major open heart surgery can inspire me. He went under the knife a few weeks ago. I don’t know if more exercise would have been good for him or not. But generally speaking, more exercise is better than less exercise.

That, and Huxley’s starting to get heavy. Need to work on my biceps.

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Comments

  1. #1 becca
    January 14, 2010

    When Huxley gets neck control, you *have* to do baby airplane ride leg lifts.

  2. #2 Rich Wilson
    January 15, 2010

    You wrote about lifting some pretty heavy weights, but I don’t recall any mention of any cardio. I’d argue that running a mile in six minutes is more important to your heart than leg pressing the Titanic.

  3. #3 Greg Laden
    January 15, 2010

    That’s true that I focused on weight lifting because that is the part that was new to me. Going five miles on the treadmill or walking five miles in real life a few times a week was usually what I was doing. But this is not an either or thing. Having strong muscles is very very important, so that when you are doing that cardio there are added benefits (including lower chance of injury, for instance)

  4. #4 Umlud
    January 15, 2010

    Good luck on your fitness-seeking. I know that I had to move farther from work and choose to ride my bike in order to include (nay, force) time for exercise. Still, although I am not anywhere close to the fighting-fit shape I was in my early 20s, I’m happy with how I’m doing right now.

  5. #5 JL
    January 15, 2010

    A bad diet is worse than not exercising.

    Become a vegan and reduce your carbon footprint while you are at it.

  6. #6 jj
    January 15, 2010

    Become a vegan and reduce your carbon footprint while you are at it.

    Ewww… Naw too hard to get all your protein. Although a heavily reduced omnivore diet’s pretty good, in my mind.

    (BTW, I was joking about the ewww part, in fact, the only *canned* Chili I actually enjoy is vegan [Amy's Chili].)

  7. #7 Jake
    January 16, 2010

    Naw too hard to get all your protein

    This is always baffling to me. How are chickpeas harder to eat than beef? What makes lentils more difficult than salmon? When did kidney beans or black beans become hard to find at a grocery store?

    Unless you’re so heavily into meat that you’re in the habit of *never* eating starches, you will get complete protein just by eating legumes when you would have eaten meat.

  8. #8 The Wanderer
    January 18, 2010

    Are you serious? How are chickpeas harder to eat than beef?

    Beef – yum-yum, tasty.
    Chickpeas – Dry, gag inducing, nasty.

    Seriously, I need to exercise more too!

    The Wanderer, or lately, The Sitter

  9. #9 Digital Rabbit
    January 18, 2010

    Here’s a challenge for you: Sign up to run the Chicago Marathon with me. You’ve got from now to October to train. I’ll set you up with a coach. You’ll have 6 and a half hours to finish. That’s 15 minutes a mile. I know you can do it. You’ll get strong and you’ll be able to keep up with Huxley when he starts walking. I’m serious!!!! Fat to Fit in 9 months. Think about it. Contact me for details.

  10. #10 Jake
    January 18, 2010

    Ah, but “I’m a picky eater and refuse to eat beans” is an entirely different issue from “it’s too hard to get protein.”

  11. #11 Greg Laden
    January 18, 2010

    The Wanderer [8]: Try cooking the beans first, they are way better that way!

    Digital: When is the marathon?

  12. #12 The Wander
    January 18, 2010

    Oh yeah. I am going out to a nice restaurant and order me some Chick Peas Bourguignon!

  13. #13 Digital Rabbit
    January 18, 2010

    To the Wanderer: You’ve probably been ordering your beans medium rare. Try well-done and I don’t think you’ll gag on them!