I am great at maintaining- regardless of the specific number on the scale, my body will hold on tight without consideration of dieting, holidays or training programs.
So why has my weight jumped 4 pounds Christmas 2007 and 4 pounds Christmas 2008? “Did I really eat that much each Christmas?” I asked myself. After the gain I would try to lose the weight but the scale wouldn’t budge. Like I said, I am great at maintaining. Up until Christmas 2007 I had always stayed within a specific 3 pound range.
Then it hit me.
Before Christmas 2007 I had balanced a desk job and school during the day with an intense waitressing job and social life at night. I was always moving. Christmas 2007 I quit waitressing. A lot less moving, 4 more pounds.
This past Christmas 2008 I graduated from college. No more parking 1 mile from classes and running around to catch the next. The farthest I have to walk now is from the parking lot to the front door. Hello an extra 4 pounds.
Sure I’ve trained and completed a half marathon and worked with a personal trainer as I was gaining weight… but it was the unintentional daily activity that really made the difference.
This more encouraging than saddening. Sure, I miss my (more) active lifestyle, but I am where I am and it’s not changing yet. Hopefully one day I’ll have a job away from the desk- but that is not today. And I’m not about ready to surrender to a sedentary lifestyle and welcome the pounds onto my frame.
So I’m going to do everything I can to add more movement into everyday tasks. I will finally walk to work when possible (it’s only 1 mile!). I will park on the second level of Whole Food’s parking garage and hike my way down to the store on the first level. I will take more stretch breaks at work.
…and I will use my new Gaiam Balance Ball Chair!
I’ve been apprehensive to spend so much money on a chair, but when I considered how much of my time is spent sitting in from of work’s computer, I realized it is worth it.
Any little tricks you incorporate throughout your day? Please share them in comments!
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yes! i work a desk job.. i have to get up every hour and take a walk or i will be super tired at the end of the day. i also try to eat LESS during the day time to make up for the fact im not moving around so much.
i also bring my mp3 player and i go down to the gym once in a while in the building and totally bust out some dance moves. yea im that crazy.. lol
“dance like no one’s watching!!!” haha
I definitely get up from my desk frequently…heck i need to pee and get more water like once an hour
On days where I can’t go outside for a walk, I try to walk up the stairs in the building where I work, it’s just a 5 minute break but my heartgets pumping and that’s good.
I try to park far away any where I go and just to walk any time I can instead of driving. I truly believe all those little things add up!
How cool about your chair! I’ve been curious about them. Let us know how you like it.
There was a change for me when I went from college to a desk job, but the even bigger change was when I went from an office job to working from home. Now I barely move except for my workouts. I was on a college campus so no more walking from my car or to meetings. I makes a big difference and takes a huge effort to get more activity in.
I left you something on my blog!
I always took for granted my walks to and from campus… I was usually a tad late too, so I was power walking. I never realized how great that was until now, when I sit on my butt all day in my cubicle!
So, like you, I picked up my mileage running. And all those little changes you’re talking about… good suggestion. I think it’s time to start parking as far away as possible
Yep, like millions before me, I have noticed a big difference in my body since graduating college in ’05. I taught for a year, which kept me moving, but I’ve been at a desk ever since so it takes a real effort to make sure I get quality exercise and eat right.
I noticed your comment on The Fitnessista’s blog and realized we must have a similar blog reading routine! It’s so inspiring to read about healthy goals and habits from you and Gina. Definite motivation to blog for me!
that is a sweet chair! Let us know how it goes..haha video perhaps??
Aw, cool chair! I’ve heard sitting on a stability ball before at work but haven’t seen these chairs!!
P.S. I SO covet your chair right now as I sit on el-boring-o office chair. I also covet the treadmill workstation, but fat chance of the boss going for that!
can’t wait to hear how you like that chair!!
when i moved to boston, i am alot closer to work (no more 20min or so commute each way), and have missed the walking…
Wow! I can’t believe you work 1 mile from where you live. I think I would walk all the time, except when the weather was really bad. I was just reading in Runner’s World about how a lot of people took up running to work when gas prices were so high last summer- a huge percentage run between 11-20 miles each way! That’s insane!!
It’s amazing what a difference those little movements make. My biggest change was after I got married, because I wasn’t spending as much time traveling between my house and the Hubs, we spent more time in front of the TV. Sad, but true, watching too much TV made me gain weight.
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