Dec. 28, 2012
I got a blog message today that said to, "Put your fat pants away."
Good thought with only few days left in 2012. I don't know about you, but I've got regular pants, somewhat regular pants, fat pants and how-the-heck-did-I gain-all-this-weight pants.
I learned long ago that my weight on a scale isn't nearly as important as how my clothes fit. At least I like to tell myself that because it reassures me that I'm gaining muscle and not fat as I work out.
Fat pants are like the safety valve we all keep in the closet. You can fit into them, and only you are really embarrassed to be wearing a size or two up from normal, but it stinks when you think you've slipped and added five or 10 pounds in the last year or so.
Well, what can I say? Gravity sucks! Even the best of us who run, job, walk or roll face backsliding periodically.
But hey, it's a new day and we're on the brink of a new year. I read an article the other day that suggested you make a list all the things you have leaned on in the past year (chips, candy, cookies, etc.). But rather than do a giant knee-jerk wipe out of all the stuff at once, you pick one thing to stay away from for a while, and see how it works out.
The thought is that you make it a lifestyle change rather than saying you're on a diet.
One of my favorites is eliminating accidental food. This is particularly important when you work in an office. Somebody brings in cookies or leftover Christmas candy and sets it in a high-traffic area and before you know it you've got party mix all over your desk and you're looking for more.
Accidental calories add up more quickly than you think. They can add 200 to 1,000 calories a day to your consumption. They're like little food gremlins that feed your need to binge and fuel the expansion of your waistline.
My other food downfall, like so many people, is drinking too much soda. I've been a diet soda drinker for years, so the calories aren't as much of an issue as the caffeine, sodium, acids and other unhealthy chemicals that are contained in sodas.
I'll admit it, I don't drink enough water. So my discipline is to drink equal or double the amount of water compared to the amount of soda I drink. If I want a glass of soda, that means I need to drink a glass or two of water.
It's not a great solution, but at least I don't have that giant caffeine crash at different points in my day. And I'd like to think that it's somewhat healthier than just a day of soda after soda as I crank out blog posts on my computer.
The key is to have a lifestyle that includes time to get up and move. Whether it's an hour at the gym or walking outside for 30 minutes. A combination of healthy eating and exercise will keep us all away from the "fat pants" sided of the closet in 2013.
Besides, think of all the energy it's going to take to climb back up from the bottom of the fiscal cliff.
Good luck everybody ... the World's Slowest Human.
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