Marilyn Revisited
Disclaimer: I am not a dietician, doctor (yet), nutritionist, or personal trainer. I have no official expertise in this area. I don't know everything (although don't spread that one around). I can only relate my own story and opinions. Some of this may be more information than you really wanted, but it's all part of the story. And let's face it -- you don't have to be here if you don't want to.
The inspiration for this comes from another blog I occasionally read. I'm not a runner -- I read her blog because she's family and she happens to have some interesting things to say to non-runners here and there. The post I linked to got me thinking ... and now, here we are.
I have never been tiny. When I was little, I had the typical gangly build of a kid that spent her days running around the yard with her sister. Aside from that, it could always be said that I was my grandmother's granddaughter -- my hair, my facial features, my bone structure largely come from that side of the family. As I got older, I started playing soccer and I quite definitely had a soccer player build: I was solid, sturdy, especially my legs. I also developed faster than a lot of the girls, and more than many of them. While I wasn't ever particularly big, to borrow a term from Whitney, there was no way I was ever going to be a Twiggy.
When I went to college, there was no freshman fifteen. In fact, I dropped a few pounds. My eating habits had changed considerably and I had more consistent, regular exercise. This was true until my last semester, after my second summer at Storm, when I started to get softer.
And when I moved to Wisconsin, the weight gain was noticeable.
It's hard for a person to make the transition from an active college lifestyle to a moderately sendentary professional lifestyle. It's even harder to go from lab work to cubicle work, and from hiking for fun to eating and drinking for fun.
Maybe you're seeing the problems I had.
It wasn't until after the layoff that things changed. When I went back to Storm, I lost fifteen pounds without realizing it. For a lot of people, that's hard to understand, but that was just how drastically my lifestyle changed, even without a weight loss goal in mind. And as soon as I realized what was going on, it became intentional.
What changed?
1. Instead of spending eight hours a day at a desk, I was spending eight to ten hours on my feet. Even when I was still in Wisconsin, my weight plateaued the very day I started doing more physical things -- namely, Zumba and ballroom dance with some kayaking tossed in. It wasn't much, but it was regular, and it was fun. Instead of going home after work and watching TV, I was getting exercise. It was really that simple: it's all about activity. A sedentary job just means you have to put actual effort into getting exercise.
2. I started cooking for myself more. Back in Wisconsin, it was easier for me to eat out, but it spelled trouble: suddenly, my own food was out of my hands and I didn't always know exactly what I was getting myself into. When you're the one cooking, you're in control. You know exactly what you're putting into your body and it's much easier to control portions. Leftovers go straight into the fridge instead of taunting you on the plate until going into a less-than-appetizing Styrofoam container. (Or if you're really lucky, a foil swan.)
3. I drank less junk. Like my food, I didn't really give anything up -- but the balance is much improved. No more afternoon Pepsis thanks to boredom, only one beer every once in awhile instead of several regularly. I almost never buy heavily doctored coffees (mochas, lattes, etc.) and I drink a lot more water. People frequently change what they eat but don't always pay attention to what they drink. There are more crap calories in a single can of soda -- regular OR diet -- than in some candy bars. And you don't usually feel full after, so you drink more without thinking about it. It's a vicious cycle and expensive in more than one way.
4. There was a fundamental change in attitude in play. This may very well have been the most important part: I decided that enough was enough. I was doing this for me and no one else. And I wasn't taking any shortcuts. There were no crash diets. I like food too much -- all food, any food -- to take on a structured diet. There was no South Beach, no Atkins, no eDiets, none of that stuff (I almost typed "malarkey" but I know some people have made those work for them). I had no interest in cutting out carbs, meat, sugar, or anything else entirely. There was no way I could realistically sustain any of that. And I didn't drop any weight suddenly -- we're talking changes of about a pound and a half a week, maximum. I am still being as practical as I can about any of this and it seems to be working.
I have goals. This all started because because my previous shape (mostly just "round") was limiting the things I could do. There are hikes I used to do regularly that took more out of me, and that needed to be fixed. There are future goals -- longer trails, kayaking routes, dress sizes -- that I want. When all else fails, those prevail.
That's just the way it is.
Here's the thing: I will never be skinny. I have long since accepted that. Forget accepted -- I don't even want to be skinny. If anything, I want to be Marilyn. I like being curvy and I like being solid. Both characteristics have served me well (and continue to serve me well) and I have no intention of giving them up. In the meantime, I am doing what I can to enjoy my life more, and for me that means being able to do the things I love without my shape getting in the way. What more motive do I really need?
I have never been tiny. When I was little, I had the typical gangly build of a kid that spent her days running around the yard with her sister. Aside from that, it could always be said that I was my grandmother's granddaughter -- my hair, my facial features, my bone structure largely come from that side of the family. As I got older, I started playing soccer and I quite definitely had a soccer player build: I was solid, sturdy, especially my legs. I also developed faster than a lot of the girls, and more than many of them. While I wasn't ever particularly big, to borrow a term from Whitney, there was no way I was ever going to be a Twiggy.
When I went to college, there was no freshman fifteen. In fact, I dropped a few pounds. My eating habits had changed considerably and I had more consistent, regular exercise. This was true until my last semester, after my second summer at Storm, when I started to get softer.
And when I moved to Wisconsin, the weight gain was noticeable.
It's hard for a person to make the transition from an active college lifestyle to a moderately sendentary professional lifestyle. It's even harder to go from lab work to cubicle work, and from hiking for fun to eating and drinking for fun.
Maybe you're seeing the problems I had.
It wasn't until after the layoff that things changed. When I went back to Storm, I lost fifteen pounds without realizing it. For a lot of people, that's hard to understand, but that was just how drastically my lifestyle changed, even without a weight loss goal in mind. And as soon as I realized what was going on, it became intentional.
What changed?
2. I started cooking for myself more. Back in Wisconsin, it was easier for me to eat out, but it spelled trouble: suddenly, my own food was out of my hands and I didn't always know exactly what I was getting myself into. When you're the one cooking, you're in control. You know exactly what you're putting into your body and it's much easier to control portions. Leftovers go straight into the fridge instead of taunting you on the plate until going into a less-than-appetizing Styrofoam container. (Or if you're really lucky, a foil swan.)
3. I drank less junk. Like my food, I didn't really give anything up -- but the balance is much improved. No more afternoon Pepsis thanks to boredom, only one beer every once in awhile instead of several regularly. I almost never buy heavily doctored coffees (mochas, lattes, etc.) and I drink a lot more water. People frequently change what they eat but don't always pay attention to what they drink. There are more crap calories in a single can of soda -- regular OR diet -- than in some candy bars. And you don't usually feel full after, so you drink more without thinking about it. It's a vicious cycle and expensive in more than one way.
4. There was a fundamental change in attitude in play. This may very well have been the most important part: I decided that enough was enough. I was doing this for me and no one else. And I wasn't taking any shortcuts. There were no crash diets. I like food too much -- all food, any food -- to take on a structured diet. There was no South Beach, no Atkins, no eDiets, none of that stuff (I almost typed "malarkey" but I know some people have made those work for them). I had no interest in cutting out carbs, meat, sugar, or anything else entirely. There was no way I could realistically sustain any of that. And I didn't drop any weight suddenly -- we're talking changes of about a pound and a half a week, maximum. I am still being as practical as I can about any of this and it seems to be working.
I have goals. This all started because because my previous shape (mostly just "round") was limiting the things I could do. There are hikes I used to do regularly that took more out of me, and that needed to be fixed. There are future goals -- longer trails, kayaking routes, dress sizes -- that I want. When all else fails, those prevail.
That's just the way it is.
Here's the thing: I will never be skinny. I have long since accepted that. Forget accepted -- I don't even want to be skinny. If anything, I want to be Marilyn. I like being curvy and I like being solid. Both characteristics have served me well (and continue to serve me well) and I have no intention of giving them up. In the meantime, I am doing what I can to enjoy my life more, and for me that means being able to do the things I love without my shape getting in the way. What more motive do I really need?
Comments
Now I'm not about to say, "I'm not skinny" because by most standards, I'm fairly thin but I completely understand the solid, sturdy legs. I played soccer long enough and did enough gymnastics to develop in the same manner. Definitely be proud of the strength you have there. It's fun to know that you could probably out leg-press most people you know.
Cheers to you!