What's exercise to you?

Reading around other blogs lately it's great to see other's doing to be doing so well. I on the other hand am stuck.  Since January I've been yo- yoing back and forth between 13stone 9 lb and 13 stone 3 lb (83 - 87 kilos).  I was a feeling a little blue after my holiday and that was reflected in the scales when the vending machine sprouted a halo.  I binged.  Briefly! That's why I haven't posted my weight recently, since after getting down to 13 stone 3 lb before my holiday, it was depresing that two weeks following it I was back up to 13 stone 9 lb (88 kilos).  I was worried I was losing my motivation, and until now blogging has been a surprising way of keeping up the momentum.

But we all have our bad weeks.  It's just that over the last 5 months, no the last 10 years I haven't been able to get my weight below 12 stone 12 lbs.  I'm convinced that once I go through the 13/14 stone barrier it'll be plain sailing all the way. 

In relation to the diet, I have been back on track since the 'Raw' workshop, my weight, however, is completely stuck.  The problem is I see the hospital consultant in a couple of weeks and, although I have lost since I last saw him, I'd been aiming for another 24 lbs.  I'm worried that the binge will show up in my Hb A1c and have 2 weeks to push it down before the appointment.

On the whole, while I am quite satisfied with my way of eating (now I'm back on track).  Sometimes it's so easy I forget I'm on a diet. It is simply my way of life now and, at the moment, I don't plan on any further dietary changes. So, what else can I do to bring about further weight loss?

E.e.e.e.exercise.  It's not that I haven't been exercising, I have.  It's just that I haven't got any particular routine and it's no secret I HATE the gym. My routine is a stop/start routine. I have absolutely no motivation to get myself there and I recognise the fact the gym is *never* going to feature in my life.  But I do need to light a fire under my butt.

'Activity' on the other hand is a word I do like...

To clarify, when I say I hate the gym that doesn't mean that I hate activity.  It's just that I'm having trouble maintaining or integrating exercise with any regularity into my life.  A routine may be started but something always seems to get in the way, whether it be the weather or the dark.

Walking on a treadmill, stepper etc is something that, for me, has little point.  Apart from personal goals it doesn't really lead to any particular achievement.  It's not that I don't recognise its benefit, but I prefer to view exercise in terms of activity that has a purpose.  Expending physical energy should have a point; have an outcome, make a contribution, be a game, or be a learning experience whereby you constantly improving your abilities.  For example, to get from A to B, clear a garden, play tennis or a martial art.

Looking back that's just the way I grew up to view exercise - there should be a challenging element in it; place of beauty to see; plain fun; a challenge or adrenaline raiser; the next grade to aim for or game to win.  *sigh* though I'm simply too old to return to ballet. LOL.  Maybe yoga - hmmm now there's a thought.

Anway, I have made a decision about the exercise problem though - to go from A to B.  Now the weather's getting brighter I've made a decision.  So on a recent visit to my folks I roped my poor old dad in on my exercise plan ...

'Daddy, please can you find my bike?'  ... well I'm not venturing into *his* shed territory, and ... 'Daddy, can you mend my bike?'  .... no excuse for that one!

Apart from grumbling that the tyres would be rotten my wonderful Dad duly obliged and extracted said bike from its dungeon.  Oiled and tyres pumped up, I'm all set.  Once, of course, they've had a couple of days to ensure they don't deflate after years of neglect.

Ironic that the last time I cycled it was actually a two week cycling holiday in Holland.

So, the eventual grand plan, and first step, to consistently raise my level of 'activity' is to cycle to and from work!  It's not something I'm going to be able to do straight way though!  It's a long, long way to work!  But it's giving me another goal to aim for and I'll be able to make some savings and get my exercise all in one go.  Over the next few weeks, while we're having some beautiful weather it's my intention to get out in the evenings and re-aquaint myself with the country lanes ... sure going to beat my stationary bike.