Comments for Hortus Deliciarum http://littleowl.com/heidi Heidi's Hideaway (now with added class!) Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:52:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on ExerciseFail by noirem http://littleowl.com/heidi/2010/03/10/exercisefail/comment-page-1/#comment-993 noirem Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:52:50 +0000 http://littleowl.com/heidi/?p=805#comment-993 Personally, I go swimming because I love to swim. I've loved to run, but that was when I was 50lbs lighter and less of my body jiggled. "Jiggled" mind you, is a euphemism. Jiggling doesn't hurt, doesn't feel heavy. I've jiggled before and it's much nicer than what it feels like when my fat heaves up and down when I try to run. But even though I love it, even though I have pretty much nothing else to do with my time, even though I know I'm going to feel better/more worthy if I go swimming, if I didn't go swimming yesterday it takes an effort of will to go swimming today. And if I haven't been swimming in a couple of days or a week, well, let's just say it gets easier and easier to "not get around to it." And that's the exercise I _like_. So I get the whole not wanting to exercise thing. I also get the worrying about what you look like thing: my mother once told me that I look like a pregnant rat when I run. Seriously. WTF. I've gotten the impression that my mother and your mother subscribe to the same "I'm doing/telling you this for your own good" school of emotional devastation. Anyhoo, one of my friends is doing one of those super-calorie-restrictive diets (which I know is the antithesis of everything you believe in) and part of the program is try and do 45 minutes of exercise a day. You can go to the gym or walk around the park or do jumping jacks in your living room, it doesn't matter as long as you get your heart rate up. It especially doesn't matter if you do it in one 45minute block or if you do three 15 minute bouts of exercise. Except her doctor has charts (which she wants to get copies of so she can cite the studies or scan the graphs and put up on her wall as an inspirational poster) showing that people who do 3 bouts of 15minutes/day rack up _hours_ more exercise week by week and month by month. Everyone gets discouraged or busy or life just happens and they miss a workout. But if you do three bouts of 15mins a day, chances are you only missed one or two of those workout sessions and didn't blow off the whole day and if you do miss a session, it's easier to make up later. Especially since, if you're just doing 15 minutes a couple times a day you're probably not making a special trip somewhere, having to change outfits and all the other things that go with a "big" commitment to exercising. I would bet money that this holds true if you're just trying to do 15mins 3x/week, rather than 45minutes once a week. If you want an exercise program that takes 15minutes and gets incrementally more challenging (at your own pace) without taking more time ('cause you get better at the exercises), then I recommend this http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/exercise.html . The page starts off with some talk about how exercise won't significantly contribute to weight loss (which you can skip), but it _will_ contribute significantly to quality-of-life. And with the incrimentally-more-challenging nature of the workout it's really easy to see how you've progressed and how you're becoming more fit. Standard YMMV disclaimer :o) Personally, I go swimming because I love to swim. I’ve loved to run, but that was when I was 50lbs lighter and less of my body jiggled. “Jiggled” mind you, is a euphemism. Jiggling doesn’t hurt, doesn’t feel heavy. I’ve jiggled before and it’s much nicer than what it feels like when my fat heaves up and down when I try to run. But even though I love it, even though I have pretty much nothing else to do with my time, even though I know I’m going to feel better/more worthy if I go swimming, if I didn’t go swimming yesterday it takes an effort of will to go swimming today. And if I haven’t been swimming in a couple of days or a week, well, let’s just say it gets easier and easier to “not get around to it.” And that’s the exercise I _like_. So I get the whole not wanting to exercise thing. I also get the worrying about what you look like thing: my mother once told me that I look like a pregnant rat when I run. Seriously. WTF. I’ve gotten the impression that my mother and your mother subscribe to the same “I’m doing/telling you this for your own good” school of emotional devastation.

Anyhoo, one of my friends is doing one of those super-calorie-restrictive diets (which I know is the antithesis of everything you believe in) and part of the program is try and do 45 minutes of exercise a day. You can go to the gym or walk around the park or do jumping jacks in your living room, it doesn’t matter as long as you get your heart rate up. It especially doesn’t matter if you do it in one 45minute block or if you do three 15 minute bouts of exercise. Except her doctor has charts (which she wants to get copies of so she can cite the studies or scan the graphs and put up on her wall as an inspirational poster) showing that people who do 3 bouts of 15minutes/day rack up _hours_ more exercise week by week and month by month. Everyone gets discouraged or busy or life just happens and they miss a workout. But if you do three bouts of 15mins a day, chances are you only missed one or two of those workout sessions and didn’t blow off the whole day and if you do miss a session, it’s easier to make up later. Especially since, if you’re just doing 15 minutes a couple times a day you’re probably not making a special trip somewhere, having to change outfits and all the other things that go with a “big” commitment to exercising.

I would bet money that this holds true if you’re just trying to do 15mins 3x/week, rather than 45minutes once a week. If you want an exercise program that takes 15minutes and gets incrementally more challenging (at your own pace) without taking more time (’cause you get better at the exercises), then I recommend this http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/exercise.html . The page starts off with some talk about how exercise won’t significantly contribute to weight loss (which you can skip), but it _will_ contribute significantly to quality-of-life. And with the incrimentally-more-challenging nature of the workout it’s really easy to see how you’ve progressed and how you’re becoming more fit.

Standard YMMV disclaimer :o )

]]> Comment on ExerciseFail by meerkat http://littleowl.com/heidi/2010/03/10/exercisefail/comment-page-1/#comment-992 meerkat Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:27:35 +0000 http://littleowl.com/heidi/?p=805#comment-992 It's like you scooped the thoughts out of my brain and just changed details like where stairs and grocery stores are! Exercise is boring and not fun and even the fun things become a complete chore if you force yourself to do them as a regimen. It’s like you scooped the thoughts out of my brain and just changed details like where stairs and grocery stores are! Exercise is boring and not fun and even the fun things become a complete chore if you force yourself to do them as a regimen.

]]> Comment on ExerciseFail by silentbeep http://littleowl.com/heidi/2010/03/10/exercisefail/comment-page-1/#comment-991 silentbeep Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:18:29 +0000 http://littleowl.com/heidi/?p=805#comment-991 Heidi, Well, I joined a gym last spring and I don't go as much as I would like because like you, I have major time constraints. I do like it but I wouldn't say I love it. I've never been athletic and I really prefer to be doing other things then excercising. I like walking though enough to do it semi-regularly - if I have some good music then I can pass the time fairly well. I do like exercise enough to do it because, I believe it has been a stress reliever for me. Not during the exercise but immediately after, my body feels better somehow. I sleep better at night, I have slightly more energy and I feel good physically. It's not a mental "feel good" it's a strictly physical thing. I have sedentary job at work and sometimes I sit for hours on end and this really bothers my muscles. I feel a physical need to move because my body needs the stretching. It feels good to move but just regular good not like "oh my god this is great!" Sweatiness isn't pleasant really lol Hmmm I think this "good fatty" stuff has to go and the "bad fatty" stuff to. Guilt and shame are so destructive especially if we use something like exercise as one more tool to beat ourselves up with. I know, I do it too with any number of things in my life! I have a big guilt/shame thing going on myself. I'm not sure how "anyone" does it but I think for me: I think that I try not to give excercise much emtional stock. The less value I give it as some measure of my worth, the better it is for me. When I make it a part of my life and see it as just "standard body maintenance" it's much more easier to do. For instance if I see it in the same realm with drinking water, eating some food, sleeping, brushing my teeth etc. and other things like that in terms of body care, it makes it easier to do. The less special it is the better. Heidi,

Well, I joined a gym last spring and I don’t go as much as I would like because like you, I have major time constraints. I do like it but I wouldn’t say I love it. I’ve never been athletic and I really prefer to be doing other things then excercising. I like walking though enough to do it semi-regularly – if I have some good music then I can pass the time fairly well.

I do like exercise enough to do it because, I believe it has been a stress reliever for me. Not during the exercise but immediately after, my body feels better somehow. I sleep better at night, I have slightly more energy and I feel good physically. It’s not a mental “feel good” it’s a strictly physical thing. I have sedentary job at work and sometimes I sit for hours on end and this really bothers my muscles. I feel a physical need to move because my body needs the stretching. It feels good to move but just regular good not like “oh my god this is great!” Sweatiness isn’t pleasant really lol

Hmmm I think this “good fatty” stuff has to go and the “bad fatty” stuff to. Guilt and shame are so destructive especially if we use something like exercise as one more tool to beat ourselves up with. I know, I do it too with any number of things in my life! I have a big guilt/shame thing going on myself.

I’m not sure how “anyone” does it but I think for me: I think that I try not to give excercise much emtional stock. The less value I give it as some measure of my worth, the better it is for me. When I make it a part of my life and see it as just “standard body maintenance” it’s much more easier to do. For instance if I see it in the same realm with drinking water, eating some food, sleeping, brushing my teeth etc. and other things like that in terms of body care, it makes it easier to do. The less special it is the better.

]]> Comment on ExerciseFail by Cairsten http://littleowl.com/heidi/2010/03/10/exercisefail/comment-page-1/#comment-989 Cairsten Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:53:25 +0000 http://littleowl.com/heidi/?p=805#comment-989 You know what? *Everybody* gets hot, sweaty, and out of breath on the stairs *unless they train on stairs all the time.* I promise you. Even when I was at my thinnest or at my most fit (two different time periods!) stairs were rough and I hated them. That's just how it goes unless you take the stairs as a matter of course several times a day. Find something you love doing that doesn't feel like exercise. For me, that's never going to be walking, running, or taking the stairs. Swimming (and diving, to a lesser extent) on the other hand ... in the water, I feel graceful, safe, and powerful. I love the feeling of pushing off from the wall, with tile under my feet, and gliding with my body held streamlined before starting my strokes. If there are rude comments, I don't hear them. I do hear compliments from other swimmers -- it's a matter of pride that I keep my strokes clean and my kicks productive. (Splashing is wasted energy that didn't go into propulsion.) When I'm done and I pull myself out of the water, most often I'm pleasantly exhausted. I go to bed still feeling the water rocking me, with different ways to improve my stroke or different tricks to master playing out in my head, not thinking about exercise at all. And if I don't have a chance to get back to it, it's *being in the water* I miss, for its own sake. I've wondered about tai chi and ballet classes as things that might give me something of the same feeling of grace and mastery on dry land, but haven't had a chance to try them yet. You know what? *Everybody* gets hot, sweaty, and out of breath on the stairs *unless they train on stairs all the time.* I promise you. Even when I was at my thinnest or at my most fit (two different time periods!) stairs were rough and I hated them. That’s just how it goes unless you take the stairs as a matter of course several times a day.

Find something you love doing that doesn’t feel like exercise. For me, that’s never going to be walking, running, or taking the stairs. Swimming (and diving, to a lesser extent) on the other hand … in the water, I feel graceful, safe, and powerful. I love the feeling of pushing off from the wall, with tile under my feet, and gliding with my body held streamlined before starting my strokes.

If there are rude comments, I don’t hear them. I do hear compliments from other swimmers — it’s a matter of pride that I keep my strokes clean and my kicks productive. (Splashing is wasted energy that didn’t go into propulsion.) When I’m done and I pull myself out of the water, most often I’m pleasantly exhausted. I go to bed still feeling the water rocking me, with different ways to improve my stroke or different tricks to master playing out in my head, not thinking about exercise at all. And if I don’t have a chance to get back to it, it’s *being in the water* I miss, for its own sake. I’ve wondered about tai chi and ballet classes as things that might give me something of the same feeling of grace and mastery on dry land, but haven’t had a chance to try them yet.

]]> Comment on ExerciseFail by mina http://littleowl.com/heidi/2010/03/10/exercisefail/comment-page-1/#comment-988 mina Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:48:11 +0000 http://littleowl.com/heidi/?p=805#comment-988 I completely agree with you 100%. I want to be a "good fatty" and exercise and include "loving movement" in my life.. but panting, sweating (ugh the sweating), and struggling to do boring and difficult workouts just do not appeal to me. I also feel like crap if I don't continue working out. The only thing I really enjoy doing as far as physical activity is swimming, and that's pretty seasonal unless you have like you said a gym membership or whatever. I'd swim all the time if I could. Exercise doesn't make me feel invigorated or anything. The only thing I like about it is a little bit of soreness the next day, I don't know why but it feels good :P I completely agree with you 100%. I want to be a “good fatty” and exercise and include “loving movement” in my life.. but panting, sweating (ugh the sweating), and struggling to do boring and difficult workouts just do not appeal to me. I also feel like crap if I don’t continue working out. The only thing I really enjoy doing as far as physical activity is swimming, and that’s pretty seasonal unless you have like you said a gym membership or whatever. I’d swim all the time if I could. Exercise doesn’t make me feel invigorated or anything. The only thing I like about it is a little bit of soreness the next day, I don’t know why but it feels good :P

]]> Comment on ExerciseFail by rebeckler http://littleowl.com/heidi/2010/03/10/exercisefail/comment-page-1/#comment-987 rebeckler Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:27:04 +0000 http://littleowl.com/heidi/?p=805#comment-987 I was suffering from tremendous, constant anxiety over the summer, due to many things, but triggered by working on my dissertation. I was floating on my back in Walden Pond, and I'd never felt so good, and all the anxiety went away. I started swimming regularly, and quit my gym membership. The music, the other people, and the equipment all added to my anxiety. I haven't been mooed at since junior high, but I feel the self-loathing, even during workouts I love, every time I exercise. It's a serious self-argument. "Stop that. stop that. stop that." when ever the bad thoughts come to me. Exercise for health and feeling good, I'm pretty sure, doesn't have to leave you gasping and sweating and red, and you sure don't have to do it in public. I think you could learn some good stretches, maybe memorize some yoga moves, and do that while watching something you like on tv for a half hour every other night or so. (I don't manage to do this myself...but it is an idea to toss into your repertoire.) When I'm really motivated, I do crunches, kneeling pushups, plank poses with down-dogs, and then stretch. In my house. And I have a smallish apartment. And you might like pilates. I find that working out at home helps me to forget about what others might see when they look at me, and with the breathing (which I carry over from yoga) it helps me to forget what my body looks like. Eventually, you'll come to like your body more and more...I love my body, at intervals. (full disclosure, I'm 5'2 and somewhere between 220 and 240, I'm not sure these days. Size 18-20 pants, 22 sometimes.) Breathing and using your muscles should be all about feeling great. Be willing to try some different things. You can't hate everything! (and if you do...well, just dance!) I was suffering from tremendous, constant anxiety over the summer, due to many things, but triggered by working on my dissertation. I was floating on my back in Walden Pond, and I’d never felt so good, and all the anxiety went away. I started swimming regularly, and quit my gym membership. The music, the other people, and the equipment all added to my anxiety.
I haven’t been mooed at since junior high, but I feel the self-loathing, even during workouts I love, every time I exercise. It’s a serious self-argument. “Stop that. stop that. stop that.” when ever the bad thoughts come to me.
Exercise for health and feeling good, I’m pretty sure, doesn’t have to leave you gasping and sweating and red, and you sure don’t have to do it in public. I think you could learn some good stretches, maybe memorize some yoga moves, and do that while watching something you like on tv for a half hour every other night or so. (I don’t manage to do this myself…but it is an idea to toss into your repertoire.) When I’m really motivated, I do crunches, kneeling pushups, plank poses with down-dogs, and then stretch. In my house. And I have a smallish apartment.
And you might like pilates. I find that working out at home helps me to forget about what others might see when they look at me, and with the breathing (which I carry over from yoga) it helps me to forget what my body looks like. Eventually, you’ll come to like your body more and more…I love my body, at intervals. (full disclosure, I’m 5′2 and somewhere between 220 and 240, I’m not sure these days. Size 18-20 pants, 22 sometimes.)
Breathing and using your muscles should be all about feeling great. Be willing to try some different things. You can’t hate everything! (and if you do…well, just dance!)

]]> Comment on ExerciseFail by NoCeleryPlease http://littleowl.com/heidi/2010/03/10/exercisefail/comment-page-1/#comment-986 NoCeleryPlease Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:57:18 +0000 http://littleowl.com/heidi/?p=805#comment-986 Time is an issue for you... or else I would recommend a team sport. Maybe when you are done with school? Now... I love roller derby. I love to play. I love the exercise. But seriously? There are some nights that I JUST DON'T WANT TO GO! But - it's a team sport. If I don't go, I am hurting the team, not just myself. So that gets me motivated to get up out of my cozy nest of blankets and get my behind to practice. Once I am there, I remember the part where I love playing derby, and I love the exercise. And I love being sweaty and smelly and disgusting - in derby, the stench is a badge of honor! (and a powerful weapon against opponents!) Time is an issue for you… or else I would recommend a team sport.
Maybe when you are done with school?

Now… I love roller derby. I love to play. I love the exercise.
But seriously? There are some nights that I JUST DON’T WANT TO GO!

But – it’s a team sport. If I don’t go, I am hurting the team, not just myself. So that gets me motivated to get up out of my cozy nest of blankets and get my behind to practice.

Once I am there, I remember the part where I love playing derby, and I love the exercise. And I love being sweaty and smelly and disgusting – in derby, the stench is a badge of honor! (and a powerful weapon against opponents!)

]]> Comment on ExerciseFail by faeri http://littleowl.com/heidi/2010/03/10/exercisefail/comment-page-1/#comment-985 faeri Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:50:36 +0000 http://littleowl.com/heidi/?p=805#comment-985 Oops, sorry, thought the stairs were at work, not at the metro so my suggestion was completely unhelpful! Oops, sorry, thought the stairs were at work, not at the metro so my suggestion was completely unhelpful!

]]> Comment on ExerciseFail by faeri http://littleowl.com/heidi/2010/03/10/exercisefail/comment-page-1/#comment-984 faeri Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:47:04 +0000 http://littleowl.com/heidi/?p=805#comment-984 How do I do it? I just make myself do it. Putting on my running shoes is half the battle, then I convince myself I'll just do a mile or I'll take it easy, then I carry on and I push myself because I can't NOT. It's mostly not FUN, though. It's really hard work and I often end up with horrific stomach cramps afterwards because I push myself further than I should. (I am good at the self-torture!) I do get a massive sense of achievement afterwards though, and it's the one of the few things I do where it doesn't matter if I'm crap at it (and I am) because I never thought I'd do even half of what I can do now and I'm still getting better. I suppose I am lucky in that I feel so much better about myself (and much healthier) if I'm running regularly. Does exercise never make you feel good? I have to say I still fucking HATE stairs and tend to avoid them, although I try and make an effort to use them more. Can you walk up one flight of stairs and then get the lift? How do I do it? I just make myself do it. Putting on my running shoes is half the battle, then I convince myself I’ll just do a mile or I’ll take it easy, then I carry on and I push myself because I can’t NOT.

It’s mostly not FUN, though. It’s really hard work and I often end up with horrific stomach cramps afterwards because I push myself further than I should. (I am good at the self-torture!) I do get a massive sense of achievement afterwards though, and it’s the one of the few things I do where it doesn’t matter if I’m crap at it (and I am) because I never thought I’d do even half of what I can do now and I’m still getting better.

I suppose I am lucky in that I feel so much better about myself (and much healthier) if I’m running regularly. Does exercise never make you feel good?

I have to say I still fucking HATE stairs and tend to avoid them, although I try and make an effort to use them more. Can you walk up one flight of stairs and then get the lift?

]]> Comment on Plain worn out by Teacher Mommy http://littleowl.com/heidi/2010/03/08/plain-worn-out/comment-page-1/#comment-982 Teacher Mommy Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:40:42 +0000 http://littleowl.com/heidi/?p=799#comment-982 Yep. I feel you. Though your Masters program is much tougher. But I had two kidlets--well, two pregnancies and one kidlet during that time. Does that even out? At all? I'm still trying to decide. Yep. I feel you. Though your Masters program is much tougher. But I had two kidlets–well, two pregnancies and one kidlet during that time.

Does that even out? At all?

I’m still trying to decide.

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