Weight problems

[David]

Originally Posted by sparky

I did hate it for awhile. Until I found things to do that I really like. I hate stationary bikes. I did those things for YEARS. Now I ride on the road, which I love.

I bought myself a mountain bike at Target for $100 & now I take it over to Irvine Regional Park & ride the paved trails--miles of them. I totally dig it. It's totally therapeutic. It makes me feel like a 12-year-old again (when I was a kid, I LIVED on my bike). This park is amazing. I ride through its vast expanse & I think: "Hey, the government actually IS good for something!"

I swim a mile or more and I leave that pool feeling full of energy and on top of the world.

I don't think I have swum a whole mile since I did the Mile Swim BSA up at Lake Arrowhead when I was a teenager! I remember being extremely exhausted after that but also elated. It's a very alluring feeling when those endorphins are mixing up with muscle exhaustion. The effect is giggly, like being tickled. It reminds me of Pauline Kael's line about the old "Willie Wonka" movie: "It's stilted & frenetic, like Prussians at play."

[skcin]

I don't swim. Well, I mean, I can, but not well. I like it & everything, but I don't have good form, good breathing technique, etc. So I don't swim for exercise, only for fun.

I can't run. My husband says I look ridiculous (I do), I'm not very coordinated and one of my legs is slightly shorter than the other, so running doesn't work out that well. Boy, I just painted a real purty picture of myself, huh? Biking is OK, I don't ride too much anymore though. As far as outdoor stuff, I like to walk really fast, preferably with a friend - or the dog! Get a 75 pound Boxer to pull you around, now that's a workout!

As far as cardio machines, stationary bikes are OK, but you really don't burn many calories. Treadmills - I feel like I should be outside walking & enjoying nature instead of running on a belt. Oh, and I tend to trip on them (short leg again.) But I love the elliptical. Absolutely love it. It burns calories & works your entire body if you use the arm thingys.

[sparky]

Originally Posted by David

I bought myself a mountain bike at Target for $100 & now I take it over to Irvine Regional Park & ride the paved trails--miles of them. I totally dig it. It's totally therapeutic. It makes me feel like a 12-year-old again (when I was a kid, I LIVED on my bike). This park is amazing. I ride through its vast expanse & I think: "Hey, the government actually IS good for something!"

That sounds beautiful. I don't have a mountain bike, but still get to see some beautiful scenery in Griffith Park and the mountains above Glendale.

I don't think I have swum a whole mile since I did the Mile Swim BSA up at Lake Arrowhead when I was a teenager! I remember being extremely exhausted after that but also elated. It's a very alluring feeling when those endorphins are mixing up with muscle exhaustion. The effect is giggly, like being tickled. It reminds me of Pauline Kael's line about the old "Willie Wonka" movie: "It's stilted & frenetic, like Prussians at play."

It is an exquisite rush.

Ultimately the only way I have been able to become so dedicated to working out is by redefining how I think about myself. I am not a guy trying to stay in shape and get stronger. I am a swimmer. I am a cyclist. I am a reluctant runner. It's all become part of how I define myself. Just one more part of my regular life.