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Weekly Weigh-In 2006-09-24 September 25, 2006

Weight loss chart for 24 September 2006 All time weight loss up to 24 September 2006

A big thanks to Holly for commenting on my last (very much out of date!) weekly report. Your encouragement was one of a number of things that provided me with the motivation to get back in the saddle and get things going again.

Another interesting blog post that helped push me was TappingLuau’s How To Survive Your Young Husband’s First (Unexpected) Heart Attack. Scary stuff, and it makes you think about how your actions (or lack thereof!) can affect those you love most.

So what’s been happening? For the past 6 weeks or so, my weight has been relatively flat (OK, trending upwards very slightly). I’ve been enjoying some extra snacks and higher-calorie meals and not getting as much exercise as I’d like. I’ve been able to take the kids out walking 2 or 3 times per week, but that’s nothing like going for a half-hour run every morning when it comes to burning calories! Still, it’s better than nothing and at least it keeps me in a somewhat active lifestyle. The kids love it too, and we have a great time walking.

This week I made the decision to really try and get some good exercise every day. As we’re heading into spring down here in the southern hemisphere, the days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer. It’s now light when I get home from work, so most days I grab from one to three children and stack them into the pram (and baby backpack, if I have all three!) and head out for a brisk half-hour walk. The kids love it, and it gives my wife some peace and quiet after looking after the kids all day. It also means she can get dinner ready without anyone tugging at her leg or trying to ‘help’. So when we get home, the whole household is much more relaxed and happy!

I went for a 3 km run one morning, and was pretty surprised at how well I did. I ran it in 15:45 – I really thought I’d have lost some fitness and wouldn’ be able to even run the whole thing! It left my wife with a lot of work getting all the kids up without my help, though, so I don’t think that’s going to be workable. Several of the other mornings I took our eldest (G, 4.5 yo) for a walk. She’s the earliest riser in our family (5:00 to 5:30 most mornings!) and usually wakes everyone else up, so if I take her with me everyone else can stay asleep until we get home.

A friend heard that I was taking her walking in the mornings and wanted to jog, so she lent us her jogging pram. They don’t use it anymore, so I thought I’d give it a go. I haven’t used it yet (it had flat tyres), but will post back with a report on how well it works.

Well, here we go on Phase 2 of my “lose weight and get fit” journey!

Comments»

1. holly - September 28, 2006

Welcome back, we’ve missed you. Glad to see that you’ve stayed active, and that you are getting back to running regularly. I’ve started using exercise as a way to spend time with a few of my friends and my boyfriend, just like you are using your walks as a way to spend time with your daughters. Beyond multitasking, I like that it builds a new layer of positive associations with being active.

2. admin - September 28, 2006

I agree. If I’m going to incorporate exercise as a permanent part of my lifestyle, it can’t just be something I keep to myself. I need to set up routines and habits that involve the people in my life, otherwise I’ll just slip back into the old ways.