malleron

So, I’m taking another stab at losing weight. I think I’ve done just about everything at one point or another.

I did the “gym” thing. On my quest for slimness, I’ve belonged to at least 2 health clubs. They didn’t last long mainly because of scheduling. For single working mom-slobs like me, health clubs are sub-optimal because they are primarily geared, scheduling-wise, to singles without kids and stay-at-home moms with more scheduling flexibility.

I’ve done the “supplement” thing in addition to the gym. Again, sub-optimal due to expense and quality issues. My feeling is, if you’re truly eating reasonably and healthfully and exercising at least once daily for 30 minutes, vitamin supplements are overkill and will end up, literally, in the toilet. I can see using pyruvate or something to get over a plateau, but that’s about it. I don’t see value in using supplements long-term.

I’ve done the “food diary” thing. I’d have to say this is the most effective thing I’ve done while trying to lose weight in the past, and will be continuing this. However, for me, it’s only effective if it’s part of my routine, which means it has to be online and easy to use.

I’ve done the “diet” thing. The most effective “out of the box” diet I used was South Beach. I learned a lot of good habits that I still have, which is how I know my weight issues are from lack of exercise, not lack of good food. Also effective in the short term was the “Sugar Addict” diet, which did a great job of educating me on how sugar works and how to reset my taste for sweet things. However, in this renewed quest for slimness, I’ll be supporting my good eating habits with the EatingWell.com recipe site and cookbooks.

I’ve done the “personal trainer” thing. The first time was at a health club which added another layer of scheduling issues for me. I was already having trouble with childcare and traffic in just getting to the club; now I also had to compete with every other working stiff to get an after-work timeslot with the trainer. The second time was better – I contracted with a private personal trainer who operated her own training space fairly close to my work – but it was terribly expensive. I could only afford it for about 6 months. With the personal attention, I lost 20 pounds, but I reached a plateau after that that the trainer just couldn’t help me break through.

I’ve also done the “workout video” thing. Up until now, I avoided workout videos like the plague because 1) they were produced with all the production values of a porn film, down to the idiotic music, 2) they showcased people who looked great but never broke a sweat or ever appeared to be working all that hard (thereby underscoring the sorry state I was in by comparison), and 3) the workout star featured on the tape assumed I was as stupid as I felt jumping around like an idiot in front of the TV (“Don’t forget to breathe!”). To be honest, Richard Simmons treated me with more dignity, from an exercise show perspective, than any of the workout videos I tried. And he was entertaining.

Flash forward to 2008 and I see quite clearly how the exercise video has matured. Indeed, the only thing cheezy about them these days is how they’re marketed: primarily via infomercial. At any rate, I’m trying out the video route again because 1) the videos are higher-quality (no cheezy music or scary perfect cast) and 2) greater choice in terms of workout styles. I mean, it’s not just “Jazzercise” anymore – it’s now belly dancing, yoga, ballet, kickboxing, and hip-hop. And too, it’s not just mindless cardio anymore – there’s also focus on form, technique, and muscle control. And that’s aside from the mental stimulation of keeping up with faster routines that require more rhythmic coordination.

I’m using the Turbo Jam set of vids and it’s pretty interesting so far. Aside from the marginal frustration of learning the routines, it’s been kicking my ass. Twenty minutes of Turbo Jam and I’m sweating like pig. And though I’m sore the next day, I’m not pathetically so which is nice. And because it’s relatively intense movement, I feel good afterward and I’ve been sleeping better.

So, good stuff so far.

Like monogamy, polyamory can be quite rewarding and fulfilling. And like monogamy, being poly takes lots of work. In fact, a lot of the things one can say about being monogamous, one can apply them to poly as well. Neither arrangement is easy - they both require lots of patience, determination, and of course love. And neither arrangement is for everyone - we’re all wired differently, we all need different things from others, including our dearest ones. So, one arrangement isn’t better or worse than the other, in objective terms, it’s just different. Both should be respected as valid and neither one should be favored above another. (Now if only the government could see it this way.)

Thank all the gods for stock options. I got some when I started working for my current company and the stock finally did well enough for me to cash in. So, I took half my options, did a same-day sale and paid off everything. I had about $6K in never-decreasing debt and now it’s GONE. Hurray!! Now I just have to make sure I don’t rack more up in my relief. And I have to set some rules about when to take on even a little debt and how to get rid of it as soon as possible.

One rule I have now is to save up for something before I put it on the card. So, that means putting however much (say, $1500 for a new couch) in a savings account. Then when I put the item on my card, I can just transfer the money in the savings account and pay the card off immediately.

If for some reason I can’t save up first (like, my car breaks down and I need repairs NOW), then I split the total up into amounts that take no longer than 6 months to pay off. So, a big thing like major car repairs won’t haunt me forever and it won’t take a huge chunk out of my budget.

Now maybe my credit rating will finally improve.