State of the body 2014
Oct. 15th, 2014 01:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yendi(Obvious statement is obvious: If discussion of body/health issues is something you'd rather avoid, avoid this post.)
So last I checked, I weighed in at around 205 pounds on my 5'8" frame. I'm not from the cult of BMI, but trust me, that ain't good when that's largely fat, which it is. Three+ years back, when I was first diagnosed with Teh Diabetees, I was at 218. I'd managed to get down to around 180 before things started creeping back up over the last year and a half.
On the one hand, that's still a good thirteen off from where I've been. On the other, that's a lot of regression. It's purely the result of backsliding on my eating habits. As some of you might know, I stress eat. And I've had a lot of stress over the last two years (and yes, I stress over my body, which is a fun cycle, let me tell you). I've still generally been good about desserts other than when I travel, but resisting food has been a losing battle all too often, especially during the day. And naturally, almost none of the pants I wore last winter are an option as a result, and the smaller (size L) shirts I'd been buying in recent years all now either ride up or cling to demonstrate my gut.
I'm not happy with this, and want to change it. But it's tough. When I was good, I managed to really routinize my eating, and somehow overcame the cravings. But nowadays, I just seem to give in almost instantly. It's something I need to work on, but need to figure out how to short circuit (and without any obvious sign of stress reduction in the near future).
It's not all bad, mind you. I still walk 6-13 miles a day (just think where my weight would be otherwise), and my calves are awesome, the sort that would convince a frost giant like Skaði to choose me in a convoluted husband-picking ceremony arranged by the Vanir. I suspect I'm at least a touch healthier (beyond the weight loss) than I'd be otherwise as a result.
I also started taking the belly dancing class a co-worker is offering. It's a short (five or six session) men-only* class that's not about getting us to perform (I have less rhythm than almost anyone you could think of, and although I'm reasonably well coordinated when playing certain video games, that fails at advanced levels), but it's an opportunity for some more exercise, and exercise that's using muscles I don't normally use. My long-term goal is to start doing more working out at home, and some of the routines I'm picking up here are helpful for that (and I've got a TV with a Roku in it in the basement; no reason I can't find a zillion easy workout channels there, too). On days I do at least eight miles of walking, I'm not going to worry too much about other exercise, but on other days (rainy and snowy ones especially, and weekends), I'm going to see about augmenting things here. Along with being stricter about my own diet and working on resisting temptation.
Anyway, that's the state of the body. Not great, but not apocalyptically awful, at least. Goal is to avoid that apocalypse for now.
*The other two students, though, are in much, much better shape. One's a rugby player, the other's thin and wiry in a way that I will never, ever be. Needless to say, they're both mastering the various hip movements at a much faster pace, although we all have our moments of utter incompetence; the teacher is incredibly patient.
So last I checked, I weighed in at around 205 pounds on my 5'8" frame. I'm not from the cult of BMI, but trust me, that ain't good when that's largely fat, which it is. Three+ years back, when I was first diagnosed with Teh Diabetees, I was at 218. I'd managed to get down to around 180 before things started creeping back up over the last year and a half.
On the one hand, that's still a good thirteen off from where I've been. On the other, that's a lot of regression. It's purely the result of backsliding on my eating habits. As some of you might know, I stress eat. And I've had a lot of stress over the last two years (and yes, I stress over my body, which is a fun cycle, let me tell you). I've still generally been good about desserts other than when I travel, but resisting food has been a losing battle all too often, especially during the day. And naturally, almost none of the pants I wore last winter are an option as a result, and the smaller (size L) shirts I'd been buying in recent years all now either ride up or cling to demonstrate my gut.
I'm not happy with this, and want to change it. But it's tough. When I was good, I managed to really routinize my eating, and somehow overcame the cravings. But nowadays, I just seem to give in almost instantly. It's something I need to work on, but need to figure out how to short circuit (and without any obvious sign of stress reduction in the near future).
It's not all bad, mind you. I still walk 6-13 miles a day (just think where my weight would be otherwise), and my calves are awesome, the sort that would convince a frost giant like Skaði to choose me in a convoluted husband-picking ceremony arranged by the Vanir. I suspect I'm at least a touch healthier (beyond the weight loss) than I'd be otherwise as a result.
I also started taking the belly dancing class a co-worker is offering. It's a short (five or six session) men-only* class that's not about getting us to perform (I have less rhythm than almost anyone you could think of, and although I'm reasonably well coordinated when playing certain video games, that fails at advanced levels), but it's an opportunity for some more exercise, and exercise that's using muscles I don't normally use. My long-term goal is to start doing more working out at home, and some of the routines I'm picking up here are helpful for that (and I've got a TV with a Roku in it in the basement; no reason I can't find a zillion easy workout channels there, too). On days I do at least eight miles of walking, I'm not going to worry too much about other exercise, but on other days (rainy and snowy ones especially, and weekends), I'm going to see about augmenting things here. Along with being stricter about my own diet and working on resisting temptation.
Anyway, that's the state of the body. Not great, but not apocalyptically awful, at least. Goal is to avoid that apocalypse for now.
*The other two students, though, are in much, much better shape. One's a rugby player, the other's thin and wiry in a way that I will never, ever be. Needless to say, they're both mastering the various hip movements at a much faster pace, although we all have our moments of utter incompetence; the teacher is incredibly patient.