I consider myself in the maintenance phase of uncluttering my things. I have put off uncluttering another important area of my life. Its time to take a hard look at my inconsistent exercise routine, as well as what I eat. I'm not terribly unhealthy, but for the long term I need to make some changes. Anyone else there or have any advice or a success story to share?
Overall Rating: votes
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Posted 1 year ago #
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I think tagging what you want to do with "uncluttering" seems a bit off.
I suggest http://www.bodybuilding.com and http://www.active.com as great web communities dealing with the issues of diet, and fitness.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Perhaps, but in my view clutter is more than just a house too full of physical objects. Thanks for the links.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Mellie I just joined sparkpeople.com (it's free), and so far it seems pretty great. Exercise, nutrition, general health and other info, and very motivating.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I think this fits right in with a decluttering mindset -- decluttering unhealthy habits and replacing them with healthier ones. The two things definitely go hand in hand with my life. Focusing on one to the exclusion of the other makes things seem 'off' -- I feel like my life is headed in the right direction only when I have a healthy balance between them.
Posted 1 year ago # -
@Jennifer, I just joined SparkPeople last week, and am really liking it.
Mellie, for me, uncluttering is a process of decision making, and I've made some truly awful decisions about my health. Some of them led to emergency surgery many years ago.Whatever is weighing us down is clutter. Mental/emotional/environmental, until we make the decision to do without that particular clump of clutter, it remains to make our lives more difficult. I applaud your efforts.
Posted 1 year ago # -
MellieTX, your decluttering is right on! I think decluttering the home leads to decluttering in other areas; and for myself it is leading to decluttering some eating and health choices to better ones! I applaud your decluttering in this arena! Go MellieTX go!!!
Posted 1 year ago # -
For me, if I don't exercise regularly my life falls apart: a recipe for clutteredness in every other aspect of my life.
These are my thoughts on exercise:
1. decide what you like to do (walking, running, gym, swimming, aerobics classes, organised sport like netball, whatever). There will be something you enjoy, even if you have to try different things out before you work out what your preferences are. Do this bit first! It took me quite a few years to decide that aerobics classes are my passion, there's something very energizing about lots of noise and people around me all working hard, and there's a big variety in classes so I don't get bored. I have a back-up exercise for when things don't work out and I can't get to a class for a while, usually swimming or occasionally running. I get terribly bored at the gym, so it's a last resort if there's no way of doing the others.
2. schedule the time for it. This is why classes work for me, I have to book them in advance and put them in my diary, then I'm committed. When my kids were little I had to book them into the creche and that was paid for, no way of backing out then! If you decide you're going to take up walking with a friend/husband/relative, then book a regular date with them so you're committed. Or join a group, there are plenty of running groups which welcome all abilities.
3. if you're going out running or something which just requires self-discipline, get yourself all ready to go out, but tell yourself you don't have to go if you don't feel like it :) Once your shoes are on you figure you may as well go out just for a mile or so, and before you know it you've done 5 miles and are feeling very virtuous. Preparation of the physical stuff (packing your gym bag, whatever) leads to mental preparation so you get over that inertia thing. I keep my bag packed except for a water bottle, banana and clean clothes, so there's not too much to do to leave the house. Make it easy for yourself and you're more likely to do it.
4. enjoy the benefits! Feeling more energetic, sleeping better, clothes fitting better, whatever. Concentrate on the upside and that buzz you get afterwards, that's what will keep you going.
5. build in exercise when you can in little chunks. For me, if I have to go to uni I try to get the train because then I have to scoot to and from the station, last week I did about 7 miles in one day and it took only slightly longer than driving and gave me time to read on the train too. It depends on your environment, but there's usually some way of working in extra little bits of exercise where you can. Park at the far end of the car park and walk a few hundred metres more.
6. don't feel guilty about taking time to exercise, when my kids were little my dh would question me spending money on the creche, but for me it was about my mental as well as physical health. I really needed to exercise, and everyone in the family suffered if I didn't! Life runs more smoothly when you feel healthy, so everyone from your family to your employer benefits from you exercising. If it's something you enjoy then it can feel quite self-indulgent, but think of it as more of a necessity which you need to prioritize than a luxury :)Posted 1 year ago # -
Another vote for SparkPeople. It opens your eyes to the fact that the pounds didn't appear over night and so we shouldn't expect them to disappear in one go either. Momentum needs to be built and for it to be of any use, you should start small with only one single goal. Once that goal has become a habit you can add more but never too much too soon. Start with drinking eight glasses of water daily or ten minutes of daily exercise or something else you prefer. Bad habits are difficult to break and good ones difficult to build if bigger than the small ones I've used as examples here, so momentum is everything. Make a resolution to help yourself so you're better fit at helping others; that's what lottielot is talking about when describing how she took some time to exercise on her own even though her kids were still small. If it's good for you, it will spread to others.
There are many eye-opening articles on SparkPeople on motivation and goal-setting techniques that benefit even people who are dealing with completely other problems like smoking to mention one. Start small, build momentum and remember rewards too; mid-term goals achieved are the perfect time to treat yourself to that lovely massage you've been dreaming of or that skirt you now will fit better into or something completely different. My mom always tells me it's healthy to show a healthy level of selfishness and that advice is golden.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Two others I really love
http://www.bodywhiteculture.com
This one is a web community dedicated to body weight exercises.
Ross Training
This one is high athletically oriented on the fight sports side, I still think its a good resource of non-fighters. The site has a collection of articles on homemade DIY fitness equipment.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Ditto SparkPeople.
So far I have lost close to 15 pounds, dropped a pant size, and my energy has sky rocketed. All that and I'm just "practicing" right now. I made a few changes: cut way back on restaurant foods, sweets, and trying to avoid white sugar and flour. I'm also eating whole grains and trying to make sure I get all the fruits and veggies I should be getting in a day. That might sound like a lot, but it's been fairly easy because if I don't do everything right for a meal, I make the next meal better. I eat healthy snacks in between meals. I rarely let myself get too hungry, which cuts way down on cravings. If I have an ongoing craving, my 2 big ones are chocolate and french fries, I will have some, but a smaller amount than what I normally had in the past.
A few other things I do is have a salad before dinner so I don't overeat. Meal planning and having healthy snacks in the house is essential. If I'm cleaning and cutting up vegetables, I try to look ahead to the next day and make sure I cut enough for lunch and dinner. The biggest thing for me, personally, is that I have accepted that getting healthy and decluttering my body means spending more time in the kitchen preparing food. This is not a diet for me, but a lifestyle change. We allow ourselves restaurant food once in a while, and I try to plan for it. I weight myself once a week. There are days or moments when it isn't easy, but I try to keep my goals in the front of my minds at all times.
My ultimate goal is excellent health.
Long term goal is to have all the excess weight off by the end of the year.
Medium range goal is to have at least half the weight off by the first of July.
Short term goal is to get into the next smaller size jeans.Posted 1 year ago # -
I too have a membership at SP, and my plan is to use it more when I get home. I've been eating much better here, and I'm sure the fresh fruit and veggies are helping. All of the capris, etc. I brought are looser than when I came. I'm curious to see if I've lost any weight. I was down 3 lbs when I saw the GYN just before we left, and I see my GP on the 14th. He'd be thrilled if I have, as i'm diabetic and the meds make losing harder, yet losing would allow me to cut back on meds. A vicious circle, eh?
Posted 1 year ago # -
pkilmain, your hawaii holiday sounds like it is doing you so much good, all round!
do you think you will move there permanently?Posted 1 year ago # -
Mellie, I'd recommend reading Peter Walsh's recent book, "Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?" He correlates clutter issues with health issues and shows how to apply the principles of decluttering your home to decluttering your health habits, including weight loss, healthful eating, exercise, sleep, all that good stuff. The book is written in his characteristic kind, good-humored, well-organized way.
Posted 1 year ago # -
It's also on audio, which I have, and it's great listening!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Ah, who knows. We're definitely coming back - probably next winter. Everything right now is on old as DH's brother to whom he is very close has been diagnosed with brain cancer with a short time frame. We will be traveling a lot but not for fun.... BIL lives in Maine.
We have really enjoyed being here, but I'd need to experience it in summer - I don't do hot and humid well. Also, it's more expensive than Alaska. All up in the air for now.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I used and loved SparkPeople too a few years ago - but just recently, a user on this forum suggested Lose It! (also free), and I like their simplified interface much better and use it now. SparkPeople has a lot of great resources though, such as 7-Day Bootcamp Workout Plan with 10 minute exercise videos for each day - sometimes it really helps just doing something, anything for 10 minutes. I think there's nothing wrong with doing your own "best of" version of websites/books/exercise DVDs you like. And there are a lot of great goal-oriented programs on the internet, such as one hundred pushups or from couch to 5k.
When I lost a big bunch of weight years ago, it became clear to me that for me, it was essentially all about the exercise (it really set the tone for the day, made me feel more energized and even calorie counting was easier on days where I was active). I did my pre-degree back then, so I tried to even out all the sitting inside and studying with going outside and exercising, and it became somewhat of a reward for the studying. In hindsight I think that was a pretty smart thing to do, not only did I have a fixed daily routine, but also because nowadays I keep thinking "oh noes, I really should go to the gym but I really like sitting on my couch" instead of "yay! exercise time!". Hrmmm...
If you get bored easily when running (or weight training, or...), try listening to audio books and podcasts. For suggestions on the latter, check out What podcasts do you listen to? on this forum.
JuliaJayne, yay for your success so far!
Oh and also: lottielot, what a great summary!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Well done, JuliaJayne! I wrote my previous post and tagged it with most of the tags visible now (for some reason I chose fitness instead of exercise, which I can't explain since I never talk about fitness, hmm...) - all those can be summed up as the lifestyle change JuliaJayne mentioned.
When people start talking about diets as in the 'lose 20 pounds in two weeks' I feel so stressed out that I have to remove myself from the discussion; there seriously is no fast solution because what brought me into an overweight state was my mind and those crash diets don't take my mind into account at all, but leave me completely alone with yoyoing afterwards (the weight yoyo is extremely dangerous too).
So whichever type of program you choose, be it SparkPeople or another online community, the Weight Watchers even, it's about decluttering your thoughts and having some 'aha' moments. Lifestyle change is about building a solid foundation that won't tremble when the ground around you shakes a bit and this takes time (fortunately and unfortunately). Even when weight isn't a huge issue, changing habits still qualifies as lifestyle change in my opinion.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Thanks Trillie and Nina.
I forgot to mention that I'm starting off slow with exercise too. I don't want to hurt myself like I've done in the past when I'd let my enthusiasm get the better of me. I've been a lot more active these days because I feel better, and I've allowed some healing time now that I'm wearing the right pair of shoes for my feet. So, today I start to exercise. The plan is to start with all of the physical therapy exercises for a week or two. Then add yoga for stiff people. Isn't that funny - it's actually a website. Once I feel loosened up enough, I'll get back on the elliptical and add weight training. Those are the things I like doing, which I think is key -- finding exercises you like to do.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hi MellieTX, when it comes to establishing an uncluttered self-care routine, I've found the biggest benefit came from creating a spending plan for my TIME in the same way I have a spending plan for my money.
As JuliaJayne pointed out, better health being closely tied to better nutrition, pretty much anyone who wants to make a better-nutrition lifestyle change for the long term will need to budget more time for meal planning and food preparation. You can't get there with the Special K plan. :-)
The great thing is, though, that simpler food preparations (that often take less time than complicated ones like, say, lasagna) are typically more healthy.
Similarly, simple exercise solutions (the ones that are easy to do OFTEN, as opposed to the ones that require extensive planning and/or equipment) often work better over the long term.
I found that a few minutes of yoga morning and night; a few minutes, several times a day, of strength exercises; and walking whenever and wherever it's feasible have served me well in maintaining a relatively high fitness level while employed for 20+ years in a wholly sedentary full-time job.
If you make a budget for your time that accounts honestly for how you actually live, you should be able to easily identify the unhealthy habits or behaviors that you could cut back on to provide the extra minutes you need for exercise and nutrition.
It's really important to make it work within the context of your real life, though. Most of us are not in a position to say "I'm going to the gym for an hour every morning!" if we haven't already been blocking out - for some other purpose - the time required for gym hour + travel time + extra shower and change of clothes. That's why I favor at-home solutions requiring no (or minimal) gear.
Posted 1 year ago #
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