[Mister Bent]

Originally Posted by Medusa

Weigh-in today revealed a 7-pound weight loss.

I have significantly increased my activity this week. Before I started paying attention, most of my day was spent in an office chair - either at work or here at home. As part of my "reduce stress in all areas of your life" crusade, I am working 20-less hours a week at my job (still working 50 though!) which means I have more time for other stuff. Part of that "other stuff" has meant time with the treadmill, working on household projects, a little fishing (YES, I love to fish), and more general outside time.

I had thought that reducing my stress would mean hours laying in that biggo recliner that I complain so much about and reading or snoozing. There has been a tiny amount of that but I have discovered that I'm a "busy" person - as in, I like to be "doing something", whether in a chair or up around the house. I don't really know how to relax all that much by traditional standards so I've been taking advantage of my extra time and energy this week. It's apparently paid off.

I've been doing treadmill for about 20 - 25 minutes a night. I'll probably switch back to my bike this week just to keep it interesting.

That's great progress, and not so much the -7 lbs, but the ability to make the really important changes in activity and decrease in stress (which, ideally, will also lower your cortisol levels, leading to easier weight loss). I think that's your real victory - it's harder to make those changes than to switch from soda to flavored water!

It's no secret that I am a huge Weight Watchers proponent, and one of the reasons is because it is about behavior modification, not "diet." It operates on the notion that humans are omnivores, not designed to eat solely meat protein, or solely vegetables. It also emphasizes the importance of increased metabolism. It's why the personal points calculator asks how active you are during the day. Even standing most of the day earns more points than someone mostly sitting.

Household projects, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, mowing your own lawn, going fishing, even getting up and tidying around the house are all far more beneficial than sitting on the computer, or watching tv. "Doing something" ANYthing, is as important, or more so, than simply eating less.