Exercise

I read a really interesting article yesterday, Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin. The premise is that 1) bursts of intense energy aren't enough to burn lots of calories, 2) you're more likely to indulge in high calorie foods after an intense workout, and 3) you're less likely to be active outside the gym. Aerobic exercise is great for your heart and even your mind, but it doesn't necessarily help you lose weight. What seems to be more effective is frequent activity throughout the day.

Here's where the forehead slap comes in. How many times have I said that I was at my healthiest/skinniest after I came back from Switzerland, because while I was there, I never stopped moving? Walking everywhere, chasing the kids, running up & down stairs, hanging up & taking down laundry--I rarely sat down during the day except for meals, and maybe to polish shoes or silver.

I know this stuff, intellectually. But it hasn't changed how I'm living now. I am very sedentary. I spend most of my time on the computer, reading, or watching TV at night. So now I'm trying to be more active even while I'm at home. I did three loads of laundry yesterday, and instead of having the kids take the clothes from the washer to the dryer (they're on opposite sides of the basement--don't ask) and bring the dry laundry upstairs, I did it solo. Instead of not going downstairs for days on end, I'm going to make it a goal to go up and down the stairs at least three times a day (and actually work down there on those trips--bonus!). It's still too cold for outside walks, so I'll try to do 15 - 20 minutes on the Wii twice each day, instead of just once. I'm not as concerned with intensity as I am with frequency and total time.