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Tuesday 28 June 2011

Contentment

When I got home today some new sports shorts were waiting for me (eBay bargain, naturellement), they are just chuck-on for bumming around but designed for running which I thought would be useful later.  Anyway I tried them on, stood in front of the mirror and thought "I feel fat".

Oh well yes - what woman doesn't do that occasionally, whatever size she may be?   But in the next split second I thought "But so what.".  I know that at certain times I feel more fat/bloated/ugh than at others, all for the same poundage.

And I'm content.

Which means more to me than worrying about excess curves (is there such a thing?). I don't want to get on the (metaphorical) treadmill of forever striving to be however many inches / kg lighter.  Interestingly, I converted from knowing my weight in lbs/stone to kg when I started going to the gym many years ago. Now I hate the gym but am forever converted to kg; but measurements still have to be in feet/inches.  And in the States isn't it lbs and metres/centimetres?  how fickle we humans are.

So, getting back to the excess curves, it's not that I want to get any bigger, definitely not. Out of the females in my family I am still 'the slim one' but there is always the reminder it could all go wrong.  But I'm a healthy weight and as long as I'm maintaining that, or if I lose a bit Just Because, that's fine.  At least I know I'm getting exercise and I eat healthily - the calories aren't coming from alchohol and kebabs.


And I'm content.

If a physiotherapist ever tells me to go the gym, I will say No.   I used to enjoy it and know how satisfying the effects can be, but now I have developed a loathing for it. All sweat and no pleasure (ignoring the exercise endorphins). I'd rather get my exercise and strength from gardening, walking or cycling, or sailing once I get back into that, the view is so much better.  Not that I have anything against people who choose to go to the gym - each to their own, live and let live - and for some it is a choice of that or pounding city streets.  Not everyone has the countryside or garden that I am fortunate enough to enjoy on the doorstep.

So I ignored the fat-feeling, made a cup of tea and came out into the garden to write this and decide whether to mow the lawn this evening or wait until Thursday.

And I'm content.

5 comments:

  1. You can sail? Oh, I wish I was THERE and you could teach me how. I ALWAYS wanted to do that. Nobody I know would ever even rent one of those ones on the beach with me! Bunch of chickenshits I swear.

    "But we've never done that before". I was always like "SO? They give lessons. See all those people out there? They never did that before ... until they did". But it's always been a no go. Don't even have the opportunity these days, sigh.

    I'm with you, no use for the gym. I'd rather DO something.

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  2. Mustang - oh what disappointing people! and if there was a beach involved I bet the water was nice and warm too, I'd've come out with you :-)

    I just walked out to our local castle and back, on a whim. 25 mins each way on gravel - reckon that was a pretty good leg workout!

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  3. How neat to read something so incredibly sane and logical. For years i went to gyms, did classes etc etc. Going for a good walk is so much more pleasant - and I haven't put on any weight.

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  4. Hey Juniper just let them know properly what a slog it is walking out to the castle and back. It's a long long loose shingle bank. Fantastic views but it is sooooooooooooo long. Good for you.

    Do you think that wonder at how your body is recovering has made you more forgiving of the shape of it?

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  5. Hi Rosie, I think it's more that fact that I still have all my body intact, it goes back to putting things in perspective.

    The bank isn't as bad since they rebuilt and compacted it, but it is still hard work, you're right ;-) makes up for not having any decent hills around here!

    x

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