What I Learned On My Summer Vacation

First, some background: 

Facebook Entry: July 4, 2012

Much to my own surprise, the competitive spirit I didn't think I had has been awakened by a program at my gym. Although I didn't join the Spring Fever program for the competition (or rather generous awards), I've consistently ranked #1 since Day 1. Enter my nemesis, whose name I've smudged out. With only 4 days to go, we're running neck and neck. It's down to the truly crazy, like wearing my Polar tracking device while we walked all over Boston yesterday (including up the 297 steps of the Bunker Hill memorial). But -- it put me back in the lead. 

I am determined to win this thing now :-)

I titled this screen grab “My Nemesis”

Epilogue: despite my enthusiasm and determination, I lost. It was a combination of factors: an equally determined competitor who – like me – wanted to win. And late in the game, a dark horse who waited until the last minute to add lots of points (including one workout she claimed burned 2500 calories in a single day).  

But before I knew about the dark horse, and before I thought all was lost, I spent my last two days in Boston -- on vacation! -- attempting to regain my lead. Crazy squared: I walked 10 miles each day, an expenditure of 5+ hours and 2000+ calories. Had I entered the second day’s walk before we left Boston, I would have come in second. But clued into how to play the game now -- hoard your uploads until the last minute to confound your opponents – I opted to wait until we got to our family rental in Rhode Island, which promised an internet connection it didn’t deliver. I wasn’t able to upload my last day’s walk in time for the contest cutoff. 

Although I was disappointed by my loss, I was also surprised by how this competitive urge spurred me to increase my level of exercise. If you’d told me two months ago that I’d go out and walk 10 miles at a pop, I would have said, “Why?” Now I’m doing it at least once a week. In fact, I’ve upped the time devoted to exercise by at least 50% most days.

Other than discovering my inner competitive spirit, what did I gain from this experience? 

1. I’m capable of doing more. I’ve been exercising an hour a day, five times a week for three years (and regularly but less frequently before that). Along with a healthier diet, it’s one of the ways I’ve lost 40 pounds. Until my gym’s fitness challenge, though, I hadn’t challenged myself to go beyond my regular routine. Once I did, I learned I could do far more than I thought. (This applies to other areas of my life as well.)
   
   
2. I need to eat less than others -- and exercise more, too. Two years ago I joined a program at my gym called “Commit to be Fit,” a 12-week program of exercise and diet pitting teams of people in a friendly competition to lose the most weight. It worked so well I ended up participating two more times, and really cementing healthier eating and exercise habits.
   
   
   

   The worst thing I ate on vacation: the Boot Mill sandwich at Arthur’s Paradise Diner in Lowell, Mass. Eggs, cheese, bacon and potatoes on a bun. (We won’t even talk about how much wine and beer I consumed.)

   ---

   The program also included a test that confirmed what I already suspected: I have a low metabolism. My resting metabolic rate is only 1500 calories a day -- 1800 when you add in the average for daily activity. Through experience, I learned that number is closer to 1600. And to lose weight, I need to stay at the low end of 1200-1400 calories.
   
   So…to both lose weight and maintain that loss, I’m stuck with consuming fewer calories and finding ways to turn up the furnace. Adding an extra hour (or more) to my daily exercise regimen did just that: I lost 3 pounds on vacation, even though I was indulging myself more than usual. And I’ve maintained that weight loss since I came home.
   
   
3. It’s not just about exercise. It’s the daily activity, too. While I was on vacation, I traipsed around tourist sites, biked, hiked, walked and just generally moved around a lot more. I watched zero television and spent far less time sitting in front of a computer. It’s hard to maintain that level of activity since I’ve come home – but I’m going to work on it. 
   
   
4. Feeding the good wolf. I’m going to steer clear of saying “good” and “bad” habits and just say I have some behaviors that contribute to greater well-being and some that don’t. The option to exercise more only came about because I’d already made a commitment to exercise in the first place. Likewise, I don’t stray very far from my healthy eating patterns before yanking myself back again. And the very best way to encourage myself to continue practicing well-being is to remind myself of my successes – not my failures. Success breeds success; continually berating yourself for your failures just serves to keep them at the center of your attention. If you’re like me, that’s a sure recipe for bringing on the exact behavior you want to see less of.

As I took what ended up being a 10 mile walk this morning, I recognized the unique factors that allowed me to do all the things I’m writing about. This includes the privilege of being semi-retired, the legacy of my long career at an incredible company whose retirement plan made that possible. And being 58 with a grown child and no other household or family responsibilities.

I would strongly dislike it if anyone reading this beat up on themselves for not doing more. Instead, I would say practice your own well-being where you are right now. At another time in my life, that meant jogging at pre-dawn or working out at the gym in my office after lunch so I could minimize the time away from my son. 

And – challenge yourself as circumstances change. You might find yourself as surprised as I was with what you’re capable of doing.

 

Comments

[Sean Carter]

this is quite insight, thanks for sharing. I think i will incorporate some of your thinking and ideas into my next visit to the Destin vacation rentals that I enjoy so much. I always have an amazing time on vacation but I think this will help me create that balance of being healthy while still having a great time!

[vacation packages]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I cant believe you continued your competition while you were on vacation. I have been looking into vacation packages in Boston and cant wait to go. You make a good point about challenging yourself because I find that very important.

[biphedadrene reviews]

I definitely agree that you should "feed the good wolf," which I think a lot of people neglect when they're trying to lose weight.

[BarbD]

Hi Courtney -- Yeah, I'm not sure what the diet pills comment is about since there's nothing in my post about doing anything other than good old fashioned exercise and eating right to shed pounds and maintain the loss.

As to the Polar tracking device, I've actually found it helpful. Prior to using it, I'd track my exercise using various free sites. While I've never used calories burned to bump up my daily caloric intake, I found it helpful to know about how much an hour of a strenuous exercise class or 30 minutes on an elliptical machine might burn. These tracking sites delivered a higher burn ratio then the Polar device, which tracks my heart rate, by more than 100 calories in some cases. Having a more accurate picture of my calories burned helps me when planning for those times when I might want to eat (or drink!) more.

I have certainly not let go of all the less than healthy habits that conflict with my desire to maintain a reasonable weight, although I do find that consistently tracking my food intake and exercise helps with focus. Appreciate your dropping by and sharing!

[Courtney at RRI]

Hey Barbara! I don't know what that diet pills comment above is all about, as...I didn't exactly see you advocating any ridiculousness like that. By the way, are those Polar trackers worth picking up? I've heard a few people who really like them, but the price always made me a little nervous.

I definitely agree that you should "feed the good wolf," which I think a lot of people neglect when they're trying to lose weight. It's not uncommon for people to have ingrained bad habits around food, whether it's eating as a way to deal with stress or to get variety in their life or find connection to others. There's a lot going on in our minds and spirits that can conflict with our motivations and willpower, unfortunately. Understanding our human needs is key to making sure we keep the weight off for good. I think you'd be pretty interested in the concepts in the video in my link--it goes in-depth in explaining our needs and how we can replace our unhealthy habits with better ones.

Best of luck in rising to your challenges, and namaste!

[diet pills]

I wouldn't recommend using any diet pills, most of them wind up getting recalled or pulled off the shelves because eventually someone finds out that they cause heart attacks, kidney damage, or some other horrendous side effect(s).. . The only real method of long-term success with weight loss is self-discipline and portion control. With two kids, you should be doing enough around the house on a daily basis to constitute at least mild exercise -- I'm pretty sure after I had my daughter, I lost a ton of weight just from lifting her and hauling all her gear all over creation. :) . . I think you should just try drinking more water, getting rid of all soda and junk food that might tempt you, and make small changes to your diet. Switching out regular pasta for whole grain pastas, eating more frozen and fresh veggies instead of canned, doing make-ahead meals that you can freeze and put in the oven later, and trying to eat smaller portions should help you lose the 20 pounds you want to, if not more. . . I had to do all of the above stuff recently because my husband is a compulsive over-eater who enjoys candy, chips, soda and all that good stuff. Then he went to the doctor and got yelled at for being overweight. ;) So I can tell you first-hand that it's all easier than it sounds. We also do one vegetarian meal per week for dinner and try to keep lunch down to some soup and a cup of yogurt. I'm actually having a lot of fun with it, and hoping that the baby weight from this pregnancy comes off faster because of it.. . Good luck. :)