Weighty issues

After staying at a healthy weight for a couple of years, I’ve put on some pounds again. Right around the hips and belly. That means my jeans are snug and even pants with an elastic-waist—yes, I admit to wearing some of those—fit but squeeze me in the gut when I sit down.

It’s really only a few pounds. Or, is it? I’m not brave enough to get on the scale. I’ll be weighed at our wellness screening at work in September, and with that a month off, I have time to lose the flab. At least that’s what I keep saying to myself, especially when ordering fries instead of fruit with my turkey burger.

Then there’s the issue of my gym attendance. I was doing admirably for some time—well, admirably for me, which means at least once a week, maybe twice. But I’ve gotten lazy and can find so many reasons not to go.

But I have a back-up plan. This may sound like pure rationalization, but I swear that I put in thousands of steps when I spend the afternoon shopping. I always park far away from the stores I’m visiting—mainly because I still think of my 2008 RAV4 as new and try to avoid dings. And I’m a fast walker. I’m also a slow shopper. Before making a purchasing decision, I have to look at practically everything available. That’s a lot of walking.

I’m also a fidgety person. You may laugh, but I did read somewhere that people who fidget burn more calories. If you don’t believe me, just type “fidgeting and weight loss” in your browser and you’ll see how many articles come up. (Most are years old, so a new theory may have replaced this one by now, but I’m sticking to this delicious wisdom.)

So these are my excuses for not walking laps around the track and doing reps on the hip abductor machine. I have a treadmill at home, and although I don’t hang clothes on it, it’s been in the upright (closed) position for at least a year. This is not my equipment of choice for exercise. (Nor was the recumbent bicycle we got rid of in the late 90s.)

Today was another afternoon of walking around the mall, after a hearty but healthy lunch with a friend at Stir Crazy. But still, the pants I tried on at three stores didn’t quite snap together at the waist. Or, if they did, they made my hips look like stuffed sausage. The good news is that when I tried a size larger (that is, the size I used to wear a few years ago), they were too big. So I’m not too far gone yet. It’s only a few pounds, and I can do it!

I hope this positive attitude lasts. In the meantime, I’m going downstairs to see if we still have pita chips I can snack on before dinner.