Two-Pronged Attack

So far in my corner of cyberspace, I've been mainly focusing on food and motivation.  But while I was ticking off my second mile on the elliptical machine yesterday at the gym, I came to the startling realization that I hadn't said much of anything about exercise yet.  And since I know that it's everybody's favorite topic, anyway... I think I need to rectify that issue.

It was almost two years ago.  I had just joined Weight Watchers the previous week, and had taken their advice about food intake to heart.  And it worked -- I lost 7.2 pounds my first week.  But as I read through the program materials for the second week, I realized that just watching what I ate wasn't going to be enough.  I would have to start working my butt off.  Literally.  So I bit the bullet and joined the local Aquatics/Fitness Center.  I stepped onto the treadmill for the first time, set the speed at 3.0, and started walking.  (I know that doesn't sound like much, but when you weigh 350 pounds, it's an effort.  Believe me.)  About twelve minutes into it, the most wonderful thing happened -- I got my first endorphin buzz.  I finally understood why people put themselves through what I originally thought would be torture.  I felt like I could conquer the world!  To heck with exercising because it was what I was "supposed" to be doing.  What kept me coming back was the way I felt doing it.

As any military strategist will tell you, a good two-pronged attack is worth its weight in gold.  It has more than double the effectiveness of a straightforward attack -- due in large part to the fact that the enemy has nowhere to run.  Mixing exercise and healthy eating habits has this same effect.  Sure, you can get your nutrition in check, but more often than not you'll only see limited results.  If you're really serious about getting in the shape you want to be in, you have to work for it.  By taking this two-pronged approach, you're not only regulating the calories that go into your system, but you're also enhancing the way your body burns those calories. 

Besides, there are many more benefits to a good exercise strategy than simply losing weight.  The Mayo Clinic lists seven benefits, of which weight loss is only one.  The full list is as follows:

1. Exercise improves your mood.
   (Like I was talking about before, the endorphin buzz is fantastic.  But more than that, regular exercise will keep the "happy chemicals" more active in your brain.)
2. Exercise combats chronic diseases.
   (Exercise also works as an auto-immune booster, helping you to avoid the "occasional" sicknesses in addition to the longer-duration ones.  I can personally attest to this: in the two years that I have been exercising, I have only been sick once, and it was strep throat.)
3. Exercise helps you manage your weight.
   (Like the article says, this one's a "no-brainer.")
4. Exercise boosts your energy level.
   (The more you exercise, the more efficiently your body burns the calories.  It's like cleaning out your furnace -- it burns longer and hotter with less fuel.)
5. Exercise promotes better sleep.
   (There's a reason we say that somebody will "sleep well" when they've had an active day.)
6. Exercise can put the spark back into your sex life.
   (No, Mom, I don't know about this one from experience.  I'm just quoting their list.)
7. Exercise can be -- gasp -- fun!
   (It's true.  The key to it is finding something that you enjoy doing.  You're not going to keep coming back if you have to drag yourself into it.)

If you're not accustomed to exercising, I encourage you to try it out.  If you're thinking, "I've tried exercising before, and all I do is get uncomfortable," I encourage you to bump it up one notch (either in length or intensity).  You have to push through the "uncomfortable" part to get to the endorphin buzz.  But let me tell you, once you've experienced it, you'll get addicted.  Trust me.