Weight-Loss & Exercise

This is the second of my series on weight loss.  Below are my thoughts and ideas related to exercise.

Activity

• Exercise doesn't have to be working out at the gym.  As long as you're moving, it counts.  I like the gym, but I also make sure to jog outside, hike, play Ultimate Frisbee, play basketball, and play outside with kids.  Variety is actually good for you!  In fact, you shouldn't do any one exercise routine for more than 6 weeks or your body will adapt and you'll plateau. 
• Many people dislike lifting weights.  It seems too boring to them.  I love it.  It's like yoga for me, yoking my mind to my body.  I focus on my form and how it feels.  It's meditative.  If you think that it's not competitive enough for you, think again.  You're competing with yourself.  You're seeing if you can do more reps or more sets or lift heavier weights every time that you train. 
• I used to hate running.  When all of the kids would run out to the playground during recess, I would walk.  Since I got an mp3 player, my perspective of running has drastically changed.  I love it now.  I used it as meditation.  I always feel better after a run.  And I get to listen to my music for 30+ minutes! 
• I use SparkPeople to track my fitness minutes.  They have some nice reports that show you how much you've done cardio, and even one that compares how many calories you wanted to burn to about how many it estimates that you did burn.  Seeing those charts climb is also motivating (as well as showing you when you aren’t moving at all).
• A huge excuse for not exercising is again time.  I call B.S.  It's not about time, it's about prioritizing.  You could work out if you missed one TV show a day.  You'd have time if you played with your kid outside instead of letting them play by themselves.  If you got up early, you'd have no excuses at all!  I, personally, can't do that, but I assume that I'll go to the gym every night after work.  I don't, of course, but I assume that I will.  That way, when I get off of work, I don't equivocate on how tired or hungry I am, or what needs to be done at home.  I just go to the gym.  Obviously, I’ve planned for this and have my packed gym back in my car.  I also plan my weeknight activities around the gym.  If I have a meeting that I don't want to miss on Monday, then I'll skip a social event on Wednesday to make sure that I exercise at least 2 nights that week.  My goal, right now, is a total of 3 work-outs per week.