During this time of year it seems as if someone is throwing diet and exercise information at us every time we turn around (which, by the way, burns .00324 calories).
In the past, it was generally accepted that if you wanted to trim down a bit, you simply had to eat a little less and exercise a little more. Nowadays, we can see the obvious flaw in this system. No one can make money from it.
Before you start shedding cash in order to shed pounds, here’s what you need to know:
Home Gym Systems
Many experts say that exercising at home can be fun and easy. We do not believe them, of course. However, if you are planning to buy home gym equipment, it’s important to choose something that will suit your lifestyle in the long term. Ask yourself: “Will this Nautilus® E514 Elliptical Trainer be good for hanging clothes on come March when I don’t want to see it again?”
Gym memberships
Choosing a gym you will actually use is all about location. I myself always choose something near a doughnut shop. That way I can announce, “I’m going to the gym” as I head out for a French cruller. You may want to consider hiring a personal trainer. These are people whose job is to make you hurt in every area of your body. If they wore leather boots, it would probably be illegal.
Exercise/diet books
Bookstore shelves are crammed with helpful titles such as Taylor Swift’s Guide to Perfectly Toned Thighs (“Be 20 years old.”) or The Miracle of Losing Weight by Never Eating Again. Diet books can be very useful, but only if what you use them for is to strap them to your ankles on long walks. Otherwise, they simply take up valuable desk space, which you’ll need for the lamp you fashion out of your unused Ab-buster.
My choice? This year, I think I’ll try exercising my common sense instead of my credit card. I’m going to walk a little more, eat my veggies and cut down (but not out) on chips and sweets. Will I be thin in 2010? Maybe. But the advice I’m going with is this:
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body; but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, chai in the other, body totally worn out, screaming ‘Woo hoo, what a ride!’”
