So,
we're almost a week in with the Wii and I'm still loving it - I've been
on it every day but one, and have managed at least half an hour each
day. Most days I'm doing it as soon as I get out of bed - before I have
time for the "can't be arsed" feeling to turn up.
It's
the first time I've begun to establish an exercise routine and enjoyed
it. I think it's a combination of things - the fact that there's a
whole range of activities so it's possible to do different things every
day (mostly I'm doing step, jogging, hula hooping, rhythm Kung Fu [this
one is a great warm-up] and also bowling, golf and table tennis from the
Wii Sports game) and the fact that the activities are fun, the fact
that the whole thing is bright and cheerful and makes me smile and also
that I don't have to leave the house or even put anything other than my
PJs on before I do it. It's not the same as having to go out in the
cold to go to the gym, travel for 20 minutes to get there and then spend
half an hour in a freezing cold air-conditioned gym, pounding away on
the treadmill or the bike. At home I can work my way down my first cup
of coffee of the day while I exercise, and when I finish I can get
straight in the shower and get on with my day. It's all good.
The
main thing this post is about though - activity points. Earning Pro
Points through exercise. My lovely husband and I are having a
difference of opinion over this. When I earn activity points I hate to
even consider using them on extra food - to me it's almost a challenge
to earn as many as I can over the course of the week, the point (if
you'll pardon the pun) isn't to run up a credit balance and then use
it. Carl is more of the opinion that if you earn them then they are
there to be used.
I know that all the Weight Watchers
documentation says that it's optional, but to some degree I feel as
though using the points on extra food almost seems to invalidate doing
the weight loss benefits in the first place. I suppose I also need to
think about the fact that exercise isn't just about accelerating weight
loss, but about getting fitter and toning up my body. I also have the
issue that I'm not always certain that I've calculated my activity
points correctly - what if I've not been working as hard as I'm meant to
or not doing the activity in the right way? It has the effect of
making me feel guilty if I use activity points on food.
I think perhaps I need to try to take a slightly more
relaxed approach to the concept. I'm never going to use all the
activity points I earn in any given week on food, but perhaps I need to
stop giving myself a headache if I use a few of them. So far this week
(since Wednesday) I've earned 22, and I used 4 of them on a snack this
evening (having used all my weekly points on a very nice lunch and
dessert in the pub on Friday!) because even having had a relatively
large meal at 7pm, I was hungry by 9.30 - probably connected to having
spent 40 minutes on the Wii this afternoon and then done a load of
housework this evening. I'm not going to beat myself up about it.
Does anyone else have a view on this? What do you do?
Same as you - I'd prefer to take exercise calories burned as a bit of extra weight loss rather than a bit of extra grub. Running a half marathon burnt off less calories than I ate carb-loading for it in the 12 hours before I ran!
ReplyDeleteReally? Wow, I never would have thought that! I think that's a good way of putting it "extra weight loss rather than extra grub". That sums it up quite well :)
ReplyDelete1500 calories burnt running 13.1 miles versus large pasta starter and main course, pastry-based dessert and about 15 slices of toast and a couple of bowls of porridge at breakfast the following morning!
ReplyDeleteI see your point - you learn something new every day!
ReplyDeleteMy darling, you have slightly misrepresented my view; I am not saying you *have* to use them; I am saying that they are there if you need them - if you misjudge the size of a portion, or if you find you *do* need some extra noms.
ReplyDeleteI see them as a safety net which means you don't have to worry so much, rather than another source of stress and fretting.
(Also posted on Facebook, since I think I'm agreeing with your mother).
Understood now - and yes, you were. I just couldn't see it! xx
ReplyDelete