For years now, I've been going back and forth with my mom about losing weight. She always says, "I know honey, you're right." Or, "I've been so busy." Or, "I know I just have to do it."
In our latest round, she bought a treadmill. My parents have owned a gym membership since I was in grade school. Mom has used it sporadically for the last decade. But, about two months ago she bought a treadmill. She swore she was going to use it. You know how it goes, it's more convenient, she doesn't have to leave the house, blah, blah, blah.
She used it for a month - maybe.
My frustration led me to tell her she was going to die of a heart attack. That didn't work either. I suggested, again, that she hire a personal trainer. Then she would be more accountable since she was paying money.
For some reason, that one clicked. She realized she had a gym membership she wasn't using and a new treadmill. She's been going to exercise class and using her treadmill everyday for the last couple of weeks. She complains she hasn't lost any weight. I tell her it's only been two weeks and to stop worrying about the scale.
I'm hopeful, but no overly optimistic that she will truly start exercising regularly. Operation Bootcamp owner Christen Lewis says it takes several months for a healthy lifestyle change to become permanent. She gave me some advice in case my mother strays again.
She suggested trying to change my mother's eating habits first and then adding exercise.
"Doing both can be really overwhelming if you haven't done either in a long time," she said.
She also recommended Sparkpeople.com because it has everything from meal plans to personalized workouts to various tips. The site also has groups so you can find local folks or people with similar goals/interests to be your weight loss buddies - online or in person. The groups schedule hikes, walks and runs together, among other activities, Christen said.
Christen warned, however, " (the site) makes it really easy to not exercise because you're chatting online with your weight loss buddies."
How have you motivated someone you love to lose weight?
Monday, June 1, 2009
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I wish I knew. My mother-in-law won't get off her ass for anything. She's wasting away. I told my husband the other day that one day we're going to go visit and she's going to be stuck in that Lazy Boy of hers, a shriveled up, atrophied raisin.
ReplyDeleteExercise makes her tired. Exercise means she'll have to wash her hair (WTF on that one!). Exercise means she'll get sweaty. So, she'll stick to her chair and her balogna and American cheese on white bread with spoonfulls of mayo sandwiches.
It's socially acceptable suicide is what it is.