KICKINGS OF THE BUTTS

Here is a great story about a great kid who has taken on not only the nutritionally questionable lunches her Scottish school serves, but the politicians who tried to shut her up. Nine-year-old Martha Payne has a blog called Never Seconds. Every day she takes a photo of her lunch and writes about it. It's not always questionable --- sometimes she quite enjoys it --- but she is quite the health conscious young lady. Her blog has gotten quite a bit of press, which annoyed the authorities, who didn't take kindly to criticism of the school's food. They forbade Martha to photograph her food or even bring a camera to school. But Martha has a lot of fans --- among them celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, famous for championing reforms in school food -- and has prevailed! You can read about the whole brou-ha-ha by clicking the link above. (Incidentally, young Martha has also used her blog's following to raise awareness and funds for Mary's Meals, a UK- based charity that sets up school feeding projects globally. Some kid, right?).

Meanwhile, back in the States, I went to my Fit Club pals and appealed for an intervention. (Fit Club is a private FaceBook group, composed largely of other performers, to provide support and encouragement for each person's pursuit of health). I hadn't posted there in a while because frankly, my eating here in Princeton has been, overall, terrible. No one really had anything new to offer, but that's beside the point --- sometimes, you just need someone to tell you to put down the Twinkie, get off your butt, and get back to work. Lovingly, of course. Sometimes, you just need someone to tell you again what you already know, much in the way kids like to hear the same bedtime stories again and again.

I needed a butt-kicking, for sure.

One thing I figured out a long time ago is that for me to exercise regularly, it's got to be convenient and it's got to be interesting. And also, that it's got to come to me in a pre-formulated plan. When it comes to workouts, I need a boss to tell me what to do and how much of it to do.  That's why things like P90X and classes at the gym, or personal training, have worked so well for me in the past.
I guess I've just already got so much going on in my life that I have to be in charge of and make lots of minute decisions about; when it comes to workouts, I just want to show up and do the work I'm given. There's a gym in the house where I'm staying right now. I could go down there and lift weights, do some time on the elliptical. But I'm bored with that and besides, I want to know exactly what I should do. I liked the High Intensity Interval training I did with Harrison a few weeks ago; I'd love to find an online program for that.

The same is true for food. The Beck Diet Solution did wonders for me but at some point its magic wore off, and I have never been able to get wholly back on the program. I always said I did not want to count calories or points, but now I'm wondering if it's time to try that again, or if I should stick to my guns and simply go back to what I know worked in the past.

Questions I don't have answers for right now. But today, I am grateful for friends who offer up gentle butt kickings and advice on request, and it did help. I've done better the last couple of days.  And for now, I think the important thing is not to figure out THE plan, but A plan for tomorrow.

So. That's what I'll do.

 

 

 

Comments

[Cindy]

Thank you, Marta! I do think it's very important to be frank about the struggles as well as the successes. Most of what we see in the media is so neatly packaged as "happily ever after", and that's just not the way it is ... see today's post! ;)

[Natalie and Arnie Spitzer]

Trying to find the eating program that works is a difficult thing to do. Some are able to do it with an organized group i.e. Weight Watchers. Others find that an individualized "diet" works best.

I have tried many organized programs and all have "worked" in that I have lost weight on them. However, long term they don't or haven't worked for me. Now I have embarked on my own program that allows me to eat what I want but in smaller quantities. So far it's working well.

It is unrealistic to think that you will not be put in temptation's way unless you want to be a hermit. There will always be times you have not prepared for that could potentially sabotage your plans. The main thing is not to despair but to continue on and persevere.

[Marta]

I love your blog and always look for it. I've been following it since the NYTimes video, etc. I hugely appreciate your everyday struggles and honesty. Your a truly sui generis.
Just wanted you to know. Keep on going.