This is new to me. Blogging, that is. I have one previous failed attempt that consisted of one posting. But I have put a tremendous amount of importance in this journey I am about to begin. Perhaps if someone is reading this, I will feel a sense of accountability to follow through. Perhaps there is someone out there like me that might relate to my stumbling attempt to not just regain something I've lost, but hopefully find myself to be a much improved version of what was. Background (the short version) After spending my entire adult life working for a large local company, I find myself unemployed, unmotivated, physically unfit, and not so happy. In addition to "killing" the couch potato I have become in the year and a half since I was "somebody", I am determined to find the pieces of me that I used to be. There were actually pieces that I really liked. A lot.
Why death of a couch potato? I've been reading a lot about couch potatoes and none of it is good. Studies show that a sedentary lifestyle causes more deaths than smoking. Well...dang, that's depressing. So I ask myself, have I really become a certified couch potato? Here's an excerpt of an article from "Quality Health" titled "Six Surefire Signs You're a Couch Potato"...
1. You're not active. It may sound redundant, but being inactive during a large portion of your day qualifies you as a couch potato. According to the National Institutes for Health, about 59 percent of adults do no vigorous physical activity in their leisure time. 2. You make excuses. We've heard them before: "I'm too tired after work," or "I don't have the time," or "it costs too much." These are three commonly used excuses to not workout. 3. You watch too much TV. How much is too much? More than 60 percent of people who have signed up with the National Weight Control Registry (who, on average, have lost 66 pounds and kept it off for more than five years), say that they watch less than 10 hours of TV per week. 4. Exercise "overwhelms" you. Some people may not exercise because they feel overwhelmed. They say they don't know enough about working out, believe they're too far gone in their inactivity, or think they're too old to start exercising. 5. You avoid work. Work is not just limited to the job you're paid to do. Work can be anything needing mental, emotional, or physical effort--mowing the lawn, going for a run, or paying the bills. If you find yourself procrastinating, avoiding work in order to relax, your passivity may actually be slothfulness. 6. You leave tasks unfinished. Is the garage still half cleaned? Still meaning to put up that hammock? Leaving projects half-done is an indication of being passive, which often lends itself to the couch potato lifestyle. Studies conducted at De Paul University in Chicago and Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, found that those who chronically procrastinate are more likely to develop colds and flu and gastrointestinal problems. What's more, procrastinators were more likely to have insomnia.
So it's official...I am a Couch Potato. But that was today.
Tomorrow will be better.
