Weighty matters

ORN: 3K in 19:25. For the metrically challenged, that's about a 10:26 mile pace. I wanted to do an easy run since I have run thrice this week already and since I want to do a 10K tomorrow. Sunday, I will rest.

As my weight creeps back down to the magic number of 180, I think part of my success can be attributed to finding clever, small but numerous ways to burn off a few extra calories. Of course, there is my running program, burning an average of 100-120 calories per mile, and that is wonderful. But I've found that I can do more. Just a few things I am doing right now:

• Some co-workers and I go down to our gym and bike/walk/do stairs for 15 minutes. It's not a hardcore cardio blast, but it burns more calories that sitting at our desks [70-90 on average]. And we gossip, which is an incentive by itself.


• Parking in horrible locations. Usually, like everyone else, I park as close to my destination as possible. Nowadays, I park in distant corners and far, far away. Another advantage, it makes it easier to find my car. Because who in their right mind would park in BFE?


• Our laundry room is in the basement. We also have mountains of crap stored in our basement. Therefore, I make three or four trips to the basement every day. When I think to, I sprint up the stairs rather than lumber.

By themselves, none of these things amount to much. But over the course of a week, just the daily 15 minute cardio meeting with my comrades burns 350 calories more than I would otherwise have burned. That's 1/10th of a pound. Not much, but I'll take it.

Seek out new ways to burn off a few extra calories. Stand up in waiting rooms rather than sit. Take the stairs. Walk laps around the house during commercials. Kick it old school and walk to your television to change the channel, assuming there are buttons that permit this. Get a cordless and walk around while talking on the phone. Change the way you think and opportunities will surprise you with their abundance.


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