Playing Outside is Good for Kids

I was walking in Veterans Park in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, June 12 of 2011, when I saw the sign above in the Xeriscape Garden. I thought bore some appropo information pertinent to my DurangObesity  Blog.

That pertinent info being that....

Studies show that kids who play outside:

1. Are healthier physically and mentally.
2. Do better in school.
3. Have higher self-esteem.
4. Have good self-discipline.
5. Feel more capable and confident.
6. Are good problem-solvers.
7. Are more cooperative with others.
8. Are more creative.
9. Feel connected to nature.
10. Are tomorrow's conservation leaders.
    

Well, I am a kid at heart, who spends a lot of time outdoors. I had no idea, til I read this sign today, that this is why I'm healthy physically and mentally, why I have high self-esteem and self-discipline. Why I'm fairly confident and good at solving problems. That being outdoors a lot is what helps me be so cooperative with others. And why I am so creative. I did suspect that being outdoors a lot is what makes me feel connected to nature.

Getting In A Comprosing Position Thanks To Someone Anonymous

I was a little surprised this morning to learn from someone Anonymous that someone Anonymous not only reads my DurangObesity Blog, they actually remembered what they read.

Below is the comment made by someone Anonymous...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 17: Do...":

Congratulations. I believe you promised pictorial evidence of a yoga position which was gut-blocked a few months ago. Well?

Did I make such a promise? I don't recollect. I have a really bad memory at times.

It is not an easy thing to do, to take a picture of oneself in a compromising position. But, I do like to keep promises...

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 17: Down to 179

Last Saturday I was stuck at 185. My goal for today was 183. I did 4 pounds better than that, shrinking to 1 pound less than my 180 pound goal.

In other words, my New Year's Weight Loss Resolution is now resolved.

If past experience is any predictor, I will continue to shrink, due the fact that the factors that have caused the shrinkage are not going to change all that fast.

I'll continue getting a lot of exercise. I'm not going to suddenly start going to restaurant buffets. Or putting melted butter on my air popped popcorn.

Now that I have shrunk to my desired level of shrinkage I am resolved not to let stress and aggravation cause me to forget about watching what I eat.

I have to say, this current bout of shrinkage went on way longer than I had planned. I figured by March I'd be done with it. I'd grown real tired of these Saturday morning weigh-ins. And then blogging about it.

Police Women From Around the World & America

No comment.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 16: Down 2 to 185

I think for the first time during these months of trying to shrink to 180 pounds, I met my goal for the weekly Saturday weigh-in.

I got down to last week's 185 pounds goal.

I am getting a bit bored with this weekly weigh-in thing.

Maybe I should just decide that 185 is my ideal weight and call a stop to this.

The lowest weight I have shrunk to in my adult, post-30s years, is 168.5.

In April of 2006, five years ago, I'd returned from a visit to the Pacific Northwest feeling very aggravated about how aggravating that visit had been. To put my mind in a better place I went on an extremely vigorous bike ride, pretty much every day. Soon I was shrinking.

That bout of shrinkage continued until July of 2008, when I shrunk to the aforementioned 168.5.

In July of 2008 I was back in the Pacific Northwest. For a month. And again it was very aggravating. More so than the 2006 visit.

In August of 2008 I returned back to my safe place, but did not react to being aggravated like I had in 2006.

My mom and dad visited the first week of 2009. They wanted to go to a Sweet Tomatoes restaurant. I had not been to Sweet Tomatoes before.

From 2006 til 2009 I very rarely ate in restaurants. Eating out a lot is a surefire way to weigh more.

After my mom and dad's visit I found myself re-visiting Sweet Tomatoes many times. And returning to my favorite Indian buffet, Tandoor, for the first time in a long time, with many follow-up visits. I discovered Zorro's Buffet. I had Riscky's BBQ all you can eat ribs. Twice. I discovered Town Talk, which had me suddenly having a steady supply of real good cheese.

By the time the New Year of 2011 showed up I had bloated up to 217 pounds. 48.5 pounds heavier than my July of 2008 low of 168.5.

Appalling.

I guess I am still aiming to shrink to 180. Let's make next Saturday's goal 183.

The American Cat & Dog Obesity Epidemic

All my siblings, but one, has at least one dog. Half my sibling's dogs have issues with being overweight, ordered by their vets to lose weight.

I got in trouble in 2008 for feeding one of my sibling's slightly chubby poodles a McDonald's cheeseburger. That poodle, his name is Max, loves McDonald's cheeseburgers. Max is not obese, just a bit overweight.

Also in 2008 the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) issued a report that reported that 44% of dogs and 57% of cats were either overweight or obese or both.

With this shocking revelation regarding all the fat cats, cat people apparently put their cats on diets, because the 2011 APOP report reports that now 55% of dogs are fat with 53% of cats being fat cats.

I'm guessing there is some statistical wiggle room in these statistics.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 15: Down to 187

Well, another Saturday weigh-in and again I did not hit my target of 185. But, unlike last Saturday, when I'd gained a pound, this week I am down a pound, 2 above my 185 goal.

Even though I'm not lighter, I do seem to be shrinking.

I can now easily do the Yoga Plough Position. About 2 months ago I was shocked to discover I could no longer get into that particular Yoga position, something that previously had always been easy for me.

I can tell I am lighter and stronger when I go hill hiking. I've been zipping up steep hills with ease. And not getting at all winded by the effort.

Most days in the past 2 weeks I've gotten in 2 swimming sessions.

So, I've got 7 pounds to go to get to my 180 goal, that, at the start of 2011, I thought I'd easily get to within a couple months.

During this current bout of shrinkage it has become real clear to me that the older you get the more difficult it is to melt away excess adipose tissue.

I guess the goal for this week will be the same as last week. To shrink to 185 by next Saturday.