WE are our own enemies

My weight was between 98 to 100 pound when I was a teenager.  I know some people would think that I am far away from being fat.  But I was still chubby compare to some girls in my school. 

Well, the facts that I didn't fully understand how important image is for a teenage girl until 22, my hair was as short as my brothers, I would skip classes to play basketball until I dropped, and treated myself a big meal packed with lots of meat.....I had lots of friends but I was totally not in the game of love when I was young.


Wait, what did we learn here?  ---You can't lose weight if you don't manage your stomach, no matter how much exercise you do.  

I didn't realize that until I got my heart broken the first time.  My boyfriend kicked me out of the apartment.  I moved to another city, far away from him, I was all alone and miserable.  Because I was too sad to eat anything, I lost 10 pound in a month.

Fortunately, I didn't quit exercise when I was down.  It helped me to recover and feel happier in about  couple months, then I was back to be my old self again.
 
I have to say, that unfortunate event dramatically reduced my appetite.  I feel full just to eat half of the amount I used to, and the same time I keep myself physically active.  I never gain any weight after that.

But things have changed quite a bit after college.  First, I lost my sport buddies to the reality called “work” and “mate hunting”;  then I turned 27!  27 is still a young age, but 30 is just around the corner.  At this time, I've noticed the energy in my body decreased, but everything is still good.

Between college graduation and age of 27, it was still quite easy to manage my weight.  Although the amount of exercise I've done at that time was reduced to just 3 hours a week on a running machine.  Since my appetite remained the same,  weight management was my last concern.

By the way, I never like to work out in any gym.  I wonder how many people are just like me.  I prefer to play sports that require different number of people, like volleyball and basketball.  It's so much enjoyable for me to hang out with friends and to be active the same time.  If I can't find anyone, I would rather to take a long walk to coffee shops and malls.

Until a relocation to southern Illinois in late 2008, I moved into a farm house that is surrounded by acres and acres of corns and other crops that I couldn't recognize.  There is no gym anywhere within 70 miles, no shops to walk to, I don't see anybody during the day.  Although I love the quietness of the countryside , it was still a lifestyle I find hard to adopt at that time. 

Beside housework, the time I spent on working out is about 30 minutes a week!  But my weight stayed the same, sometimes I even lost weight. 

Since I stayed indoor most of my time in the farm house, thanks to the DVD delivery service provided by Blockbuster, I would rent several work out DVD, tried them all out, and made copies of the ones that I like.  I've save time and money from not going to the gym, not a bad idea. 

I know some of my friends would eat when they are bored or when they watch TV at night.  I do that sometimes, and I find out that the longer I stay up at night, the more chances I am gonna find yourself digging in my pantry for snacks, and perhaps feeling sorry for myself.

Yes, WE are our own enemies.