Exercise relationship (and food)

I don't associate exercise with weight loss--but then I don't really think of what I do as "exercise" either. (Believe me, no one else would either. Ha.)

My suggestion:

Think of yourself as a little kid, really think about what you loved to do, what was fun for you. Imagine all the ways you moved your body, ever, and never thought of as a workout or exercise.

I think of that as what I should do with myself every day I'm able to. It's almost...intuitive?

So for me, I grew up near the woods and spent my afternoons and weekend days climbing up hills and scrambling up rocks and building forts and hopping over streams.

I liked walking on low walls and holding my arms out for balance.

Jumping rope and hopscotch and hopping on stairs (hoppiness seems to be a theme).

Flying down hills on my bike.

Weird challenges with my little friends that involved body mechanics. I can't explain.

Mini-races. Obstacle courses.

Etc.

So, that's what I do now. I hike and ride my bike. I do planks because I like the sensation. I run, mostly in bursts.

If I could, I'd play kickball with people as skill-less as myself.

I have zero idea how many, if any, calories any of these things burn. I don't track any of it anywhere. Well, that's a lie. I use Strava when I hike because I like to remember the routes I took, I use it like a diary and note what podcast I was listening to and add photos I took.

For me, I am selfishly just having fun doing stuff I always have liked to do that allegedly has some cardiovascular benefit and keeps my body working and at a healthy weight and shape.

If I started using different words and an exercise-based mindset? It would kill all of this for me. If I so much as think the word "workout" related to riding my mountain bike on the trails it would be all over for me.

/r/intuitiveeating Thread