Sunday, February 7, 2010

Shock the Morgan

Before I forget, I'd like to congratulate Sarah C. for winning last week's Progresso Giveaway. I'd also like to again thank Progresso for allowing me to review their products.

Now, on to the topic for today, which is the treadmill. I decided to take a spin on the old thing yesterday. A desire to workout is very rare for me, so the second the idea crossed my mind, I put on my running shoes and tuned the iPod to Lady GaGa. I didn't wear anything else- just the shoes and the iPod. Just kidding. Heh. I'm in a playful and sarcastic mood right now. Lucky you, huh?

"We meet again," I muttered as I walked into our spare room (aka "The Dogs' Room) and made eye contact with Mr. Dreadmill. Hopping on and plugging him in (yes, the treadmill is male, and no, I don't know why) I saw the odometer flash by. 846 miles. That's how many miles I've gone on that damn thing, and still have never left the house. I find that pretty damn awesome.

Ever since we've had it, it's had a built-in torture device which I don't think the manufacturer intended on. It shocks me. All the time. I'll be walking (or, in my thinner days, running) along, then I'll touch one of the bars and ZAPPP. It hurts, and I can see the spark. That's not normal, right? The warranty is long expired, so I doubt we'll be getting it fixed any time soon. It's not the outlet. I plugged it into a different outlet once and the same thing happened.

Yesterday I decided I could use the electricity to my advantage. Every time I thought of giving up early, I touched the bars. I'd see the little hairs on my arms stand up and I'd yell "Woop!" and keep going. Negative reinforcement SUCCESS.

Until it gets nicer outside, I'm stuck with the thing, so I may as well find a way to get along with it.

17 comments:

Ak said...

lol that treadmill really is a torture machine!

The Merry said...

I do like the fact that my treadmill (Orlando Manuel) gets me all hot-and-sweaty. Even so, it bothers me a bit that he just lies around doing nothing; never takes me out or buys me flowers or anything like that. The bastard.

Kimberly said...

Ah yes, negative reinforcement. How successful that technique can be!

MB said...

Good ol' shock therapy.

Monica said...

Me and my "dreadmill" are best friends. Keep up the great work! I'm proud of you for trying again!

Anonymous said...

Hiya- static electricity is a problem with most treadmills. You can fight it (if you want to...negative reinforcement is sometimes a good things :-D) with dryer sheets of all things. The things we all do for a workout!

Deanna @ The Unnatural Mother said...

It's like cheap shock therapy!!

Deanna @ The Unnatural Mother said...

It's like cheap shock therapy!!

Sarah Coulsey said...

You always make me laugh!!!


Please check out my blog. I have a couple awards for you!!!

http://sarahsblogoffun.blogspot.com/2010/02/so-many-thanks.html

Jess said...

Morgan, I was trying to find a way to follow your blog. Anyway, I'm kind of in your shoes, but worse, I think. I'm not at my heaviest ever but I've been back in the 200's 4 times now. But I'm here to stay. So let's do it together. I know you can do it.

Keep the shock therapy up. It'll be a good reminder to not quit :)

AMT said...

i've been following your blog for ages now (unofficially) and i just wanted to tell you that i think you (and Angie) are terrific no matter how you are feeling about yourself or your size -- and also that the treadmill at my Y shocks me about once a month and *every* time i'm surprised and alarmed like it's never happened before, which grows ever more embarrassing every single time.

Anonymous said...

Three times. Three times I lost over 100 lbs. And every effing time...

You know the rest of that sentence.

Started all over again two months ago. Three miles a day. Yesterday 5! Down 2 lbs.

In two months.

*sigh*

We can do this. (Repeat after me.)

We can.

C'mon Morgan. I hate staying after class alone.

Anonymous said...

Hi Morgan! If you write more consistently then more peeps will follow your blog. You have really low #s and I think it is because of the lack of consistency.

Check out some other weight loss blogs, listen to how their tone is upbeat and friendly. You can actually blog away some of your sadness!!

Hoping you can pick yourself up and get out there again - you deserve better than you are giving yourself. Have the courage to expect more - you are worth it girl!!

Anonymous said...

Hi again Morgan! I'm the anonymous three time loser from the other day who asserted "We can do this", not the other anonymous commenter who suggested you can increase your blog "#s" if your write more consistently and more cheerfully.

Sheesh.

No offense other Anonymous, but I doubt blog numbers are Morgan's priority at the moment.

I understand, Morgan, that nothing I write here can actually change you or encourage you to do anything that you don't already have a mind to do. I really just want to extend a friendly hand from someone who has felt (OUCH!) the sting of disappointment and self-criticism after regaining weight I had hoped was gone for good.

(Okay, technically, the weight I gained after every weight-loss was not the SAME exact weight as before--that just might make an interesting sci-fi story though.)


This time, unlike the other times, *grins*, I'm taking it S-L-O-W. Taking great care not to mess up my metabolism with drastic net-calorie deficits and extreme workout routines I can't possibly continue everyday for the rest of my life.

I don't care if I never get thin again. For me, thin is highly overrated (and makes me obsessive and compulsive, and then ultimately more depressed than ever.) But that's just me.

(I have nothing against others being thin or wanting to get thin.)

I just want to be able to ENJOY the physical activities I crave: back packing, skiing, biking, hiking and dancing. (All of them with friends!)

I want to enjoy eating really good food of all kinds--and not be AFRAID of eating or ashamed of eating or obsessed with food thoughts. Eating-wise, that's actually where I'm at right now. As of today, I've lost 6.5 lbs in 9weeks. No more big dieting highs for me, to be followed inevitably by post-honeymoon crash'n'burns. No more exercise programs that eventually feel like drugery--and that I have to MAKE myself do until one day I can't even force it on myself. I do activities, instead, that feel pleasureable and fun.

I don't KNOW if I will succeed at this transformation in the long run. But I believe I will.

By the way, I have ADD and chronic clinical depression. Weight loss and exercise do not magically cure these conditions (for me, anyway.) I'm okay with that. And I don't follow the "fake it till I make it" creed. I just want to be real. And create a bit more peace of mind for myself, and more peace in my relationships with others.

Thanks for letting me share here about my own efforts. I really don't want to take up blogging full time (but you wouldn't guess that from the length of my posts!)

Good luck! I'm cheering for you.

autumn972 said...

Okay, I swear that last post wasn't me, but it sounded almost like it could have been :) Thanks Anonymous (not the #s but the other one)...you might not think so, but it's heartening to know that 100 pounds can be lost more than once!

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