Skirting the exercise

What really gets you off the couch and into the gym? Excess weight, gut flowing onto the belt, feeling physically weak, getting bigger or plain killing time? Whatever reason gets you into the gym and for some exercise, kudos to you. You should be proud just for the fact that you are not one of the many who say you want to get there, but just keep finding newer and newer reasons to avoid getting there. I love Nike's new store ads where they show a woman running with the print reading - 'Someone busier than you is running right now. Just do it.' Fact is, if you really want to do it, you'll do it, whether it is at 5am or at 11pm. I guess half the battle is having enough motivation to do it.

So I ran into an old friend the other day (lets call him K), and boy, he looked like he'd packed another 100 lbs since I last met him. I dont know whether or not this is a desi tendency to put on weight once you get here (I am one of those desis too :P) but the least you can do to maintain atleast some sort of self respect is not give stupid reasons for that excess weight. So K tells me he's been concentrating on his career lately and that he's been eating a lot of outside food since he barely finds time to cook. Yea right! Like show me one desi who isnt serious about his/her career and show me half a bachelor who doesnt eat out regularly. Then, my friend, I will listen to your excuses. I mean who are you kidding - your own self obviously. As if that wasnt enough, he comes up with the kicker. He tells me it wouldnt take him more than 2 months to get rid of the excess weight. Hee-haw! Ask people who try to lose weight how hard it can get to lose a pound, forget 40. I, for one, have forever been trying to get down to the 170lb mark in vain and God knows I've been trying!

Hitting the gym is much easier said than done. Why take all the pain when you can comfortably lounge on your leather sofa and laugh your fat ass off watching re-re-re-repeated episodes of Scrubs and Seinfeld? Yes, your old clothes might not fit you any more - buy bigger clothes! You might look *really* fat in the mirror - stop staring at your own image Narcissus! But please dont take the efforts to get off the couch and into the gym. Your knees might already be in a state of atrophy and might not be able to support any physical activity. Rest is important, so is the double cheeseburger with large fries and a diet soda. Oh how I pity such foos!

So if you're getting whatever form of exercise regularly, cheers to you. If not, thats okay too. Go eat some more.