Help Wanted: Kick in Pants

Sunsh1ne

I've been on a slow but steady downhill since I got home for the summer. I couldn't find a job (and trust me, I looked - no one is hiring around here.) and therefore my parents have been working me full time as cook, maid, secretary and gardener. It's a reasonable trade, but I have a poor relationship with my parents and I've just been letting it drag me down. I need to find my motivation! I was half a pound away from my next goal and then I gained almost three pounds back. Help! What do you do to reboot?

bjberry

Bummer! Jobs are so hard to find! Have you considered taking President Obama up on his offer to pay thousands of dollars toward your college degree during this windfall free time? It is the perfect time and the college admin offices probably know how to put in the right paperwork for the classes and tuition.

That said, When you garden and cook, treat it like an exercise class.
- Put extra arm movements or knee bends in the normal motions.
- Take those beautiful veggies and put them in your diet (or is it a flower garden? .
- Do stretches before and after these activities.

As you are the cook, can you cook healthy meals for you and your parents? You do not have to tell them the foods are low fat. You can be their secret fairy dietitian! This might help you feel better about the situation. They are helping you and you are totally helping them, in return.

Yes, I am a little different, but I take the life-lemons-lemonade phrase as a daily touch point. It makes life very interesting.
Hugs, :drinker: (water)

Sunsh1ne

I'm already in college, graduating in December. Lucky me, those tuition aid measures don't go into full effect until the 2011-2012 academic year. :grumble:

As it is, the vegetable garden is only feeding the deer and rabbits. They wait until the veggies are about three days short of ripe enough for human consumption, eat the plants down to the last three leaves, and wait for them to grow back. Clever.

And I do cook very healthy food, with the help of local farmers' market ingredients, but my problem is 1. too much snacking during my time home alone and 2. I can't seem to find the motivation to get off my butt and start working out again. The gym at school was fabulous. My parents believe our home gym to be sufficient, and as the money they have the final word, but we have a treadmill that can't top 4 mph, a stationary bike with a broken seat, and free weights. Period. I'd be running outside if it wasn't for the record heat. I feel completely stymied.