I need an NSV...

I really don’t want to write this entry… but I must.  I was so excited over last week’s loss and guess I really blew it.  I tracked through Friday, but let it go after that.  Bad mistake.  I’d like to say my body was retaining water, or I was attacked by gorilla’s and had horrific swelling…  or some other legitimate (or not-so legitimate) excuse, but I can’t seem to come up with anything believable.

So to get this over with… you probably guessed it… I had a gain.  A 3.8 lb gain.  Ouch.  That hurt.  Mostly my pride…  Still, it smarts.

I decided I needed to focus on some NSV’s this week.  Below is a before/after collage.  The picture on the left was taken the day after my 30^th birthday.  It’s not the most flattering picture, of course, but full length and brutally honest.  The picture on the right was today… 21.2 lbs lighter… I’m smiling.  That’s a good thing.  No one wants to post a public blog about their gain.  You'll notice both pictures are slightly tilted... it's a cool effect available through Picnik and hopefully it makes me look even skinnier...

So last week, my dear cuz asked me whether or not I exercise as part of my weight loss plan.  Well, if good intentions were worth anything, I could count that… but the honest to goodness truth is that I do not regularly exercise.  That is the beauty of Weight Watchers… no exercise required.  Trust me, they regularly talk about it and encourage it, but it is not required.  I know of one lady that lost 100 lbs without exercising. 

Now here’s the “facts” according to me, myself, and I:

• I’d probably lose faster if I exercised
• I’d most likely tone up better if I exercised
• I’d probably sleep better

So why don’t I exercise?  There’s a combination of excuses – which do you want to hear today?  Too tired?  Not enough time?  It’s cloudy out… I can’t walk unless the sun is shining.  Oh wait, I guess it shines every day.  Scratch that excuse. 

People that exercise as a part of their daily life amaze me.  Seriously – they must have won the lottery in exercise gene’s.  I admire them and I wish I had that stamina in me.  The last time I got up at 6:00 AM and worked out, my metabolism actually worked.  Shocking, huh?  No kidding… I’d bet money that I ate that 100 calories that I burnt off several times over that day.  I need to give it another try and drink something hot to stave off that hungry feeling. 

So what is your experience?  Does exercise help your weight loss?