This is a post that got overlooked way back in the beginning. It makes me chuckle, and I hope it will do the same for you.
I recently read an article which promised several ways to burn up 500 calories a day. If you do this seven days a week, you will burn off one whole pound.
Naturally there were all the suggestions you'd expect on there -- don't eat dessert (as if), and park far away so you can walk briskly to the dessert place (already doing that).
The one that really caught my eye, though, was the one about knitting. Yes, knitting. This article said that a few hours each day of knitting can burn up 500 calories.
Huh.
I haven't knitted in ages, and now that it's a cool activity, I'm tempted to give it another whirl. Except I know I'd be doing that all the time, basically ignoring my WIP--especially now that I know how many calories I can burn. Still, I could justify it since I'd meet my weight loss goal in no time at all.
But then my creative little brain came up with this idea: why can't WRITING burn up those kinds of calories?
I mean, when you knit, you're clacking some needles together, throwing the yarn over, all pretty tame stuff. Nothing that I would characterize as strenuous (even when you get frustrated at having to rip out several rows, and expletives are being tossed out with all the work that was done wrong). You're sitting, not racing up and down the block when you knit. At least that's how I learned how to do it. It's a leisure activity.
Writing, on the other hand, is strenuous. Even when it's going well, at the end of a good day of writing, it feels like you've run a marathon. If there was a public service announcement with a picture of "this is your brain on writing", it would look like a sponge that's had every little bit of stuff squished out of it.
Also, I can type really fast, which is probably why my wrists are so darned slim. They get first dibs at the calorie burning, and I can attest they are getting a great workout.
Besides all of those calories, there are the ones that are burned up from procrastinating, when you're running around the house watering plants and scrubbing the toilet to avoid putting your butt in the chair. Or what about all the calories expended from the websites you surf -- hellooooo, SURFING? -- for research purposes. And the constant inbox refreshing? It's a wonder we don't all fall over from exhaustion after several continuous hours of that.
So now when I'm blasting away at the word count, I can be satisfied knowing I'm also blasting away at those lazy-ass calories.
I'm actually feeling a little faint from this blog workout. I better take a break to hydrate and see what's in the fridge. . .
So funny, Donna! Oh, if only I could shred the extra pounds writing. I'd be the slimmest girl in the world!
Posted by: E.C. Smith | February 11, 2011 at 07:38 AM
E.C., wouldn't it be great? Sigh. I probably burn up more calories by "getting ready to write". LOL
Posted by: Donna Cummings | February 11, 2011 at 09:36 AM
I have this vision of me with stunningly slender wrists...and an equally stunningly massive ass. Alas, the ass gets so little work out from writing! LOL!
Knitting? Does make you wonder what these wonderfully fit knitters are using in place of yarn...steel cables?
Posted by: Maureen | February 11, 2011 at 10:56 AM
Maureen, I think you just described MY writing shape. LOL Maybe you're right about the knitters using steel cables. They must have forearms like Popeye then too!
Posted by: Donna Cummings | February 11, 2011 at 11:30 AM
There are plenty of "daydreaming" and "brainstorming" moments during the writing which could be used to burn calories. Grab the heaviest canned good from your cupboards and lift it over your head while thinking. You're not only burning calories, you're multi-tasking!
I've considered getting one of those exercise bike things that are just the pedals so I can use it while I write. I could do that for hours, it would be wonderful. And I've heard of the larger exercise equipment that is fitted to work like a writing desk, but that's pretty elaborate.
I say thinking should burn calories all by itself. I'd be smoking those calories in one episode of Jeopardy!
Posted by: Terri Osburn | February 11, 2011 at 02:41 PM
Terri, if THINKING were to burn calories, I'd have the teeniest tiniest head in the world. LOL In fact, I'd have to get a prosthetic head, because mine would be obliterated!
I haven't heard of the exercise things to use with your desk, but that's pretty awesome. I think I'll try the "old school" version you suggested though. So I can spend all the money I saved on books instead. LOL
Posted by: Donna Cummings | February 11, 2011 at 03:02 PM
This post is wonderful. If only I could burn 500 calories a day typing!
Posted by: Kari Marie | February 11, 2011 at 03:56 PM
Kari Marie, I would love to burn those calories by typing, because then I would have to eat twice as much, to keep my strength up. LOL
Posted by: Donna Cummings | February 11, 2011 at 04:15 PM
Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGWPlVnhpac&feature=player_embedded
Posted by: Terri Osburn | February 11, 2011 at 06:09 PM
Terri, that's ingenious! LOL I think I'd have to practice my coordination, and Velcro my laptop so I wouldn't knock it over. . .but I like it!
Posted by: Donna Cummings | February 11, 2011 at 06:20 PM
If I burned calories while procrastinating, I should be 80 pounds by now. But then, my daily chocolate intake probably doesn't help matters...
Knitting?! Seriously?
Posted by: Liz Fichera | February 12, 2011 at 01:02 PM
Liz, I know -- if they had picked vacuuming or cooking, I could have gone along with it. But knitting? I'm having a hard time suspending my disbelief. LOL
Posted by: Donna Cummings | February 12, 2011 at 01:26 PM