Paying the Fat Tax: Part 1

Photo courtesy of Sarah Burns

  

Paying the Fat Tax

There's no denying that I am not exactly in prime shape physically.  I know there are a lot of people who hate using the word "fat" but it is what it is. Pretending that it's anything else is exactly what got me into this situation in the first place.  I'm trying to make changes that hopefully result in a healthier lifestyle, but I still have a long road ahead of me. I thought I would share a few observations that I have made along the way from a larger perspective. 

The Chaffing.

That whole "there's no gap between my thighs" thing combined with a ton of walking makes for a slightly embarrassing situation - chaffing.  About a week into our walking routine, I really started to notice a tender spot on my upper thigh.  I tried a little bit of cornstarch on the affected areas but after another week or so it actually broke skin.  Out came the Polysporn and a newfound love for my old pair of yoga pants.  Lesson learned: yoga/athletic pants aren't just for lazy Sundays and Walmart.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Burns

Shopping at Athletic Stores

Now, I'd just like to point out that said athletic stores do actually carry my size.  I may be the second last size from their very larges size, but I am still able to shop in their stores. Even still, the sales associates almost always ignore me.  My guess is because they generally work on commission, and I don't appear to be someone who would spend much in their store, they'd rather focus their efforts on the more athletic looking people that are milling about. They couldn't be more wrong - people my size are probably the people who are going to spend the most.  We fluctuate in size so often that we will be return customers multiple times a year if you play your cards right. 

Cardio

About 2 weeks into our walking routine we introduced the stairs to our routine.  Nothing too extreme, just walking up and down at our own pace as many times as we felt comfortable with.  We started with two sets, then three, and eventually by the 5th day we had worked our way up to four sets of stairs.   After our week of stairs we took a bit of a break, then decided to add them to our routine once or twice a week. The stairs were initially a bit more cardio than I was used to (so really, any) and I noticed a few weird things after working out. 

Ammonia? 

One of the first things that I noticed that actually concerned me was the strong smell of ammonia that would waft through my nose about 5-10 minutes after doing the stairs.  It wasn't that I smelled like ammonia, it was that I could smell ammonia.  After having this happen a couple of times I took to Web MD which told me that I was going to die it's something that happens to some athletes when their body is lacking in carbs.  Clearly not my issue, I decided to ask my Doctor at a check-up about a week or so after I started noticing it.  He told me that it was actually quite common, and that it means my body is starting to burn fat and not muscle.  Go stairs!  

Turning Really, Really Red

 I have incredibly pale skin (seriously - I have to buy the lightest possible shade of makeup).  This, combined with my complete lack of fitness makes me turn extremely red when I am exerting any amount of extra effort.  My friends all gave me incredibly concerned looks when they saw how red I turned after my second set of stairs, but I can assure you, I was feeling fine (other than my leg muscles which were on fire).