Thursday, July 7, 2011

The Holding Pattern

The Mr and I were having some deep conversations this past weekend and one of the things that he had mentioned was that he has no real hobbies.  This came into play after I mentioned I wanted to pick up some new prop plates and it was time to go to some antique stores and he gave a pseudo enthusiastic "yay" and laughed.  I asked what he'd prefer to do and he said he had no idea.  He went on to say that the things he liked to do had gone by the wayside because of the economy.  His idea of a rad day was perusing computer or electronics stores and now that many of them have gone out of business or the one or two left have annoying salespeople that make it unappealing to be there.  Later that night (or maybe the next day, I forget) he was talking about we needed new hobbies because our summer has been kind of stale this year and we're recycling activities that were new to us last year but not now.

I agreed that we needed new hobbies and started naming off things that will be a part of lifestyle but everything I thought of that I wanted to do had some weight limits to them.  I just burst into tears and said "so we're still held back by this f***ing weight and in a holding pattern."  I am about 85 lbs from being able to ride a roller coaster based on the recommended weight at many amusement parks, I don't want to pay the "fat tax" on a higher weight limit kayak when we buy them so I probably have about 40-50 lbs for a regular kayak and of course the zipline goal is about 70 lbs away.  We feel this kind of staleness in what we can and can't do right now.  I mean we know losing 181 lbs and 165 lbs is a life-changer and its allowed us to do things we never thought we would (hot air balloon ride) or little things we missed (fitting into a booth or chairs with arms, feeling entitled to doing my photography in public instead of not feeling worthy of being there, hell even going out in public without being self conscious).  But when you're itching to get on with it and do other things you're yearning to do, the holding pattern feels like forever. 

If anyone has any suggestions on things we can do that have weight limits of 325 or less, throw 'em out there.  We're not coming up with anything original on our own and having a list to choose from might help!

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11 comments:

  1. I can say that you should be able to buy a kayak at this point without an issue. We just bought one for the hubs over the weekend (he's a mere 170) and I was checking out the weight limits for them. His went up to 300 lbs and there were 2-3 others that I saw that were at 325. This was at Dick's Sporting Goods. Gander Mountain and Bass Pro Shop might have some too (although Bass was very expensive, I thought). The hubs will be taking his kayak out on the river as soon as we get a bit of rain to raise the water levels. We have a water park here in town that I was able to go on the "water roller coaster" even at 350. I spent most of my time in the lazy river having a blast while the hubs went on some of the other rides. We were able to go together but still do some things separately which just added to the fun. Have you thought about maybe doing some canoe renting? Those weight limits are a lot higher because they hold more people and many are designed for fishing. You could always try that before the kayak thing if you felt more comfortable.

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  2. What about volleyball? Is it too soon for your hand? I know you guys were just starting to get into tennis.

    Biking? I know mountain bikes are the better choice for heavier riders because the rear wheel carries 60% of the weight and mountain bikes typically have stronger rear wheels because the hub is wider. Then, if you want, you can always switch the tires out to slicks if you want to do some road riding after your weight decreases a bit.

    I second canoeing. I loved it when we had ours. Paddling kills my arms...in a good way. And some of them have a 1,200 lb weight capacity. This is the one that we used to have. It has a 700lb capacity and was wider than most.
    http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11685457

    I'm not sure how much you're looking to spend on a kayak, but there are kayaks that have higher weight capcities. These are the highly rated ones that I found:

    450 pound capacity: http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=419704&pdesc=Ocean_Kayak_Prowler_Trident_Angler_13_Kayak&aID=504M2&merchID=4006

    550 pound capacity:
    http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=420236&pdesc=Malibu_Kayaks_Stealth_14_Kayak&aID=504M2&merchID=4006#

    As for other activities...Basketball? Golf? Bowling? Soccer? Swimming? Recreating your favorite music videos? Karate? Roller skating? Camping?

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  3. Canoeing is fun - I always enjoyed it as a kid.

    I'm looking forward to reading the list other people come up with since all my hobbies are pretty sedentary and I'd like some new ones too.

    Golfing? Biking? Racquetball? Spying on the neighbors?

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  4. Thanks all! Canoeing is something I'd be interested in renting because we can't fit one into the garage.

    Bee- Those kayaks are what I mean about the "fat tax." I'm not paying $900-1200 for a kayak that can carry me now. I want a "normal" kayak that is $350-400. But thanks for doing some legwork! :)

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  5. Hmmmm well what about roller skating?! I have a pair I want to bust out but haven't found a place to do it at. I know you want active stuff but what about going to outdoor concerts (around here they have a ton and some for free) or museums or crafty stuff? My school has a bunch of community classes like dancing (ballroom, tango), making all kinds of crafty stuff, learn to sew etc.

    Does he like creative stuff at all? Like to paint, write, etc? I always feel more satisfied when I have something to show for my hard work :)

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  6. Dancing (line, square, ballroom)? Ping-pong, darts, pool (pub type stuff)? Archery? Horseback riding? Geocaching? Karate or another martial art?

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  7. Honestly, I came to see what others suggested-lol! I'm on the brink of kayaking too, but haven't gotten there yet. Having rescued some idiots from nearly drowning when they capsized the canoe they were in I have boat/water issues-lol! Really want to overcome those though and try kayaking. I second geocaching. I know you guys have been doing some hiking, geocaching might be the thing to make that more interesting. I've done it a couple of times now and had fun. I just use an app on my phone-lol. Not ready to invest in something more expensive, but it can be lots of fun. A Karate class sounds like a great thing too, but again really only because that is on my "someday" list too :). In any case have fun finding your new hobbies...sounds like adventures are awaiting :).

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  8. Thanks so much to everyone for their suggestions! We have been geocachers since 2002 but we don't do it regularly. It's probably time to get back into it when the weather isn't so stifling.

    Dance lessons and cooking classes are on our agenda as well as a martial arts class but I want to be thinner for that one. The Mr took karate as a kid so good luck to me when I want to bitchslap him, he's a good blocker! LOL

    We'll look into the others! Thanks!

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  9. I second the mountain biking. It's an incredible workout. I bought one about 4 months ago. The first ride I almost passed out. You wouldn't think going up hills is as hard as it is. Anyways, weight doesn't seem to be an issue on mountain bikes. And even if you have mountain bikes it doesn't limit you to mountains and trails. We ride street and bike paths often. No need to change tires. It's fabulous to be able to go 15 miles in one hour as opposed to the 4 I do when I walk. We've done some super exploring and seen places we have always missed by walking or driving. Definitely the best investment I have made this year. And calories burned for one hour of regular street biking is more than 1100! Mountain biking is even more than that.

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  10. ever think about paddle boating? I think that's what they call those boats that you sit in and have to "bicycle" the paddles to move....Imagine it would be a pretty good cardio + lower body work out....Of course, I had a traumatic experience paddleboating with my little brother once...but I'll bet you and the Mr. wouldn't get stock going around in a circle for an hour, because SOMEONE (not you, obviously) couldn't keep their hands off the little steering lever! Anyway....I was thinking about getting one of those maybe, as we have a lake 2 blocks from my house and all.

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  11. Hubby and I play racquetball--you don't have to chase as many balls as tennis because you are confined to 4 walls! Also, no net to hit over, etc--as long as you smack the ball hard against the wall (a giant wall--easy target) you're good. It is a great workout as the ball moves fast and you are always moving. Fun stuff.

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