Do y'all know about the importance of inefficiency in weight loss? They've done studies of how fat people go about doing stuff—in the house, in the office—versus how skinny people do the same things. They've documented that fat people tend to be very efficient in their movements: if they need to carry three things from one room to another, they gather up all three things in their arms and move them all in one trip. A skinny person, by contrast, will grab one item and carry it to the next room where it goes, then go back for the second thing and carry it to the other room, and so on.
The same goes for going up and down the stairs to their apartment, or up and down the stairs in their house. The fat people, when documented over time, make fewer trips up and down than the skinny people do. If they're wearing pedometers, the skinny people take many more steps a day than the fat people.
So the next time you're picking up a room, or carrying stuff around the office, or bringing the dishes from the dining room into the kitchen, or moving the laundry from point A to point B, think about doing it inefficiently. The job gets done just the same either way, but if you take more steps, and climb more stairs, and make more trips from your car to where you live, you're living the life of a skinny person—moving about more and burning more calories.
'Sounds counter-intuitive, I know. Why would anyone want to do more work than is necessary? Why would anyone want their chores to take twice as long to accomplish? But just like waiting to eat until you're hungry, instead of eating at defined meal times, if you move inefficiently, you're changing your lifestyle.
I practice this as much as possible, telling myself the job will get done just the same if carrying in the groceries takes six or seven trips, than it will if it takes three trips.
It's a mellow way of doing things, too. Oddly enough, inefficiency is much less stressful. I feel more relaxed as I'm moving about, because I'm not all bothered about getting things done in a hurry. I park as far away from the post office as possible, stretch my legs and work my muscles, before gettin' back in the car to run the next errand. If it's a nice day in the spring, I get more opportunities to appreciate flowering trees, see a bird, interact with a neighbor.
I don't always remember, though: sometimes it seems like the right thing to do to take the elevator instead of the stairs, when I only have to go up one or two floors. But I'm trying...trying to make myself into an inefficient person.
I have been functioning with the basics but not much (any) joy. The deal at work, with the idiot boss/groping customer/no satisfaction from the Civil Rights Unit got me so down. But I know alot worse things have happened to people and i need to get over it. Wrote out a succinct resignation letter and did not mail it...felt good to write it though. 
to the new folks!! this is a very supportive group and it does help to know that some people care. 
for both (and all) of us! 
I am so happy to be back up at the lake for another season, but I forgot how tempting it is to munch constantly up here. I need to work my RESISTANCE muscle often up here! I can do it, though. Just need to have the right foods around..... and stick to those foods! We go to Florida the week after Easter and I am soooooooooooooo much bigger than I wanted to be by now; as in, haven't lost ANY weight (just creeped UP) since I set out to be thinner by Florida. 
Gotta practice POSITIVE self-talk and work on at least maintaining while in Florida!!! Then, back ON BOARD with weight loss when we return!
BTW, have you been out on your bike yet??? 
HOORAY FOR YOU!!! 
and I WILL be here more!! 
