Lose the Wheels, Lose the Weight

I was getting pretty tired of seeing Billy’s Boot Camp tele-ad on TV. Day in, day out, I would see Billy and his little band of six-pack-abs girls and boys crunching on TV. Showing off their bodies is more like it. Just order and pay 14,700 yen for the videos and the greatest product ever to grace the world of TV, the “Billy band” – touted as the elasti-wonder that is supposed to help you work out and lose weight in the process. I wondered why that ad was strategically aired on primetime on Cartoon Network. Why the heck is it even on Cartoon Network, anyway? It’s not like kids would drool over six-pack abs. I don’t get it.

Why am I even blogging about it? Because I really hate that commercial. And the rest of similarly-themed commercials that are targetted towards the “unfit,” “unhealthy,” and “fat” individuals like me. Excuse me, but don’t you think that being fit is an option, not a commodity? People are getting rich out of suckers who think that buying a product would be the solution to their problems. Change your mindset and lifestyle, people! You are what you eat, and you are what you do.
I want to lose weight, too, but damn if I would spend a single yen on any product. I want to be fit, too, but I wouldn’t be duped into shelling any money just to achieve that.

So starting last week, with much encouragement from Baggy, I began riding the bicycle to work again. Lose the wheels, lose the weight – this is my mantra. I won’t drive to work unless it rains, hails…or I get a broken leg. I make sure that I take in a lot of greens, and cut down on the carbs. It seems to work for now.

I don’t want to boast here, but since I have resumed biking last week, I’ve already lost one kilo. Hurray! And by not using the car, I’m even saving up on gasoline (it’s now 132 yen to 1 L! About 50 pesos!). Maybe I’m even doing the environment a favor by not contributing to gas emissions due to vehicular use. Hmm.

I’ll keep this up, and who knows, maybe come summer time I can finally wear that spaghetti-strap blouses again. “Don’t embarrass yourself,” my wicked sister promptly warned me. I have to thank her for the reality check, but I also found myself quite challenged. The more people mock me, the stronger my resolve will be. To quote from King Leonidus (of the 300 movie fame): What is YOUR profession?!!!!!!!

OH-HOH!

16 thoughts on “Lose the Wheels, Lose the Weight

  1. am back to cycling, and am loving it 😉 anyway, if you are having a hard time going back to your ideal weight, try the 3day diet 😉

  2. That is kinda weird that they would advertise weight loss on the cartoon channel. but I guess that’s no different from McDonald’s targeting kids by using a clown or installing a playground in their restaurants.

    Good luck with the weight loss! 😀 I would love to ride my bike again to work, but my hectic schedule just won’t allow it.

  3. kathy, why would they advertise on a children’s program? duh!

    well, good luck with your fitness regime, kat! like you, i wouldn’t spend a single centavo just to be sexy like the ladies they always show on those health/fitness ads. let’s do it the healthy way =) i’d love to have a bike too! but… the streets here are like moon craters. hehe… i don’t want to risk life and limb cycling on the h-way.

  4. awoo! awoo!

    you have to put a “before” and “after” picture here Kat…hehe

    Hey goodluck..if only we don’t have pollution here and that the weather is cold, I will also bike to work 🙂

  5. Thanks dimaks! Yup, cycling’s the way to go! Ba naman, ang sarap magbike dito sa Tsukuba. Puros puno kasi ang daanan. 🙂

  6. It would be such a waste not to enjoy the outdoors, what with the nice spring weather. Wag lang uulan, like today!

    What’s the 3rd day diet, btw?

  7. Wil, I suppose it’s because they know that mothers will be there monitoring their children’s tv programs – what mother wouldn’t want to have those abs back? 🙂

    Thanks, good luck talaga sa akin hehe. 😀 Hope your workload gets easier so you can enjoy biking to work again.

  8. Yeah, me too, I won’t buy the easy-and-fast motto that they sell. Healthy way for both of us!

    Risk life and limb? Naku! Stationary bike ka na lang sa bahay. Here in Japan, the rooms are very small, so there’s really no space for workout gadgets like that.

  9. Picture? Sige ba! Nakow, napapasubo ata ako hehe. 😛

    Mukhang mahirap nga magbike kung mainit masyado. Di bale, svelte ka naman eh! Idol! 😉

  10. Just like me, I’m not into spending hundreds of dollars just to get my weight down 🙁

    THese TV ads are a sham. They know that the outcome – the much desired weight loss has more to do with the person’s resolve than the weight loss product itself ! There’s those weight programs where they actually deliver breakfast, lunch and dinner to your house or office 🙂 You will lose weight for sure and when that happens you know it is not a cheap proposition LOL 🙂

  11. My husband partly cycles to work too, I mean he takes the car then halfway he gets onto his folding bike, have yet to see the outcome though (he started two weeks ago), he said he’s feeling great 🙂
    so, cycle on 🙂

  12. I completely agree with you. The greatest mistake would be to think that the more you pay for something, the more effective it would be to help you lose weight. A person’s resolve, as well as a complete rehauling of mindset and lifestyle should be the first steps to a successful weight loss plan.

  13. Mmm, sauna. Sounds like a good idea. The public bath/onsen I used to go to has a sauna inside. It’s time I pay it a visit. 🙂

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