Does Writing Make You Fat? by Clarissa Southwick

I have long believed that writing makes me fat.  Isn’t sitting eight hours a day in front of a computer the definition of a sedentary lifestyle? The same “bum glue” that gets the novel finished is also responsible for packing on pounds.

Most of my writer friends disagree with this theory. Some even swear that the more they exercise, the more they write.  Personally, I’ve never succeeded at one without completely abandoning the other.

Over time, I’ve come to see my inability to balance the two as my own personal character flaw.  And just like the characters in my novels, I am blind to the solution.

Every time I interview an author for a blog, I ask, “How do you stay fit when you’re writing several books a year?” Inevitably, the thin ones answer with tales of superhuman feats. Running 5 miles a day while juggling 25 lb. weights will never be a realistic workout plan in my world.

Still, I’ve made numerous attempts to work physical fitness into my writing day, even going so far as to try a treadmill desk. (It made me so dizzy, I couldn’t write.) Yet no matter how carefully I plan, my workout schedules crumble under requests for revisions, blog posts, and critiques.

My one success?  A no-snacking-while-writing rule that has endured the test of deadlines. But dieting is not enough when you’re fighting sluggish metabolism.

My latest effort is a fitbit, which I bought after watching my niece use it to drop 50lbs in record-breaking time. Basically, it’s a tiny pedometer which uploads your daily activities to a social website. There, you can chart your progress, compare your results with friends, and compete in fitness challenges to win cool prizes.  It’s a great motivator to stay active.

A month of fitbit tracking has only confirmed my original theory. I have never made my step goals on a day when I was writing, and I have never written on a day when I have made my fitness goals. Every day I have to choose, my writing or my health.

Writing does make me fat.

So I’m asking for your advice. Have you noticed a connection between your weight and writing? If so, how do you manage to stay fit while meeting your writing deadlines?