Last time you heard from me I was in deep in the world of Noodle-y gluttony...I still owe you a post on the last two types of Japanese noodles. Udon and Somen....until then I feel the need to write about my current endeavors. Things in our family have pretty much changed in the way of consuming noodles. I will still continue to write about Japanese foods, but as of lately the focus in my life has been on being truly healthy. This year I have decided to take control over my life. At least over the parts of it that I can control. Mainly that regarding my body, mind and spirit. I'm not doing it for any reason other than I want to do this for me. Call me selfish. I have long realized the errors of complacency, and nutritional ignorance (mainly brought on by the marketing of American agencies and corporations) and have been moving in the direction to change my life for years. Making small changes here and there, so that they are permanent, not just temporary. I'm tired of being overweight and out of shape. I'm tired of going nowhere, and I'm tired of excuses. I'm done with it. I want to climb a mountain. Both literally and figuratively.
I have always considered myself a relatively active person, I love taking walks, hiking and generally being outdoors. But for some reason I have always been a bit overweight. Since around 8 years old I started getting chubby and the only time I was really fit was in Junior high when I swam on a competitive team for 2-4 hours a day, but still weighed 140 lbs. as a 5'5" 12 year old girl. I graduated high school standing 5'6", and weighing about 170 lbs. However, for the last 10 years I have hovered around 200 lbs. Generally maintaining my weight, but fluctuating between 185-205 lbs. and the American average size of 12-14 throughout the years. Since the birth of my son I have gotten a bit larger around the middle and I know that is bad for overall health, but generally stay in the same weight zone. I am well versed in nutrition and healthy lifestyle as I find that topic generally interesting. Medical science tells us that too much fat, especially around the mid-section is bad for the function of our vital organs and increases our risks for all kinds of diseases and social stigmas (which are no bueno for mental health). Perhaps the worst side effect of obesity is how much it can affect our loved ones and those closest to us. I don't want to face any of these issues and I certainly don't want to negatively impact those around me.
Many people have never been overweight and have no idea how much your own body can feel like a trap, being overweight can hold you back from living your life. I know far too many beautiful, bright young people with serious health problems I wouldn't wish on anyone. I hate seeing my peers struggle with their health. We're only in our 20's and 30's for gods sake! My husband has seriously high blood pressure despite being a fit and healthy young man, and we don't know why other than "it's probably genetic". He is also in the process of being officially diagnosed with Celiac's disease. Using genetics as an excuse. Genetics are a part of it, but our diet can alter our very genome (Epigenetics) and those altered traits will be passed on to our children effecting future generations. Read: Time Magazine Article: Why your DNA isn't your destiny.
At only 28, I have already had several friends battle cancer and have even lost one of them. Many have genetic or diet related diseases that have caused a lot of pain and discomfot over the years. While I don't believe cancer is avoidable given the modern chemical and GMO filled world we live in, I do want to do what I can to stave off other physical and mental diseases. I want to live my life with no abandon and know that if I do ever get sick, maybe it wasn't my fault. I'm done being limited by my physical self, but more importantly I'm over it. I have accepted me for who I am, I love myself and most days I think I'm unique and beautiful. I am at a very happy place in life. That being said, there is most definitely room for improvement in all of us. I want to know what it feels like to be really fit and healthy. There's a saying that goes something like "If you can't find time to exercise and eat healthy now, you will have to find time to be sick later." While I do believe in general this is true, it is not so for everyone. We could get sick at anytime, so we had better live our life to the fullest while we can. When I am old, I want a clear mind. When I die, I want no regrets.
I don't want to get fit to look better, or be seen as socially acceptable by others. I want to do it because I want to feel good about myself both inner and outer. I want to harness the unique endurance and power of the human body and challenge myself physically. I feel there is something mental and spiritual to be gained from becoming connected to our physical self. If we can understand our physical, mental and spiritual selves the we can really learn to love our entire self...and if we can love ourselves, then I think we can truly love others. No more waiting, the time has come. I've started setting goals for myself, and by the open season this year I intend to be climbing to the top of Mt. Fuji. This year is all about self-discovery. This year I will conquer myself.
Three months ago I walked into the gym for the first time. I mean, I've been to gyms on and off before...but this time it's different. This time I mean business. I decided running was my challenge. I mean in high school P.E. I once snuck into the woods to smoke a cigarette during the mile run and only actually did two laps. Running was NEVER my thing, so since I'm a human I'm making it my thing. The first time I got on the treadmill I couldn't even run for two minutes straight without feeling like my chest was going to explode. My body freaked out, my heart rate shot up to around 180 bpm because it couldn't quite cope with the larger amount of oxygen I needed to move like that. But, I didn't let that discourage me. It only ignited the fire more. I saw it as a challenge. My goal for month one was to get my body used to processing oxygen faster. Which come to find out is largely as mental as it is physical. With the help of my asthma inhaler, I go back every other day and usually push myself a little bit farther. My heart and lungs are coping very well at this point and I'm hoping to eventually beat my asthma all together.
This week I was able to run/ jog a 5K for the first time in my life with out stopping to walk. It was tough, but dammit I did it! Many people do this daily, and with ease...but to me it was quite a sweet victory. It only took me working out 4-6 hours a week for 3 months (I also had a bit of a setback and was off the machines for a few weeks with a sore knee). Many people watch 4-6 hours of TV in one day! I'm still quite slow, but my next goal is to run the mile and half within good military standard times. Then once the weather is a bit warmer, I will take it outdoors and try to run in a local 5K race. After that I will take on Fujisan. As far as actual weight, I haven't lost much at around 10 lbs. Which is fine because I feel amazing. Some days I get discouraged when I look at the scale and the number is always the same, but I have never seen my body change shape so quickly. Things are getting smaller, fast. The huge butt I thought was genetic is quickly disappearing, even my arms are smaller. I feel stronger both physically, and mentally. I feel extremely motivated. A fire has been ignited...one could say "I am a girl on fire". ; )
Aside from the exercise, I have also made a few simple dietary changes to help, again not just aimed at weight loss, but overall health in general. You can count calories all you want, but at the end of the day if you've eaten 1500 calories of junky processed food or 1500 calories of real, organic, and unprocessed foods you will FEEL the difference. I want to rid my body of the trash and fill it with more good stuff. We have implemented some principles of the ever so trendy Paleolithic diet in our family eating habits. Not to a pretentious level, but definitely as much as we can. I mean we live in Japan, some of the less common paleo friendly ingredients are just not available, or if they are they cost way too much for me. Basically we replace whole grains and other carbohydrates (like potatoes) for more meat and vegetables, and very limited amounts of sugars. Aside from my multitude of food allergies (nuts, seeds, legumes, etc.) which I am now more careful to avoid I have also stopped eating any dairy products except butter. Removing milk, and dairy has actually made some of my food allergies less acute and much easier to cope with. Also I have cut way back on any grains (including corn), I usually only eat something made with regular grains/ flour 1-2 times per week, after all a bit of carbs are great before a good cardio workout. Also, eating healthier is easier for me if I've done some exercise. I don't really stress eat anymore (except for some dark chocolate in the evening), because exercising reduces my stress/ boredom level greatly. I don't crave fatty, high carb foods at all and actually they are beginning to physically repulse me. Food is becoming fuel for my body, not simply a mindless quick fix. I'm also not depriving myself of anything. If I really want to eat something I will, because I LOVE FOOD! If I eat something "bad", generally I don't think too much of it. I might just try to make up for it by working a little harder in the gym, or eating better the next day.
These are some things that keep me motivated towards my fitness goals:
1. I LOVE music, so an awesome playlist on my ipod is a MUST. When I start to get tired and think about getting off the machine/ stopping I play that one song that makes me wanna do a ridiculous dance and BAM I push myself a bit harder! Don't let your brain play tricks on you, you'll often find you can keep going for quite some time even when you think you need to stop! Also, I add and delete any songs I get tired of every few weeks to keep it fresh.
2. Mix up my workout. Doing the same things everyday gets boring pretty quick, so use a combination of machines and if you aren't sure see if your gym has a free session with a personal trainer.
3. Set Goals. Start small. Maybe today you will try to run for 3 minutes without stopping, then maybe 4 minutes the next time and before you know it you'll have gone a mile!
4. I like to work out in the morning, it helps me de-stress and also to control my appetite throughout the rest of the day. Also, I tend to have more energy throughout the days I do cardio.
5. This is most important. Don't give up, and DO NOT MAKE EXCUSES! I have had some cruddy respiratory cold/ allergy stuff for like 3 months. Guess what... I still go workout with my handy dandy inhaler. I mean if you are seriously ill, then I understand. Some days I can only manage a 40 minute workout because I'm tired or feel bad or whatever, but I still workout and usually I feel better than I did before. There's nothing like the adrenaline rush of a good workout!
So after these three months I am only down ten pounds, but I have definitely lost several inches and gained a lot of muscle. I pretty much have guns now...which is pretty awesome. Jk....but, they're getting there. The best part is that I can run a mile now...nonstop.
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