I realized I keep counting on the wrong people to make me happy. Of course, happiness is not a viable end for any person. "If it makes you happy, do x." Is bullshit philosophy. "If it makes you happy, do x and keep doing x, but don't do x in excess and understand that the opposite of x may or may not bring you happiness..." etc. is a well thought out mind-boggling philosophy.
What exactly do you go to X person for? Is it really to make you happy? Maybe it is just to feel the comfort of knowing that you have so-and-so relationship. I did a little mind digging and found myself not being healed. I guess that's also because I keep going to the wrong people to heal me and it never works. I've tried myself... you know, the whole 'will your mind to cope with such and such, and it will'. It does... most of the times. Other times, you've got to push it. You've got to get to the root of the problem and uproot it, before it decays and rots there like that sandwich bag in the far corner of your locker. The stench, that's easy to kill... just use febreeze (or in this case, just a little air), but you see, nothing really changes even if the stench is gone. Even if the whole bloody plant is dead, it can look alive (a cactus, for instance). So, I guess, it really is important to uproot.
But, what if, uprooting shifts my perspective? What if it destroys the comfort of where I am at? Then, I need to slap myself silly and face myself and say that 'change is inevitable' and move on.
All of this deep theorizing about change and its implications, really just has a very small effect. I was staring at the full length mirror and examining my waistline, it's tiny (not 22 inch tiny, but tiny), and then my gigantic hips (I love them, but they are a hassle when trying to buy pants that fit), and realized that I can do something about my shape. It's not forever a lost cause. I can do some exercises that make me lose the fat around my hips... and trim down my waistline as well, in the process.
Now, that's change... in perspective. I never thought that I could come to terms with being able to change the cards I had been dealt in terms of my body shape. Mostly, I can't... but I can begin to make myself satisfied with it, by working with what I've got and transforming it to my liking.
Mantra for tomorrow: Have a blast! It's new year's eve, do something crazy and don't ever look back (now I sound like a Katy Perry song).
Friday, 30 December 2011
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Day 5: Amazing 'work out' day!
I had an absolutely terrific day of working out today. It started off with yoga for an hour after I woke up, after which I went to the gym and did cardio for 45 minutes (/used the stepper at high intensity for 30 out of 45 minutes) and did 150 reps of 150 lbs on the leg press.
I've been looking up contradictory information suggesting either the benefits or the lack thereof protein shakes.
Here's the pro: http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com/healthandlifestyle/protein-shakes/166
Here's the con: (also on the CBS website - an extremely reliable source) This is focused on the "over-consumption" of. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/01/earlyshow/main6537686.shtml Everything in moderation, friends, everything in moderation.
The rest of my night will possibly consist of watching the Mentalist...
Mantra for tomorrow: Your abs need attention. (:
À demain!
I've been looking up contradictory information suggesting either the benefits or the lack thereof protein shakes.
Here's the pro: http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com/healthandlifestyle/protein-shakes/166
Here's the con: (also on the CBS website - an extremely reliable source) This is focused on the "over-consumption" of. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/01/earlyshow/main6537686.shtml Everything in moderation, friends, everything in moderation.
The rest of my night will possibly consist of watching the Mentalist...
Mantra for tomorrow: Your abs need attention. (:
À demain!
Day 4: Sorry for the delayed update!
So, it's been brought to my attention that I don't know all that there is to know about the world... OMG! Really?!?! Never KNEW that! Regardless, here's some brain food to chomp on while you take your next calcium supplement or fall for the same old trick of "you don't have to eat your veggies, just drink this!" http://www.senseaboutscience.org/data/files/Celebrities_and_Science_2011.pdf
Interesting stuff. It was a day full of adventures for my body. I woke up, feeling great, but completely unmotivated to write my novel, like I had planned. (Anybody know a good way to overcome creative writer's block) I can sit down to paint and be inspired in seconds, but damn that novel's really killing me. Not even the fact that I want it done by my next birthday is motivating me any longer. I ought to find something...
Either way, I have come to the conclusion that eating dairy even two hours before I work out, makes my stomach queasy. Tip of the day: avoid holiday chocolate and egg nog two to three hours before you work out. I am hoping this doesn't apply to everyone. Maybe it's a tolerance thing and building up to it.
Another bit of brain food: I started watching the show The Mentalist and my fascination for the mental health system has just tripled! I am excited to learn more about the philosophy behind psychology and therapy and what does the "talking-cure" actually do for you.
Mantra for Day 5: Refocus and revise your agenda. If the long term and short term goals are not amounting to what you want them to amount to, maybe they are not what you want, in the first place.
Interesting stuff. It was a day full of adventures for my body. I woke up, feeling great, but completely unmotivated to write my novel, like I had planned. (Anybody know a good way to overcome creative writer's block) I can sit down to paint and be inspired in seconds, but damn that novel's really killing me. Not even the fact that I want it done by my next birthday is motivating me any longer. I ought to find something...
Either way, I have come to the conclusion that eating dairy even two hours before I work out, makes my stomach queasy. Tip of the day: avoid holiday chocolate and egg nog two to three hours before you work out. I am hoping this doesn't apply to everyone. Maybe it's a tolerance thing and building up to it.
Another bit of brain food: I started watching the show The Mentalist and my fascination for the mental health system has just tripled! I am excited to learn more about the philosophy behind psychology and therapy and what does the "talking-cure" actually do for you.
Mantra for Day 5: Refocus and revise your agenda. If the long term and short term goals are not amounting to what you want them to amount to, maybe they are not what you want, in the first place.
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Day 3: One of those days...
You know those days where the world is just going to be perfect? I'm having one of those...
I don't really want to go too too much into detail, but let's just say an amazing piece of cake, Adventures of Tintin and a special person was involved. :)
But, I have been thinking... about memories. How is it that a person can affect me and my life so much without having the slightest clue that he/she has had that effect on me? It's quite possible that being the sensitive person that I am, I am prone to collecting negative emotions and starving myself of the positive ones. I must admit, each time I think of that one particular moment in my life, I do have feelings of regret. And, fuck, imagination is a bitch. It kills the spirit inside. The weird thing is, I thought that, by now I would be over it. All of it. No residual feelings, nothing of that sort. But, I can still picture it. Knowing it... the knowledge, the partial knowledge, that's what feeds the images of the imagination. Or maybe, it's too much knowledge of the right kind.
I know it's me being crazy, and I know I shouldn't think about it... but, have you ever wondered what would happen if someone else took your place in your parents' lives. Would they be treated any differently? Would you wish to have them back as your parents? What about your friends? What if you stopped being a person's best friend and someone else took your place? Suddenly the knowledge that perhaps, maybe, just maybe, they were doing the things that you used to do and feeling the things that you would feel if you were still their special person. The knowledge of what could be... that's what hurts. The knowledge that you could have been in that position, being that special person to make them feel what they do.
Well, as you can tell by now, today's been an emotional work out, more than an actual one. I shall be resuming cardio and weight training tomorrow.
À demain!
I don't really want to go too too much into detail, but let's just say an amazing piece of cake, Adventures of Tintin and a special person was involved. :)
But, I have been thinking... about memories. How is it that a person can affect me and my life so much without having the slightest clue that he/she has had that effect on me? It's quite possible that being the sensitive person that I am, I am prone to collecting negative emotions and starving myself of the positive ones. I must admit, each time I think of that one particular moment in my life, I do have feelings of regret. And, fuck, imagination is a bitch. It kills the spirit inside. The weird thing is, I thought that, by now I would be over it. All of it. No residual feelings, nothing of that sort. But, I can still picture it. Knowing it... the knowledge, the partial knowledge, that's what feeds the images of the imagination. Or maybe, it's too much knowledge of the right kind.
I know it's me being crazy, and I know I shouldn't think about it... but, have you ever wondered what would happen if someone else took your place in your parents' lives. Would they be treated any differently? Would you wish to have them back as your parents? What about your friends? What if you stopped being a person's best friend and someone else took your place? Suddenly the knowledge that perhaps, maybe, just maybe, they were doing the things that you used to do and feeling the things that you would feel if you were still their special person. The knowledge of what could be... that's what hurts. The knowledge that you could have been in that position, being that special person to make them feel what they do.
Well, as you can tell by now, today's been an emotional work out, more than an actual one. I shall be resuming cardio and weight training tomorrow.
À demain!
Monday, 26 December 2011
Day 2: Boxing Day - Sans Materialism.
Let me just begin by saying that the impossible happened today: I did not shop. YES! Legasp... etc. It was unnecessary. After looking at the amount of clothes and such that I currently own and wear on a regular basis, I thought it best not to shop and browse in a crowded mall that I didn't want to go to with people I didn't want to surround myself with - the ones that had a single thought in their minds: GET THE BEST "THING" FOR AS CHEAP AS POSSIBLE.
I think that's the kind of deal that we want every time that we go shopping, unless we are one of the privileged.
This whole digression has a point, I swear. The point is that because I didn't go shopping, I did some other quite interesting things with my day. I read a ton about the difference between being 'fit', being 'healthy' and being 'toned'. Being fit, does not mean that you run around the block twenty times and are still not tired. What it means, is that IF there ever came a time in your life, where you HAD to run around the block twenty times, you COULD accomplish that. Hypothetical. In order to get to that stage, you must and should work out at least three times a week for a half hour, mostly doing cardio and lifting weights. (That's my take on it, of course a professional will use the term in a different way.) Now, if this is the category that you are happy being in, then... that's great! However, keep in mind, that gymming is still a part of the equation. Stamina isn't simply dropped into your lap from heaven, it comes from the right amount of exercise and the right kind of exercise. Being fit, quite literally means: can I fit into this shape/size?
Being healthy and being fit are what most people ought to strive for. Being healthy typically means organizing your food in a manner that treats your body right. Six to eight servings of fruits and veggies as well as the proper amounts of grains (about a cup a day of brown rice), some protein as obtained from meats, nuts and soy, and finally, dairy. What is a serving? The basic serving size for a single portion of fruits or vegetables is a 1/2 cup. One ought to consume at least 250 ml of yogurt a day, in order to attain the recommended daily intake. This means that fast food is out of the equation almost all of the time, a few days excepted. As long as all of the above criteria are met, one can see a reasonable amount of change in mood, personal relationships and self-esteem. Being healthy and being fit, does not guarantee you looking like Jessica Alba or like Jennifer Lopez or for the men, like David Beckham and the new Ryan Gosling. It is possible to be toned by working out a little outside of one's comfort zone, with free weights, etc. But, it is not altogether possible with striving to be fit and healthy.
What does guarantee this switch from simply a "feel-good" to a "feel-like-so-and-so" is a rigorous daily activity that consists of working out different muscles each day as well as a controlled diet that relies heavily on routine. I am en-route to being toned, but I'm still learning. The very first thing that I learnt is that it takes a crazy amount of time and patience with your body to figure out what it needs, when it needs it. Especially if you're trying not to become a celebrity of any sort, it's hard to find the motivation to work out every day or to attain a regularity in your diet. Moreover, it is hard to be in a "feel-good" zone, if what you are doing is consistently pumping weights and not doing what you love. There needs to be a balance. That's what I'm trying to find. Hence, the dancing and the jumping around like a maniac.
This was one of those days. It started off with a pizza for lunch and a very messed up sleeping schedule. Hopefully, I shall be back on track by tomorrow. I did, however, consume 5 servings of fruits and veggies... but, that's as far as the healthy aspect of my diet goes.
I think that's the kind of deal that we want every time that we go shopping, unless we are one of the privileged.
This whole digression has a point, I swear. The point is that because I didn't go shopping, I did some other quite interesting things with my day. I read a ton about the difference between being 'fit', being 'healthy' and being 'toned'. Being fit, does not mean that you run around the block twenty times and are still not tired. What it means, is that IF there ever came a time in your life, where you HAD to run around the block twenty times, you COULD accomplish that. Hypothetical. In order to get to that stage, you must and should work out at least three times a week for a half hour, mostly doing cardio and lifting weights. (That's my take on it, of course a professional will use the term in a different way.) Now, if this is the category that you are happy being in, then... that's great! However, keep in mind, that gymming is still a part of the equation. Stamina isn't simply dropped into your lap from heaven, it comes from the right amount of exercise and the right kind of exercise. Being fit, quite literally means: can I fit into this shape/size?
Being healthy and being fit are what most people ought to strive for. Being healthy typically means organizing your food in a manner that treats your body right. Six to eight servings of fruits and veggies as well as the proper amounts of grains (about a cup a day of brown rice), some protein as obtained from meats, nuts and soy, and finally, dairy. What is a serving? The basic serving size for a single portion of fruits or vegetables is a 1/2 cup. One ought to consume at least 250 ml of yogurt a day, in order to attain the recommended daily intake. This means that fast food is out of the equation almost all of the time, a few days excepted. As long as all of the above criteria are met, one can see a reasonable amount of change in mood, personal relationships and self-esteem. Being healthy and being fit, does not guarantee you looking like Jessica Alba or like Jennifer Lopez or for the men, like David Beckham and the new Ryan Gosling. It is possible to be toned by working out a little outside of one's comfort zone, with free weights, etc. But, it is not altogether possible with striving to be fit and healthy.
What does guarantee this switch from simply a "feel-good" to a "feel-like-so-and-so" is a rigorous daily activity that consists of working out different muscles each day as well as a controlled diet that relies heavily on routine. I am en-route to being toned, but I'm still learning. The very first thing that I learnt is that it takes a crazy amount of time and patience with your body to figure out what it needs, when it needs it. Especially if you're trying not to become a celebrity of any sort, it's hard to find the motivation to work out every day or to attain a regularity in your diet. Moreover, it is hard to be in a "feel-good" zone, if what you are doing is consistently pumping weights and not doing what you love. There needs to be a balance. That's what I'm trying to find. Hence, the dancing and the jumping around like a maniac.
This was one of those days. It started off with a pizza for lunch and a very messed up sleeping schedule. Hopefully, I shall be back on track by tomorrow. I did, however, consume 5 servings of fruits and veggies... but, that's as far as the healthy aspect of my diet goes.
Sunday, 25 December 2011
Day 1: Christmas Day, ought to be an auspicious start to any endeavour.
I started off the day exceptionally well: 30 minutes of yoga and my regular intake of water and a banana.
I found an amazing way to stretch and get into the zone of belly dancing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0MiC4lYVjc. I've been using this video for the past year before I start any kind of aerobics or dance routine. Part two of the series is useful to begin practicing belly dancing.
Belly dancing is an amazing way to work out your abs while having fun! Just last year, browsing through the web, my friend and I came across this Spanish song, that I now use to get into the mood to belly dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y6nl7s6V3s.
Aside from this random Spanish song, there are tons of songs by Shakira, such as La Tortura and Hips Don't Lie as well as other music that you can dance to. The great thing about dancing is that as long as the music is great you can have a fabulous time burning those extra calories. Jump, do some jumping jacks, shake those hips and DANCE until your legs go into shock! If you're lucky enough to have a partner who can dance just as well, or who wants to learn a new dance form with you, why not try something together like jazz, hip hop, salsa, tango, and even just moving around to a video.
Embarrassing myself is part of the fun that I have while dancing. My mom or my dad come into the room and ask me if I've been possessed by a demon... but, it's all in good fun.
I danced, I laughed and cleaned a ton. I also ate some amazing food and made some healthy carrot, bran cupcakes. It was a spectacular day!
The mess, post cleaning the book shelf. This was the stuff on and around it.
I found an amazing way to stretch and get into the zone of belly dancing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0MiC4lYVjc. I've been using this video for the past year before I start any kind of aerobics or dance routine. Part two of the series is useful to begin practicing belly dancing.
Belly dancing is an amazing way to work out your abs while having fun! Just last year, browsing through the web, my friend and I came across this Spanish song, that I now use to get into the mood to belly dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y6nl7s6V3s.
Aside from this random Spanish song, there are tons of songs by Shakira, such as La Tortura and Hips Don't Lie as well as other music that you can dance to. The great thing about dancing is that as long as the music is great you can have a fabulous time burning those extra calories. Jump, do some jumping jacks, shake those hips and DANCE until your legs go into shock! If you're lucky enough to have a partner who can dance just as well, or who wants to learn a new dance form with you, why not try something together like jazz, hip hop, salsa, tango, and even just moving around to a video.
Embarrassing myself is part of the fun that I have while dancing. My mom or my dad come into the room and ask me if I've been possessed by a demon... but, it's all in good fun.
I danced, I laughed and cleaned a ton. I also ate some amazing food and made some healthy carrot, bran cupcakes. It was a spectacular day!
One of my neighbours is heading off to an old age home. She is a charming, wonderful person and has always called me Moon. For that, I am forever blessed by her presence in my life - she never let me forget that I am and always will be a kid.
My painting's almost done... about three more days of work.
I helped my mommy clean out the book shelves and such today. Wow, I found a lot of books that brought back some amazing memories. Enid Blyton short stories, anyone?
I baked a batch of healthy cupcakes: carrot bran with blueberries and of course, a hint of unhealthiness - the icing.
The mess, post cleaning the book shelf. This was the stuff on and around it.
Finally cleaned my paint brushes and paint set, although, it is still a disorganized MESS.
My very first Casio, I shall never forget you old friend. We had some good memories...
My sister's language book from grade 2. Yes, I was very bossy. :P
Tomorrow's Mantra: Avoid the crazy materialism and work on my novel :)!
À demain!
Saturday, 24 December 2011
Prep Day: Everything was beautiful :)
À demain! :)
Purpose
I know that there have been a ton of articles and clippets and snippets from tons of magazines and what not telling you that you can be skinny or be a sexy new you in less than x number of days. I plan on testing out a theory of my own. A plain and simple: eat what you want (healthy, of course), exercise how you want - making it as fun as possible and keep in mind that the goal is not to lose weight, but to enjoy yourself to a new you.
Now, critics may ask me what it is that I am doing that is different from everyone else. My answer to that will be quite simple: I won't just be telling you how to exercise and how to eat, but also what I eat and why that makes me feel good and how that affects my mood and my personality. Beyond that, I will be chronicling the activities that I love (so not telling you every gory detail of my life with charts for calories and weight loss and other crazy things like that, but just enough to let you know that I do in fact sleep, somewhere in the midst of blogging about said path to a new life and actually doing it).
This morning, for instance, I started my day with a banana and about 3 - 4 glasses of water (approx. 750 ml.). I do this almost everyday. It's become a routine. It helps me focus, concentrate and get the day going right. Unfortunately, because I am at my parents' and my mom is a vegetarian and does not approve of eggs in the fridge, they are the thing that is missing from my morning chow-sesh. So I am starting off with some brownie points in the bag already: my BMI is approx. 22.5, which falls under the healthy category, I am curvy and so do need to tone my inner thighs and belly is I want to look even better than I do now, I am in university (in a program that makes me exceptionally satisfied), I read a ton - everything under the sun, and I have gorgeous eyes. I am very very lucky to have a gym right downstairs as well as a swimming pool.
I have several goals that I will be setting out for myself: finish my novel, paint a ton, relax a ton, because as a university student, I require my peace during the holidays... if that means neglecting to inform a couple of friends that I will not be attending their parties this year, so be it. I've learned to put my own happiness before that of a commercial one anyway. (I think that they would prefer a decent conversation over coffee instead of getting drunk, anyway. If they don't, I am fairly certain they are not my friends ;)). I will be working out a lot and sharing the details of it as well as having a couple of days where I simply loaf around the house because, let's face it, we all have those days. Let's hope that is not coupled with binge eating chips or chocolate... but it's not likely to happen if I let myself eat a piece of dark chocolate every day.
Of course, keeping you updated through this blog is one of the many many goals.
Let's begin by saying that we are all beautiful. Because to be quite honest, we really are, even the men are quite beautiful. We all have a little bit of good in us and we are not all bad. We are worth everybody's time, because in my experience, the conversations with strangers on the street or in coffee shops, cordial as they are, have been exceptionally enlightening. We deserve respect and hope and encouragement from everyone, everywhere we go. But, criticism is a part of the encouragement to do better. These are our collective strengths, while the individual weaknesses need to be acknowledged and then changed. These weaknesses are not just individual, though. We can all learn to respect other people more, encourage the people around us to do their very best and give and receive hope.
In light of that, my mantra for today is: I will not lose my temper, even if I feel like I am being wronged. I will acknowledge the misunderstandings in communication and face the fact that not everyone is on the same page as me. If someone is angry at me, I will listen and try to make amends.
What's your mantra?
Now, critics may ask me what it is that I am doing that is different from everyone else. My answer to that will be quite simple: I won't just be telling you how to exercise and how to eat, but also what I eat and why that makes me feel good and how that affects my mood and my personality. Beyond that, I will be chronicling the activities that I love (so not telling you every gory detail of my life with charts for calories and weight loss and other crazy things like that, but just enough to let you know that I do in fact sleep, somewhere in the midst of blogging about said path to a new life and actually doing it).
This morning, for instance, I started my day with a banana and about 3 - 4 glasses of water (approx. 750 ml.). I do this almost everyday. It's become a routine. It helps me focus, concentrate and get the day going right. Unfortunately, because I am at my parents' and my mom is a vegetarian and does not approve of eggs in the fridge, they are the thing that is missing from my morning chow-sesh. So I am starting off with some brownie points in the bag already: my BMI is approx. 22.5, which falls under the healthy category, I am curvy and so do need to tone my inner thighs and belly is I want to look even better than I do now, I am in university (in a program that makes me exceptionally satisfied), I read a ton - everything under the sun, and I have gorgeous eyes. I am very very lucky to have a gym right downstairs as well as a swimming pool.
I have several goals that I will be setting out for myself: finish my novel, paint a ton, relax a ton, because as a university student, I require my peace during the holidays... if that means neglecting to inform a couple of friends that I will not be attending their parties this year, so be it. I've learned to put my own happiness before that of a commercial one anyway. (I think that they would prefer a decent conversation over coffee instead of getting drunk, anyway. If they don't, I am fairly certain they are not my friends ;)). I will be working out a lot and sharing the details of it as well as having a couple of days where I simply loaf around the house because, let's face it, we all have those days. Let's hope that is not coupled with binge eating chips or chocolate... but it's not likely to happen if I let myself eat a piece of dark chocolate every day.
Of course, keeping you updated through this blog is one of the many many goals.
Let's begin by saying that we are all beautiful. Because to be quite honest, we really are, even the men are quite beautiful. We all have a little bit of good in us and we are not all bad. We are worth everybody's time, because in my experience, the conversations with strangers on the street or in coffee shops, cordial as they are, have been exceptionally enlightening. We deserve respect and hope and encouragement from everyone, everywhere we go. But, criticism is a part of the encouragement to do better. These are our collective strengths, while the individual weaknesses need to be acknowledged and then changed. These weaknesses are not just individual, though. We can all learn to respect other people more, encourage the people around us to do their very best and give and receive hope.
In light of that, my mantra for today is: I will not lose my temper, even if I feel like I am being wronged. I will acknowledge the misunderstandings in communication and face the fact that not everyone is on the same page as me. If someone is angry at me, I will listen and try to make amends.
What's your mantra?
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