My Actifit Report Card: October 7 2019

At the start of this year, I made a pact with myself promising that I will do everything in my power to get myself back in shape. Funny because I used to joke about round being a shape too. But this year, I made a promise that I will have to achieve my weight goals. I have actually reached the goal I set since last March. I had no idea Intermittent fasting was that effective.

_{Photo taken May, 2017}

Since I gave birth, after my kid has weaned, I made a lot of unsuccessful attempts to lose weight. I tried going to the gym, but I just lose my drive whenever I step on the weighing scale seeing no change whatsoever. I also tried going back into jogging but with the extra weight I gained after childbirth, I suffered from Patellofemoral stress syndrome. Then there's the case of diastasis recti. I had to be careful with the workout routine I choose so I won't make it worse. I thought my weight was already a lost cause.

When my husband tried intermittent fasting, I tagged along with him since I'm the one doing all the food prep at home. There's nothing really too complicated about it. We first controlled our eating time. When I say control, we had to cleanse ourself from the cravings and unnecessary eating time. I have to say the first months were tough. I felt like I was starving myself to death. To the point that I watch the clock when it's almost eating time. I did a 16/8, then 18/6, then finally 20/4. It was during those transition periods that was the most challenging.

My body and my brain has been programmed to eat whenever I feel like eating. That was the biggest mistake that I have been doing my entire life. With IF, I finally understood that eating is one of the body's way of replenishing. But then there are instances that it goes a bit too greedy that it stores some energy, you know for future use which is only encouraged when our body notices that there is plenty of food intake going on. IF corrected that anomaly in my body system. I learned to eat only when my body is really in dire need of nourishing.

To some it may seem like I'm just starving myself, but to me, it's just that I learned to listen to my body. And to trust in it. Afterall, it is a well crafted machine that has the ability to function perfectly and has a highly reliable failsafe whenever there is something wrong. One way or another, I feel amazed when I have fever because it only means that my immune system is hard at work fighting off some virus or unneeded and unwanted organism trying to do harm in my body. Our body has a buit-in system designed to make sure that everything inside us is A-OK. Amazing, right?

_{Photo from last June, 2019}

Now when your goal has already been achieved, the only logical thing to do is to set another goal. So right now, I am on another fitness journey. I am taking on Insanity workout. A little more seriously this time. Ok. A lot seriously. I used to just do a week or two of this workout but now, I am determined to complete the two month program. So far, I am now in month 2, week 2 of the program. I started late August, hit some bumps on September, but went back again.

You see, my daughter got sick a few weeks ago and I learned that whenever it's between everything else or her, I will always choose her. So forget all those workouts, all those routines. When my daughter needs me, I am there for her.

I actually experienced the discomfort of PFSS again after a week of rest. But of course, when you have a goal, it is important that you keep your focus. So right now, I am still on my #healthier2019 journey. And no, this is not just a program. This is now a lifestyle.

My husband and I had made arrangements for each other for our weekly jogging. He takes Sunday mornings, I took Monday mornings. We even had scheduled our daily lunch time as our me and him time. It is important to have a partner in fitness so you are both in check.

All in all, these are a couple of lessons I learned over this fitness journey:

1. You can never outrun or workout your way through a bad diet.
2. Since diet has been a form of Filipinism here in my country, remember that diet is not starving yourself. It is a program that you follow to keep yourself fully nourished. I've been having a hard time explaining this to the elderly around me and my husband but as a form of request, just leave them be. As long as you know that you get the nutrients your body needs, you're fine.
3. It is okay to feel tired. I stopped working out last May. Although I continued my 20/4 IF. I went back into sweating by June but hit another bump last July. It doesn't matter how many times you fall, it is important that you always try to get back up again. _{(Insert Troll movie OST Get Back Up Again)}
4. Some people need groups to encourage them. Some people need an instructor or a mentor. I on the other hand, have my husband. As a woman, I have a monthly spiraling where I crave for random food, most of which are chocolates. My husband is always there to either binge with me, or to remind me subtly of my goals. If you find that the one you're expecting to encourage you turns out to give you the beating and the guilt trip, ditch them.

I did not expect for this to be thtis long. It has been a while since I last posted an actifit topic, I just made up for lost time.

Happy #healthier2019 everyone!

Jogging, Shopping