Thursday, July 08, 2004
Why?
Why a separate blog for fitness? As I introduced on my main blog, I was inspired by the Xena: Warrior Princess episode, The Way. I realized shortly after watching that wonderful show that I had lost focus in two very important personal goals: writing and fitness.
Several years ago I started a major fitness program inspired by my mom's health probs at the time. The first (and easiest) change was going to the gym. I'd been a member of Ballys since college but rarely used visited any of the facilities. Fortunately for me, there was a branch within a mile from work and, due to my job duties, I was able to negotiate a one and a half hour lunch break with my boss.
In one of my (numerous) fitness mags was an article on motivation. The writer pointed out that many folks take fitness too seriously, performing exercises they hated. He wrote that folks, especially beginners, should try to select exercises they enjoyed first, then move to more difficult ones.
I took the advice to heart. I've always enjoyed step aerobics. I determined when each class was scheduled at what gym and started to attend those classes. At one point I attended six step classes a week! But I thoroughly enjoyed being at the gym: I never felt I was working out. (There was even a point where I actually scheduled classes back to back!)
Weight training would come later. (See below.)
The next major step was altering my diet. R. had tried for years but I ignored all advice. This time I listened and took many steps to alter nearly twenty years of bad habits. I ate salads, dropped (most) fried foods, learned to like healthier choices (like soy milk), etc. One of the biggest surprises was learning that I am hypoglycemic. Suddenly all the mood swings associated with food made sense.
The impact of this regimen was impressive. I lost thirty pounds in six months. My high cholesterol drastically dropped while the good cholesterol jumped up; my asthma practically vanished; and I lost two men's pants sizes (from a size 38 to a size 36). I was in the best shape I had been in my life (which later prove fortunate....)
I started weight training three months into my program. I was unsatisfied with the results and consulted with R. about hiring a personal training. Fortunately Ballys was running a special at the time. I hired one for three months and quickly learned why I had failed on my own: my weights were set way too low.
Weight training is dramatically different than cardio exercise. Unlike most men and some one, I don't enjoy lifting weights. But I quickly learned that while aerobic exercise and diet kept me healthy, they did little for my appearance. I wanted biceps, baby! So three times a day, during lunch, I worked out with the trainer. And watched, in amazement, as I finally began to manifest a chest, a broad back, and biceps. I even got a round arse! (Thank you, ladies, for those remarks. You know who you are.) There was even an interesting internal change: my size drive. I wouldn't discover the fact until years later, but apparently weight training triggers enough increase in testosterone that I felt I was nineteen years old again. (My spouse, who already thought I was over-sex, had mixed feelings about my new randiness.)
In the three months of training, I gained nearly fifteen pounds of muscle. While I've lost much of it over the past few years, enough has remained to permanently alter my physique.
These changes were put to the test nearly a couple of years later. After completing my time with the trainer, I developed my own programs, much of it based from fitness article. One article discussed using ibuprofen as a regular anti-inflammatory. I adopted the program and took the drug daily with my protein shakes and creatine.
Unfortunately, I had failed to read the warnings to use ibuprofen sparingly since it can cause stomach upset. Worse, for certain folks, the drug can cause ulcers.
And guess what happened to me.
I never forgot the day. I had gone to work feeling dizzy and light-headed. I attributed the condition to my diet. I thought lunch would solve the issue and drove out to my favorite restaurant at the time, Islands. But I never ate or even got seated. I collapsed in the lobby and woke to the concerned face of the manager. The ambulance then arrived.
The next four days were quite...unpleasant. Apparently I had developed an ulcer and lost five pints of blood (body has eight) slowly over a period of what must have been months. Worse, I never noticed any signs. I went into shock at one point in the hospital.
You can imagine what R., who's also a critical care physician, thought when I called from the ER. And when shown the charts. I found out later I was very close to dying. Only two factors: my youth and, more importantly, my superb health, saved me. Both R. and the other physicians who followed up on my case expressed amazement how fast recovered. Even so, I wouldn't try any workouts for at least a couple more weeks.
Later, my health assisted in my rapid recovery of my wisdom teeth.
One of the biggest hurdles for most folks when starting any fitness progs is uncertainty. Many doubt they'll either complete the program or achieve their goal. I know one...friend...who refuses to start any fitness program because he fears he still won't be attractive to anyone after he's lost the weight. As I looked at his 5' 8" frame weighing over 275 pounds, all I felt was amazement.
This must be unique, I thought. I later learned such feelings were not unique, with even family members feeling much the same way.
I didn't think I would never achieve the weight loss. I just focused on the workouts. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Now, a little older, I do understand a bit more about the fear (but for different reasons which I'll discuss another time.) This time, though, I have a new mental tool: I did it once. And I'll do it again.
Got a little side-tracked there. So why the separate blog? Focus Just as one doesn't (usually) think of how cute everyone is while stepping up and down on three levels of step or how cute the gym bunny next to you while you're benching nearly your whole body weight, I realized that I when I'm writing about a day's workout (or lack of), I don't want to be distracted by someone's writing link or the latest movie review. That's one of the reasons this blog (and the Way of the Writer) use different templates. Borrowing an old writing motivation trick, I want my mind to go into fitness mode when seeing this blog.
Will this work? I'm not going to worry about that. Need to plan this week's workout. First, getting measurements...
