One who is healthy in spirit is healthy in mind. Or something along those lines, as one Greek philosopher once said. That is a bold but righteous statement. For some people, though it is easier to keep up their body, in check, so to say while others can maintain the strength of mind independently of their body physique. I am sure you came across those people who can continually consume absurd amount of food on daily basis and keep on smiling back at you in months’ time being nice and fit, while you know that if this is something that you would do, you would barely be able to stretch one side of your mouth, trying to push out a smile to anyone at all. I am sure I would not be able to smile.
You see, I have never been a friend with my metabolical skills but I can tell you that I have been a very happy kid, who would always have a piece of sweet surprise on his plate. I guess I am simply not equipped with the best skills to digest those kind of surprises, which had been my main source of despair throughout my life. Unlucky? Genes? Whatever it is, I am still glad to be digesting any kind of food still, if you know what I mean. So the best thing to do was to build a routine around my “life calendar” and simply deal with it.
I have to remind myself to pat myself on the back a bit more often - I have never sticked to a healthy diet for longer than a week before. It daunted on me right in the middle of 2017 - it is time to change things around and make the best out of my body while I am still young. My belly has been, it feels like, a persistent parasite that I have never been able to exterminate. Then I thought “if not now…then when? When I am past my 30s?” I knew that it would be more difficult to get back into shape that late and why on earth was I still overweight and so young? I really wanted to take advantage of my youth and put my body to the test.
To my astonishment, this has been going on since the end of August 2017. Of course, occasional cheat meals here and there but I kept my routine healthy diet. In order not to make the worst out of it, I did not impose harsh limits on myself and kept the rules easy - Monday to Friday, no junk or sweet food, portions of reasonable size, carbs eaten separately from the protein (with about 10-15 minutes break in between), eat at certain time per day (four times per day) while weekends were flexible - I would eat anything and as much as I could…until the pact came along in March. Another test for my body and mind to reach their triumph.
When it comes to paying closer attention to the food you eat, you still have to experiment around - this is something that may be least or most exciting to some, I imagine. You have to test what portions you can eat per meal, how much carbs you need to eat and whether you should eat too much or just enough of them on a certain day (especially on your workout days) and what will that “enough” be exactly for you? How many calories do you need to consume and how many will you lose after the workout? Is it fine to eat mainly protein foods and reduce carbs and fats to a very low amount and if you do so, will you be performing well during your workouts or will you be losing the mass along with your muscles (if someone knows and answer to this, please leave a comment)? You see, a lot of questions will arise during your new diet plan and only you can answer them after a long time of trying things out. And the list of those questions will be piling up on and on but I can tell you that the more you get to know your body, the better you get to know who you are. I shall share my diet with you later on but bear in mind that we are all different so something that works for me might not work for you as well.
I am however giving it another week to see what difference it makes for me during the workouts while I am pursuing the diet. It has not been rough thus far but it definitely feels new. Another thing that feels new is taking cold and hot showers. Oh yeah - horrifying but definitely wakes up your mind and body - every time that I go through the torrents of hot shower and then switch to cold water for 15 seconds, I feel like each muscle tries to spring out through the skin - weirdly satisfying feeling of being a transformer, so to say. In addition to that, this week's Tuesday will be when I finish my detox drink (cucumber, ginger and lemon). And after that cleansing, I'd start thinking when I could schedule my first day of fasting and then fasting with workout! That would be yet another challenge to my list.
Having been on this rocky road for the past three weeks definitely feels different. I am preparing to give up any kind of cheat meals and Saturday rushes of healthy food for some time. Honestly, sticking to a certain regime and preparing your body for it along the way definitely pays it off. If there is a dis-balance brought to my body then I immediately feel displaced and disturbed by that sudden and short change. It is not really worth it in the long run because satisfying your body is only a mere illusion and trickery to your mind. Yes, you can stuff yourself with dozen of ice creams and chocolates or loads of fruits and rice cakes but when your mind realises that you are not prepared to function at any level only once your body is stuffed, so you satisfy neither in the end, really. Following the routine is rough but it can definitely shape a great and always-prepared person out of you. The one who is ready to jump into any crowd, sing any song and stay high in spirit. The challenge goes on!