Quote of the day 28062017

Yay, quote of the day is back! I haven't shared as many quotes as I had anticipated because frankly I haven't really came across many that really touched my heart. This one, though, really hit home as soon as I read it.

 "You alone get to choose what matters and what does not.  The meaning of everything in your life has precisely the meaning you give it."

Yes, it's so true! When we were little, our parents taught us how to think; as we grew up, teachers and friends further shaped the way we think. However, ultimately we are the ones responsible for our own lives; we alone make the choices that will affect our own happiness. Other people's values and opinions can only be used as a reference because they are not living our lives! So whether it's a personal goal or love interest or political stance or even being wronged by someone... Don't assign it a value based on someone else's priorities. Base it on your own!

Afterthought: There's power in choosing what matters and what does not. We can choose to not be reduced by the negative things in our lives!

Accountability June 17~23

Hi guys! Last week's accountability report is a bit late because I just flew back from Peru. It was peppered with unexpected incidents, but over all it was a great trip--I got to cross Machu Picchu off my bucket list!

Because I was on holiday and didn't have access to the gym, I've decided to track my exercise by counting steps using my Fitbit. However, I feel that these numbers below don't do the physical exertion justice, as we were at 3500m above sea level and the air is literally thin. Imagine hiking! So with that in mind, below is my accountability report:

• Mexico City day tour 11,126 steps (at sea level)
• Cusco city tour 14,000 steps
• Sacred Valley tour 14,719 steps
• Machu Picchu 20,134 steps
• South Valley tour 16,340 steps
• Consistently followed intermittent fasting diet for 3 days (Very hard to decline breakfast buffet and scheduled meals during flights...)
• Personal milestone: I was able to climb up steep stairs/terrain at high altitude. I was a little puffed, but I wasn't puffed out--and it only took 1~2 minutes of rest for me to recover to resting heart/respiratory rate. All the training has paid off!
• Personal realization: I am very sensitive to racism. I didn't think I would be, but I am. During this trip there were times that I felt discriminated against; it takes all the positive thinking I have to not let it ruin my day nor turn to reverse-racism. I will go into more details in another blog post.
• What I can improve on: drinking less alcohol (something I neglected while on holiday), doing more yoga and stretching (I really haven't been doing this at all during this trip), studying more and procrastinating less (to make up for all the time lost). And spend less money!

That's all from me today! Have a great week ahead!

Accountability June 12~16

This week is cut short because I'll be traveling to Peru tonight! Hence from tomorrow onwards I'll be tracking my exercise in different ways. But so far this week this is what I have:

-Boxing circuit 30min x 3 times
-Brazilian jiu-jitsu 60min

I took some time off because of severe period pain this week... Sigh... But I've tried my best and that's what's important.

Numbers

I'm a little OCD. Not enough to be on therapy or medication, but I have OCD tendencies and whenever I'm doing something repetitive I count. I count steps when I walk up or down stairs. When I workout I count each rep (both sides must have same number of reps)! I try not to care, but truth be told, numbers matter to me.

There are other numbers, perhaps more important numbers, in our lives too. Age! Weight! Dress size! Income! Blood pressure! Blood sugar! Cholesterol! Sometimes we want those numbers to be up; other times we wish those numbers could be lowered. But it's crucial to realize: sometimes numbers are there for our reference. We use them to compare ourselves with others.

It's not the number--it's the act of comparison that is the big deal. Having a bad number is not a death sentence. It's the mental and physical punishment that we give ourselves afterwards that's deadly.

Do you obsess over any numbers in your life? I know I do. I get a little sad every time I realize I'm the oldest person in the room. Everyone my age already have kids meanwhile I still don't feel ready. At 5'1 I'm often the shortest person in a room. That, combined with the fact I'm not thin, can make me feel bad sometimes. But short of starving myself, I can never become tall and lanky--heck, I can't even be small and scrawny because my body is just not built that way. So it's time to accept ourselves as we are and stop caring about the numbers and the comparisons they stand for.

I'm not saying that when you see red numbers in your health check report you should ignore them though! What I'm saying is that you should take those numbers as a warning and make changes accordingly so you can enjoy your health for longer. The focus is on the latter--enjoying your health! It's the difference between positive and negative thinking. For example, when I had a high cholesterol reading, instead of cutting out a whole bunch of my favorite foods I looked at how I can maximize my exercise time and what foods offer healthy fats. Without intentionally cutting out any foods I was able to improve my cholesterol levels the next time I had a checkup. True improvements and lifestyle changes are gradual and sustainable; while punishing ourselves for a bad number is not fun, productive, nor sustainable.

In closing I'll leave you with a picture of me playing on the trampoline with my nieces. I feel just as young and flexible as them, and perhaps even more free. But who's comparing, right?

 

Prerequisites

Prerequisites. This word comes up when you are either applying for a course or a job--but what about life? What are the prerequisites of having a healthy, happy life?

Having a functional body? Having a loving family? Having lots of money and material goods? Have a successful career? I think the answer is different for everyone and might even be a combination of answers.

I read something interesting today: "Confidence is not a prerequisite to present and future performance." Confidence comes from the success of previous experience, so if you're venturing into new territory you may not be very confident--but that doesn't mean you won't be able to achieve whatever you set out to do. I really think this applies to our lives as well. Think about starting healthy habits like eating right, exercising more, not holding onto grudges, positive thinking... all of these things actually don't require confidence--they just require us to actually start doing!

Like I've shared in a previous post--I've never been good at sports in the past. When I started kickboxing last year and then subsequently Brazilian jiu jitsu this year, I was afraid; I was afraid that it may be too hard for me and that I wasn't going to stick with it. And a lot of days I don't actually want to leave the house and workout and get all sweaty; a lot of times I wanted to do something else with my time. But I just decided to take it one day at a time and just show up (sometimes by bribing myself with the promise of a treat). I don't think about any grand goals like losing 10lb or getting six pack abs or being able to run a marathon or anything like that. I don't even think about giving my best during the workout. I just think: today I'll show up to the gym.

Just show up. That's the prerequisite! :)

 

Accountability report June 5~11

This week the weather was wonderful so I was able to do more outdoor activities!

 

• Bike riding 90 minutes 
• Boxing circuit 30 minutes 3 times
• Brazilian jiu jitsu 60 minutes 
• Outdoor running 45 minutes 
• Outdoor strolling 150 minutes

 

• Consistently followed intermittent fasting for 5 days
• Personal milestone: got off my ass and started studying! And started up brand new podcast www.medonthego.podbean.com
• Personal realization: don't take everything so personally! Sometimes what we perceive as an offense or slight or embarrassment is actually nothing--we obsess because we care too much and are too self conscious. If we just stop doing that, the world would be a simpler place.
• What I can improve on: update this blog more! Do more yoga and stretching, use the roller foam more.

 

That's all from from me this week! Happy weekend for now!

Accountability report May 28~June 3

I almost forgot that one of the reasons I wanted to start this blog is keep myself accountable. So from now on every week I'll post a status report to track my progress towards better health.

For this week:

• Boxing circuit training 30 minutes 4 times
• Brazilian jiu jitsu 60 minutes
• Consistently followed intermittent fasting diet for 5 days (so far)
• Personal milestone: won a cute T shirt for an attendance challenge at the gym! I hardly ever win anything, let alone for sports!
• Personal realization: how people treat you says more about them than you! The problem is usually theirs, not yours!
• What I can improve on: drinking less alcohol, doing more yoga and stretching (especially before BJJ), studying more, and procrastinating less

There! Done for this week! Have a great weekend y'all!

 

Reset

Denial can never solve our problems--because as long as we are in denial, we never address the problem head on. However, sometimes I thank God that we can use just a little bit of denial as a coping mechanism (for a short period of time, mind you). Sometimes we just need that bit of denial to "reset" before we can deal with something on our own terms.

Take today for example.

Last night, my husband and I were stayed up late discussing holiday plans; as a result, I forgot to turn on the alarm for today. This morning I was waken by a phone call from the dentist, wondering why I had missed my appointment. Needless to say, I felt so bad! I felt I had wasted the clinic's time, and I felt it was irresponsible of me to have neglected an appointment. Guilt and shame took over, and I knew that my day was going to be ruined if I kept letting myself spiral.

So I allowed myself to reset.

I turned on a podcast and went back to sleep for a couple more hours. When I woke up again, I told myself that the incident with the clinic was over--I've apologized and it's time to move on. There is no need to take any leftover bad emotions into this "brand new" start to the day. Then I started my day all over again. I went through my usual morning routine, I finalized holiday plans with my husband, I finished a lot of work, and (the icing on the cake) I found out that I'd won a fitness challenge at my boxing gym!

It turned out to be a good day despite the first bad start.

So if you're having a bad day like me, don't be too discouraged. The day will have to end sometime, and then it will be over--in the past behind you. Take a deep breath now, and even if you can't go back to bed like me, go somewhere peaceful in your heart and "reset". There is never a time too late to start over. :)

Me in "sun warrior" pose in the forest--peace is a state of mind!