EATING WELL AND LOSING MUCH
Have you ever stepped inside a Uniqlo store and left frustrated because not a single item fit you? I have, and what a massive blow to my ego that was. It’s humiliating — to pick out so many items, try them on, and return everything to the overly excited attendant manning the fitting room. On the rare successful attempts that I had something fit, however, I had to thank the fashion gods for making oversized clothing a trend. Yes, I have a couple of Uniqlo shirts in my closet, too. Except, even if their tags say they’re oversized XL, they fit like a super slim shirt on me. Suman kung suman!
For most of my life, as much as I tried caring about how I looked, I focused more on satisfying my insatiable appetite for food. When I landed my dream job working for a food magazine, the disregard for my health just became worse. For five straight years, I barely had any physical activity aside from the occasional transport of kitchen implements and props. I was never busog, even after a five-hour feast at Spiral or a food crawl through a dozen new restaurants. I went to a boxing class once, but thought that one session was more than enough. I loved eating so much that I never noticed how much I grew.
But to my surprise — and absolute dismay — our magazine had to be shut down, and I found myself without a fulltime job in the middle of 2017. I resolved to use the time I suddenly had so much of to take a break and finally make improvements on myself. I vowed to try new things that didn’t involve food or had to be done in the kitchen. So on Aug. 10, after incessant persuasion by a close friend, I got on an indoor cycling bike and endured 45 minutes of heart-pounding choreography. I left Electric Studio sore all over but already smitten with this super-fun workout. It also helped that the music was ace, the instructors were inspiring and my friends were riding beside me. I got to unleash the competitor inside me! Honestly, the desire to stay up on the bike throughout the duration of a class (I sat down through more than half of the choreography on my initial attempts) came first before thoughts of making my health a priority. I was having absolute fun, and little did I notice that I was already
The loss of a dream job left this writer with plenty of free time to focus on himself. And that focus came with losing 30-plus unwanted pounds.
losing weight.
I searched for workouts that I could commit to on days I wasn’t on a bike (because I also can’t afford to do it more than twice a week). I realized that I prefer choreographed group exercises, so I joined our church’s Zumbahan sa Simbahan every Saturday morning. I never left a session without a smile, also because of how supportive the Zumbahan titas and titos have been. I also found that I enjoy weight training, so I brought our dusty home dumbbells to use. And for balance of both the heart and mind, YouTube yoga has helped me a lot.
Soon, I noticed improvements in my fitness and my general well-being. The best part? I’ve been enjoying every step of it! Although, from the beginning, I knew that working out was just getting a quarter of the work done; if I wanted to improve more, I had to change my eating habits, no matter how challenging that may seem. From the get-go, I set a non-negotiable: I will not restrict myself from eating any food. I know I’d become sad if I did, and that might even end up more discouraging. Diets were out of the question. I couldn’t settle for a quick fix. Though I have friends who’ve lost so much from eating it, keto just never appealed to me. I love my carbs! I also knew that intermittent fasting wouldn’t work for me because hunger renders me inefficient. So I relied heavily on good-old portion control and strict calorie counting. I had to cut my rice intake to about a quarter cup per meal, but I still got to eat adobo, kare-kare and kaldereta. I learned about caloric deficits (mainly by following fitness accounts on Instagram) and, ultimately, eating better.
I said goodbye to 2017 30-plus pounds lighter. I could have done better, but I am satisfied. I enjoy all the workouts I do (supportive family and friends will keep you going), I get to eat what I want (though more mindful and respectful of food) and I walk with more confidence (I barely hide in the bathroom before the start of a workout anymore; wearing proper workout clothes helps a lot!). I started this so-called journey wanting to see the three-digit number on my weighing scale begin with the number one. Before the year ended, and right after all the holiday festivities, I surprised myself by hitting that target. It’s my favorite gift I’ve ever given myself. And to get here without sacrificing my love for food is the massive shiny ribbon on top.
P.S. I went to Uniqlo the other day. A regular XL-sized item fit me well but I didn’t buy it. I’m going for L this year.