Friday, December 05, 2003

RUN!

This week I decided to run away from one thing that causes my insecurities. When I say run away, I mean it literally.

And so last Tuesday, at 5 am I put on my jogging shoes and joined my Landlord Bobby, a policeman, in his morning jog at the Amari reclamation area. Yes, Amari - that controversial reclamation project of the Public Estate Authority. Amari is now a new jogging haven of residents near the Roxas Boulevard area. Free from the sidewalk vendors that infest the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex, what you have is an unobstructed jogging path. And since it is quite far and in the absence of a public transportation (i.e. jeep, bus, etc) going to the place, only those who have a car can go there, which would mean, konti lang ang jologs!

Since, Bobby can only go with me every other day, I alternate my jogging with my Tae Bo exercise, using Billy Blank’s video.

But of course, exercise is not enough, If I really intend to lose weight, I have to couple it with diet. Since Monday, I have been eating breakfast cereal (Fitness by Nestle) and fruits, a cup of rice and some meat for lunch, and fruits for dinner. I tried to stay away from sweets and white bread (those made of refined processed flour).

I’ve realized the most difficult part is to get started. I’ve been wanting to do this since January this year and it is only now that I was able to start. However, the most difficult part of all is resisting the temptation to eat more than what is necessary. For years, food has been my coping mechanism. When I’m bored, I eat. When I’m pressured, I eat. I love to eat bread (pan de coco, ensaimada, ube pan, name it!), I love to eat almost anything. The trouble is actually compounded since my office is just a stone throw away from greenbelt where all the nice restaurants, fastfoods and coffee shops are.

I am 80 percent successful in controlling my urge to eat (I am still on my first week ok!). Eating fruits can be boring, my only consolation is that I have set my Sundays as my “day off”. On Sunday, I can eat anything that I want. That is my reward for having disciplined my self, and of course, a preparation for another 6 days of controlled eating.

I am giving myself six months to achieve my desired result. Hopefully next week, I’ll be able to enroll in a gym for my weight training.

This time, I hope it will work.

No comments: