My six months of struggle in the gym...

My six months of struggle in the gym...

This 2008 is preety good so far. Late 2007 and also most part of 2007 I was working out very little when I was in Boston. The minute I came to Bay Area I made up my mind to change my lifestyle here. From then on played soccer, racquetball, ping-pong, etc and learnt how to swim. With all these activities coupled with my daily piligrimage to gym was taking a toll on my weight. I lost a whooping 20 lbs in the last 5 months and these days trying to maintain my weight at a constant level. The early part of this journey was traumatising, but whenever I saw the results it gave me extra motivation. The key was to take "Every Day At a Time" thinking which helped me a lot. Food at my workplace also helped me a lot as that I had the luxury to eat just salad and chicken for lunch everyday which made my colleagues feel bad about themselves. This is particularly good as that they have changed their eating habits after some time watching me get in shape. I feel good about myself and also for them.

Motivation for working out comes from lots of reading. I call it "reading like hell". I have read almost all the stacked books on exercise and fitness at Barnes and Nobles, which is right across the street from my place, to increase my knowledge on this topic. Constant reading about what others has to say keeps you thinking about why can't you do what they have done. That's when you try to push your limits. Pushing your limits is what makes you reach higher. As Doc (Celtic's coach) tells his team about "Mental Toughness", I have come to realise that also mental toughness the the name of the game to reach for something. The many hours spent in the gym and also at the book store were very fruitful. I am not bragging about my weight reduction here. I just want to share the small whatever I know with my friends so that they would know what to do and what not to do.

There is a long way to go in any path you travel. Whenever you think that's the end; if you think more it can be a new beginning. I have given this a serious taught to this which made me a strong believer in change. Those sports personalities define some new standard just for others to alteast look at it with some awe and for some to strive to their limits to reach for the impossible which they might have dreamed in their wildest dreams. When you get close to your goal then the human nature (atleat for some) is to push the goal further. I think it's like the like poles in a magnet: your set goal and your present state.

Coming to the thing you have to do to reduce weight (it's very simple):
- Oatmeal for breakfast; Eat salad and chicken for lunch; two roti's and achaar (for dinner)
I am fortunate to have my sister sometimes give me packed curries so that I can replace the achaar with those.
- Workout daily (I prefer mornings) with mix of everything: cardio and weights.

And do this mechanically without thinking about it too much. I know I sound like you will be torturing your body, but trust me your torture will be good. You will like it !!!
If you have grown your belly or whatever with all these long years of whatever crap you have been eating then it will take you the same amount of time (way less than that for sure) to lose it. Give your body the much needed shock every time it's in the routine.

I hope this blog will help me atleast to torture myself with more workout routines just to update it next blog posting.