Like a lot of Americans, I struggle with the challenge of living a healthy lifestyle. All of my life, I've exercised more than most Americans. I also have a tendency to eat too much junk food, like most Americans. I used to drink two or three Mountain Dews every day. And my weight, throughout my adult life, has fluctuated from around 190 pounds to 208 pounds. When I go over 200, I can see it in my stomach and in the tightness of my clothes. I get angry with myself and I begin cutting back on the junk.
I weighed 190 pounds in 1975, when I was a senior in college. During the past year, as I worked hard on the online school--sitting at my computer 8 to 10 hours a day--and having an irregular heartbeat--my weight crept up over 200. I could see it in the fact that my stomach was visible in the lessons I videotaped for the website. At 6 feet tall, I can carry 200 pounds, but that's not where I want to be. I'd rather be at 190.
Three weeks ago, when I came down with pneumonia the day after my third heart surgery of the year, they weighed me in at the hospital and I was at 208 pounds. They wrote it on a little white marker board that I stared at while lying in the bed recovering. I understood that some of the weight was fluid that had built up, some of it in my lungs, but still the number bothered me.
When I got out of the hospital, I bought a new digital scale, and became determined to drop the weight. Pneumonia certainly helped--the body pulls energy from every place it can to fight the illness--and for the past two weeks I've been consistent at 189 pounds. That's a big weight loss in just over a week, but in some ways I consider it a gift and I'm determined to make the best out of it.
My cardio endurance hasn't recovered yet from the pneumonia, but Nancy and I joined one of those 24/7 fitness centers and we've been going almost every day. I've resumed my weight-training workouts, working on a different muscle group each time and focusing on abs every time. Working to strengthen the core is one of the smartest things anyone can do, and I can feel a difference already. Cardio endurance is a different matter. When I do a strenuous tai chi form like Cannonfist, I feel fatigue through my chest when I'm only halfway through the form. I have a long way to go before the first tournament in early March.
For years, my favorite source for health, nutrition and fitness information has been Men's Health magazine and its website. I've bought several of their books during the past few years and I've paid attention to their lessons on nutrition and proper workouts.
Besides stepping up our workouts, Nancy and I are changing our nutritional habits. I'm eating a grapefruit each day, working in better carbs such as whole wheat products and steel-cut oatmeal, and adding more fruits and vegetables into the diet. Junk food has been dropped almost entirely. I've cut back on caffeine, too. Before I experienced atrial fibrillation, I sometimes drank a couple of Rockstar or Red Bulls each day. Now, I won't touch the stuff. Caffeine shouldn't be necessary for us to function well. If we're fueling our bodies with the right nutrition, we should have everything we need. If you're a typical caffeine drinker and go cold turkey, you'll have a serious headache for two or three days. That should tell you something. Anything that causes your body to go into withdrawals can't be a good thing when we do it to extreme. I enjoy my coffee in the morning, but by 10 a.m. I'm done for the day and I switch to non-caffeinated drinks.
The right nutrition and fitness lifestyle is even more important as we get older. Our bodies can't absorb the same abuse that we inflicted on ourselves when we were young. In college, my typical dinner would be two quarter-pounders with cheese, a large order of fries, a large Coke, and an apple pie. In the evening when studying or watching TV, I would drink 64 ounces of Coke and eat a bag of potato chips. I stayed the same weight. Now, that type of meal and junk food on a regular basis would result in obesity.
Look around at the people you see out in public. Most of them are fat. The health impact is tremendous and horrible. And it's all because of bad nutritional habits and a lack of exercise. I went to a buffet restaurant a few weeks ago and was stunned at the number of fat people gathering at the trough, piling up their plates. You think about how many millions of people around the world are just trying to find enough to eat to keep themselves alive another day, and the selfishness and gluttony of Americans is shameful. And we're killing ourselves with food.
I don't feel that I've been in top shape for about 4 years. Running my own kung-fu school actually hurt my physical conditioning. I was teaching but I was working full-time AND trying to run a school. On off days, I had little energy for training.
2009 is the year I get it back. My atrial fibrillation is gone, thanks to Dr. Michael Giudici. And now it's my turn to bring about a lifestyle change -- better nutrition and an effective workout schedule. It can work if it's accompanied by determination and drive.
Let's do this.
Yeah, I don't drink or smoke, but food has become my biggest vice. It's a struggle to keep my weight below 220.
One bright spot is that my son loves fresh fruit. He helps inspire me. I remember one time a few weeks after I adopted him that I left an open bag of cookies and a pint of strawberries on the table. He zeroed right in on the strawberries for breakfast.
I've been working out hard since the start of the year. If my work situation picks up and I can put some money away, I'm going to do the International Chinese Martial Arts Championship in May, compete in senior forms, senior weapons and chi sao if the latter is offered.
My big goal is to go to Dallas, do the Chin Woo Taiji Legacy tournament in July and go for the Wing Chun Division Grand Championship.
I've already got a couple of friends in Dallas who've agreed to let me crash on their couch. That'll be a big savings.
And, I will be posting my training adventures on www.myspace.com/pen_and_sword.
Well, good luck with your training Ken. I'm looking forward to following it and getting some inspiration in the coming year.
All the best.
Posted by: Sean C. Ledig | January 13, 2009 at 05:22 AM
At some point, good food just tastes better.
I hope your changes workout.
Posted by: Steven Smith | January 13, 2009 at 10:56 PM
Hey Steve,
That's a great point. I keep arguing about that with my wife.
She constantly complains that I don't put salt into my cooking. I keep explaining to her that I was a major salt addict for much of my youth. I weaned myself off of it by using a lot of spices in my cooking.
I keep telling her that after you break the salt habit, you really lose your cravings for salt. But, she's not willing to take that first step and she's always complaining my food is too "bland."
(Note: Anyone who's eaten my chili, or any of my Mexican cooking, or seen me pile on the jalapenos onto burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches would vehemently disagree with her.)
Posted by: Sean C. Ledig | January 14, 2009 at 05:20 PM