Drag Slows a Body Down

In my previous post about learning to swim, I noted that I learned how to flow through the water straighter by looking at the stripe on the bottom of the pool instead of trying to look forward. It occurs to me that this is a great metaphor for reaching one's life goals.

When swimming, trying to look forward to the end of the pool instead of looking down has two consequences. First, the act of raising your head to look forward causes your legs to drop down in the water, making you slightly more vertical than horizontal. Second, the new leg position creates drag, which slows you down. (This gives whole new meaning to another phrase I heard as a kid . . . "stop dragging your feet.")

Apply this to life. Looking forward, instead of focusing on the tasks at hand changes our focus from the present to the future. The act of changing that focus has a dual effect. First, we stop paying attention to what we're doing. Then, our change of focus makes us slow down in the race to reach our goals.

What if we just put our heads in the game, and stay focused on that "line on the bottom of the pool?" What would happen? I mean, those lines on the bottom of the pool ARE there for a reason, right? Yes! I think what would happen is three-fold.
1. We would stay on the right path - not straying from our goals.
2. In spite of not seeing the end of that line (since we aren't looking up) we would still know when we get to the end of the lane. We know because our line ends, bringing us to the end of our goal.
3. We would ultimately get there quicker.

Identification is the first step toward change. So are we slowing ourselves down? How are we sabotaging our own goals by creating "drag" in our lives?

Boldly Going Where I've Never Gone Before

Yesterday marked a milestone in my life; one I thought I'd never reach. After 36 years, I finally made the decision to learn to swim - really swim. I've watched others do it correctly and was always impressed with how smoothly and confidently they moved through the water. Each time I would think, "Wow, I wish I could do that!"

Since I was a little girl I've had a healthy respect for water. Okay, I'll call a spade a spade, it was really a fear. I was afraid of drowning. Sometimes I was just afraid of getting water up my nose and experiencing that annoying burning sensation. I let these things intimidate me into not trying. Oh, I would get in the water and even swim a pretty good sidestroke, but I could not put my head under without holding my nose and closing my eyes or using goggles.

Something came over me yesterday, so I approached a lifeguard at our pool, asked a few questions, and got a few answers. The journey had begun. If there is one thing I've learned through Spark People it's that armed with information, anyone can turn their life around. So, with this new information and the guidance of a lifeguard on her break, I threw myself into the pool and into learning this life skill.

With a little practice and boldness, I was able to overcome my previous anxieties and learn a variety of new skills.
1. How to hold a breath and submerge without water going up my nose - and without blowing bubbles.
2. How to flow through the water straighter by looking at the stripe on the bottom of the pool instead of trying to look forward.
3. How to breathe to the side while doing a freestyle swim.

Those may not sound like grand milestones to a comfortable swimmer. Rest assured they were huge for me. I practiced for the rest of our time at the pool and came away with a few other pieces of knowledge as well.
1. Even though I've not accomplished it by now doesn't mean I never will. I just have to apply myself.
2. Knowledge can break through many barriers, in swimming and in life.
3. Tackling something I am fearful of (and certain I'll never be able to do) and finding I am wrong creates courage and momentum to strive for other difficult goals.
4. Like my mom always said to me when I was young - "Can't never did!"
5. I have much more fun with my son at the pool as a result of being more comfortable in the water.

Though my journey with Spark People started out as a quest to lose weight, it has turned into so much more. So here I am, 36 years old and overcome with the feeling that a very large part of me just grew up. Did Spark People help me learn to swim? Not directly, but I can safely say that the feeling of accomplishment I've gained through losing 49 pounds (so far) has propelled me toward the search for other areas of my life where I've been selling myself short. I'm now on a quest to boldly go where I've never gone before. What's even better - I'm looking forward to the trip with excitement and wonder, instead of fear and trepidation.

Carpe Diem and the Circle of Good News

Carpe diem? So many things to do in this life, so little time. I don't want to waste a moment. For my body to keep the pace that my mind wants to set, I have to be conditioned, both in body and in mind. That leads me to the age-old question, what came first, the chicken or the egg?

It's like my circle. To stay on track, I have found that I have a circle that cannot be broken. I think of my circle as the "circle of good NEWS." The NEWS being: Nutrition, Exercise, Water, and Sleep. If any one of these things is missing from the circle, my cycle of good health begins to break down. My energy level tanks, I begin having cravings, and out pop all the old excuses for not doing "it," whatever "it" may be at that moment.

So, back to carpe diem. Without my circle of good news, I will struggle to embody carpe diem. With my circle intact, I am ready to seize that day! So, what's next on my list? Bring it on!

Poise in the Face of Frustration: My Challenge as a Parent

"Whether waiting to see a change on the scale, dealing with your coworkers, or diligently putting in work and feeling unappreciated, losing your patience is very easy to do. By exercising patience with all people, you are allowing them to become better and to learn on their own through gentle guidance. One healthy byproduct of self control in the face of frustration is that it usually leads to encouragement and enhancement of your relationships. Happy families and friendships thrive on patience and learning. It may take time to learn, but the results are well worth it!"

This reflection from Spark People today hit a nerve. I exercised with my son today using TaeBo. It was a stressful time. I would have liked for it be enjoyable, but it wasn't. He's 8 years-old and hasn't developed an ability to push through things that are difficult. When things get even slightly challenging for him, he loses his composure and becomes a heap of tears and anger. I have a very difficult time dealing with a person of that mentality - it is so contrary to mine. I was not compassionate toward him at all. His tears come so often that it's like the boy who cries wolf. I never know when it's serious versus when he's just having another meltdown. It's become so common a behavior for him that I have become hardened to it. I've tried to explain this to him, to no avail. But I digress.

He was not giving his best during our exercise. He was moving his arms floppy, barely moving his feet and his body language was one big complaint. It was beyond frustrating. I was angry. I don't expect perfection, not from him, not from anyone, not even myself. What I want is for him to give all of himself to whatever he does. And even with that, it almost seems too much to hope for.

When I was a kid, I recall my mom trying to get me engaged in work. I did everything in my power to get out of it. I made excuses, I sneaked out of the yard work and back into the house. I even recall my emotions. I too was very emotional as a kid. It seemed that tears were my answer for everything. When did that change? Hmm. When will it change for my son? How and when will he learn the coping skills, like I did, that have enabled me to be a very flexible, roll-with-the-punches kind of adult. Am I going to ruin him along the way by being too tough or expecting too much. Sigh . . . I have these and so many more questions. And I thought losing weight and getting healthy have been tough. I'm a mom . . . there's nothing tougher than that.

After today, I need to print this reflection and post it where I can "reflect" on it every time I'm faced with the challenge of helping my son face the challenges in his life.

The Way of Harmony - My First Karate Exam

It was my first karate exam. Where do I begin? The experience was nearly overwhelming. Maybe it was the fact that I was the only foreigner in the building, surrounded by hundreds of Japanese people, none of whom spoke English during the three-hour event. Talk about complete cultural immersion. It was scary, nerve-wracking, confusing, and yet amazing!

My last karate class had been nearly four weeks earlier because I was traveling. I had questions for my sensei, but with the language barrier, we had a difficult time communicating. In the end, he just said "daijobu," which means "it's okay." He was telling me not to worry. That was a tall order at the time when I was anxious to understand the process and do well. All of the commands were given in Japanese, most of which I did not understand. When the judge approached our group and gave information, I didn't get it. When the person calling out our movements spoke, I mostly had to rely on knowing which move came next, memorization, not understanding her command.

After much observation and intent focus, I took my test. I felt like all eyes were on me - the only American in the room. I felt a combination of anxiety and honor. I wanted to perform my kata beautifully and show the judges, my sensei, and everyone present that I value Wado-Ryu karate for what it is - the way of harmony. Of course, I wasn't feeling as harmonious inside as I should have been. I wanted to be confident, yet not arrogant. In the future, I will be more prepared now that I understand the process. It's not so foreign to me anymore.

The whole experience was awe-inspiring. I'm ready for the challenges that lie ahead. In fact, to help me better understand the way of karate, I've begun reading the autobiography of Gichin Funakoshi. Living in Japan has been an opportunity of a lifetime and now I'm learning a new side of Japanese culture. I've recently begun to understand how a person can dedicate an entire lifetime to the perfection of subtle movements. It is changing my focus, inspiring calmness and patience, and turning me into a more rounded person.

I look forward to the remaining time I have with Ohta sensei. In the beginning, it was about attaining a goal of a particular belt color. Now I'm just so happy to be molded by him, that the belt is of no consequence. It is a matter of perfecting my form. What a beautiful analogy for life in general. Now I must think about all the areas of my life where this can be applied, beginning with my walk with God.

Signed Up For My First 5K

I took a step closer to my goal today. While I was at the gym tonight, I signed up for my first 5K. I'm both excited and nervous. I can't wait to do it - and I can't believe I just said that! Wow, that's a first. I've never enjoyed running, but this about more than running. It's about setting a goal and achieving it.

There's so much to do in this life and so little time. I have begun the pruning process and am fine-tuning my life in order to be more productive. It feels great! (My finger hit that exclamation point key with purpose!) Tomorrow is another day and I need my beauty rest. As the song says, "so long self, I've found somebody else!" Tomorrow I'll continue getting to know this woman I've found. She's strange and new to me. :)

Where Am I Going?

Where am I going?

The baseball great, Yogi Berra, once said, "If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else." This is a theme I've been meditating on recently.

The path of least resistance always takes the easy way. For those of us on this journey to a healthy lifestyle, the easy way has not and will not work. There is no such thing as a quick fix. It's not just about losing weight, but about changing our lives. How will we do that if we don't know where we're going - if we don't have a plan?

For years, I didn't know where I was going. I let life take me wherever it would. My days slipped by, often unproductively, and turned into years. Before I knew it, I was 205 pounds and feeling hopeless, like my weight was beyond my control. My focus was on other things in life: getting married, having a baby, going to college. All these are beautiful life events - events I let overshadow my need for healthy living. I didn't have the knowledge back then to live healthy. I was putting my brain power into other things.

In the last ten years, I have learned a few things. Most recently, I have learned that if I don't choose a direction for my life, life will choose it for me. A wise person once said, "In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia." I've been performing those daily acts of trivia for far too long. The time for change has come!

I'm no longer satisfied with the status quo. Though it served its purpose for a season of my life, there is something more, some purposeful and meaningful I am being called to. All my life's experiences are calling out to me - "use me."

I know that God is calling on me to "prune" my life in order to be more productive. In two days, I will head to Tokyo for a symposium. For three days I will spend time focusing on the direction God has for me. Afterward, it is my sincere hope and prayer that He will give me the strength to cut out of my life whatever is obscuring my view of His goal, His will. I don't want to end up "someplace else." I want to be right where I'm supposed to be - doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

Bring on the change!

Personal Tune Up

To keep a record of my history and attitude toward change is important to me.

Just like I have had a difficult time remembering to schedule oil changes or rotate my tires, I've also had a hard time reminding myself to take care of how my body runs. I've run out of my Synthroid and been off it for a month. I've neglected my nutrition and had long periods of exercise abstinence. It's over now. There are things I'm going to be doing on a regular basis to take better care of the body God has given me. I've already instituted some positive changes and others will come as I identify unhealthy habits.

Things I WILL do:

1. I WILL get consistent amounts of sleep.
2. I WILL have regular tests of my thyroid to ensure I'm on the right dose.
3. I WILL have my blood sugar and cholesterol tested tomorrow and on an annual basis.
4. I WILL take a multivitamin daily.
5. I WILL eat on purpose, making conscious decisions about what goes in my mouth.
6. I WILL do cardio exercise every day of the week except for Sunday.
7. I WILL do strength training 3 days per week, never two days in a row.
8. I WILL rest on Sundays - giving my day to God to glorify Him for the changes he's making in me.
9. I WILL spend at least 30 minutes, on nice days, outside getting sun.
10. I WILL maintain a schedule that leaves time for all of the above.
11. I WILL trust God.

It's all about choices. We must ask ourselves, "What is most important to me and what am I willing to do to see it happen?" What will you choose?

Things I WILL NOT do:

1. I will NOT allow myself to run out of my Synthroid prescription.
2. I will NOT allow others to derail my mission to get healthy.
3. I will NOT pretend that my decisions are the result of some mysterious force that I cannot control.
4. I will NOT make excuses to avoid healthy decisions.
5. I will NOT pass on unhealthy habits to my son.
6. I will NOT fail to lead the life God intends me to lead physically, mentally and spiritually.

Once we know what we ARE willing to do, and what we AREN'T willing to do, it's a matter of having the tenacity to stick to it. Are you willing to do that - to become tenacious?

These are words I hope will be accurate descriptions of me - of all of us:

Tenacious (persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired)

Determined (having reached a decision: firmly resolved)

Focused (to concentrate attention or effort)

Inspired (to fill or affect with a specific feeling or thought)

Faithful (strict or thorough in the performance of duty)

Honest (honorable in principles, intentions, and actions)

Finding My Short-Term Goal

All along I have had the general goal of losing weight, but it wasn't until recently that I finally decided on a short-term goal. When I've thought about short-term goals in the past, I haven't considered short-term being within a calendar year. In the grand scheme of things, I suppose from March to August is a fairly short amount of time.

So, after spending some time with my son working on my collage (picture on my front page) I concluded that climbing Mt. Fuji is going to be the short-term goal I will focus on. It is prominently displayed on my collage now and I look at it every day. It's good to be focused on that goal now. Finally, I have something to look forward to - a challenge to look forward to tackling!

Standing there on top of the highest mountain in Japan, the view will be amazing! I'm visualizing the breathtaking scene, the feel of my body, mind, and spirit as I take it all in. I can actually see myself standing there triumphant! I believe I will make it. Along with my husband, we will create a memory that will last a lifetime and cause a ripple effect that will carry us to the next great and healthy adventure of our lives. How exciting? I can't wait to get there. I've much work to do, but the stage has been set. Victory is at my fingertips!

Sand Storms, Star Wars, & Shark Fin Soup

Today's experiences were varied to be sure. After yesterday's dust and sandstorm, I spent the morning vacuuming up red sand, mainly from my kitchen. Wow, if it wouldn't have been so bad for my camera, I would've taken some pictures. The sky turned reddish brown as it was rolling in. The wind was horrible! I've since learned that the DSS (Dust and Sand Storm) phenomenon is a growing problem in Japan. The dust blows in from China and elsewhere. I woke up this morning having a horrible time breathing. After cleaning up the sand, we headed out to church, and then on to lunch with friends. (I'll leave out all the details in between...although church was inspiring and had a good message.) We headed back to our favorite restaurant in Chinatown. Thanks to the nice Japanese lady next to me, I learned a little more about their menu. Most notably, shark fin soup. I'm familiar with shark fin soup and have been outraged in the past about the collection of shark fins. Though I have felt morally opposed, I wanted to see what the rage is all about. Japanese people love this soup. I'm skipping to another paragraph because shark fin soup needs to be set apart, it was just that unique of an experience. The fin itself was not overly apparent in the bowl. In fact, when I scooped up a bite, it appeared to have some sort of rice noodles. Using chopsticks, I lifted an opaque clump from the broth. I studied it a bit and noted that the shape was consistent with a shark fin. This particular one was about two inches tall. That was a small shark. I could not bring myself to put the whole fin into my mouth, so I decided to break off a piece. What I found was that the fin was easily pulled into strings, similar to string cheese. What I thought had been rice noodles were actually strings of the fin. Upon trying my first bite, I concluded that the "shark noodles" had a texture similar to a very al dente noodle. It didn't have much taste. The broth contributed most of the flavor, which was mildly fishy. I feel as though I have a better understanding now of the draw for shark fin soup...though I must say I'll never have it again. It was interesting, but I'm mostly disappointed in myself for having this culinary experience. I will say this, I'll never try turtle soup. On a slightly happier note, Koen watched Star Wars today for the first time. After investigating which order is the optimal order to view them in, we opted to start with episode IV, the original movie. Some of the plot has already been spoiled though since he just finished reading the book for episode I. That's okay though, he's still hooked. I think he understands now why his friend Micah loves Star Wars. Now they'll have more to talk about. Overall it was a good day. The coming week is sure to be full of fun and adventure. We'll be going to a couple museums this week, which should be lots of fun. We're heading to the Anpanman Museum and the Ramen Museum. I'm looking forward to seeing what fun and adventure those have in store for us.