I have wanted to try aquafit for a long time. It's number 2 on my bucket list. I finally went to Eileen Daily to do aquafit tonight.
There always seems to be an excuse to not go to aquafit. One nite, in July, my friend and I went to the pool with the intention of taking the class. But the circumstances weren't right and we didn't take the class. Last week the excuse was because I had an open sore. It was from my fall from rollerblading. My mom said it wasn't a good idea to go into the pool with an open sore. I did buy a pass to the fitness center which includes access to the gym and the pool. Because my mom used to do aquafit, I always ask her if she wants to go. If she doesn't want to go, I tend to get lazy and not want to go either. The last excuse was that mom couldn't make it.
My mom took aquafit in 1997 to lose weight for my sister's wedding. She took it for about 6 months to a year? I can't remember. What I do remember is that she did end up losing a lot of weight for the wedding. Aquafit was her only form of exercise. Nowadays she doesn't go that often. But if I go more, she may also go more.
I think I'm going to be sore tomorrow. It may be because it is my first time. The first time always hurts..hahah...It was pretty tough. It is doing aerobics in water. I am not the best at following teachers and I may be doing some exercises wrong. If I do it wrong, it may hurt my muscles more.
I didn't go swimming / aquafit for the last few years because I was too lazy (suprise! suprise!). After the swim, I have to take a shower. The shower takes a few minutes. It's the drying my hair that is a pain in the ass. I have finally accepted the time it takes to blow dry my hair after swimming. Because I have accepted it, I am more willing to go swimming / aquafit.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Day 66: Only 300 more posts to go
I don't know if I should be excited or be dreading the next 300 days. I am excited for the next 300 posts because this blog is a journey of emotions and is very therapeutic. I kinda am dreading the next 300 posts because it will show how much discipline I have. Sometimes I skip a night and I don't write on my blog. So it may be more than 300 days for me to finish the rest of my 300 posts.
Between Day 30 (the first update) till today, here is an update on what I have accomplished / working on in the near future:
Rollerblading
I went two more times in Sept to take advantage of the sunshine before the weather becomes gloomy and raining.
Learn to swim
I am taking swimming lessons starting next week. It is a six week course at a local pool.
Pilates
I took a pilates course at Bonsor a few weeks ago. It was very relaxing. I also went to the yoga conference last weekend. I bought a pass to go to various yoga studios.
Sins of the City Walking Tour
We went on the last day of the tour on Sept 30, 2009.
Cultus Lake
My friends and I went to Cultus Lake on Aug 29, 2009.
Learn to do aqua fit
If everything goes well, I will be going tomorrow night.
Learn to write
I have signed up for a creative writing in November. We will see how that goes!
Between Day 30 (the first update) till today, here is an update on what I have accomplished / working on in the near future:
Rollerblading
I went two more times in Sept to take advantage of the sunshine before the weather becomes gloomy and raining.
Learn to swim
I am taking swimming lessons starting next week. It is a six week course at a local pool.
Pilates
I took a pilates course at Bonsor a few weeks ago. It was very relaxing. I also went to the yoga conference last weekend. I bought a pass to go to various yoga studios.
Sins of the City Walking Tour
We went on the last day of the tour on Sept 30, 2009.
Cultus Lake
My friends and I went to Cultus Lake on Aug 29, 2009.
Learn to do aqua fit
If everything goes well, I will be going tomorrow night.
Learn to write
I have signed up for a creative writing in November. We will see how that goes!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Day 65: I am what I eat
According to the Free Dieting Weight Loss Guide (http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm), my daily maintenance calorie intake should be 1546 calories a day.
When I was in elementary school, teachers taught us about the four food groups. Of course that meant we were supposed to memorize it and follow it for the rest of our lives. I got the memorize it part down. The following part I'm still working on. I took a test on Sunday at the yoga conference on how well my internal organs were working. It was from an acupuncture booth. The report said I need to focus on my large intestine and my gall bladder. The acupuncturist said I need to drink more water and eat more veggies and fruit. That seems simple enough!
Every year my new years' resolution is to eat more healthier. I need to eat more foods from the milk group and the fruit and vegetable group. The reason always seems to be a lack of time. I am too lazy to eat fruit that I have to cut up or peel. The fruit already cut up and peeled from salad bars looks very delicious, but I'm not willing to pay so much for them.
I have gained a little bit of weight in the past 8 years. I think there are a few reasons for the weight gain:
1) naturally - with age
2) not enough exercise
3) eating too much unhealthy foods
Natural weight gain
On average, I gained a pound a year since the age of 24. I'm not looking forward to more weight gain.
Not enough exercise
I have always wanted to play more sports. Of course, my excuse is that 'I'm too lazy' or 'I don't have time'. It has just been this summer that I have gotten off my ass to start doing outdoor activities and sports. It has only taken me 15 years. Last year when I lived in downtown, I took the Aquabus and walked to work. That brisk walking help me shed 6 pounds over last summer.
Eating too much unhealthy food
I don't think eating at different restaurant every month is healthy. There is too much MSG and sodium in restaurant food. My 3 pm chocolate time can't be healthy for me. By 3pm at work, I get really tired. A small piece of chocolate is a good 'pick me up'. My bubble tea every other day can't be healthy for me. A bubble tea drink with bubbles is 500 calories. That's a third of my daily intake in one drink.
Recommendations:
1) Exercise more. I bought the yoga pass. Maybe find more indoor activities.
2) Eat more healthy foods. Drink more water. Eat more fruits and veggies.
Seems so easy..we will see how much I accomplish in the next few months. If this doesn't work, I need new recommendations.
When I was in elementary school, teachers taught us about the four food groups. Of course that meant we were supposed to memorize it and follow it for the rest of our lives. I got the memorize it part down. The following part I'm still working on. I took a test on Sunday at the yoga conference on how well my internal organs were working. It was from an acupuncture booth. The report said I need to focus on my large intestine and my gall bladder. The acupuncturist said I need to drink more water and eat more veggies and fruit. That seems simple enough!
Every year my new years' resolution is to eat more healthier. I need to eat more foods from the milk group and the fruit and vegetable group. The reason always seems to be a lack of time. I am too lazy to eat fruit that I have to cut up or peel. The fruit already cut up and peeled from salad bars looks very delicious, but I'm not willing to pay so much for them.
I have gained a little bit of weight in the past 8 years. I think there are a few reasons for the weight gain:
1) naturally - with age
2) not enough exercise
3) eating too much unhealthy foods
Natural weight gain
On average, I gained a pound a year since the age of 24. I'm not looking forward to more weight gain.
Not enough exercise
I have always wanted to play more sports. Of course, my excuse is that 'I'm too lazy' or 'I don't have time'. It has just been this summer that I have gotten off my ass to start doing outdoor activities and sports. It has only taken me 15 years. Last year when I lived in downtown, I took the Aquabus and walked to work. That brisk walking help me shed 6 pounds over last summer.
Eating too much unhealthy food
I don't think eating at different restaurant every month is healthy. There is too much MSG and sodium in restaurant food. My 3 pm chocolate time can't be healthy for me. By 3pm at work, I get really tired. A small piece of chocolate is a good 'pick me up'. My bubble tea every other day can't be healthy for me. A bubble tea drink with bubbles is 500 calories. That's a third of my daily intake in one drink.
Recommendations:
1) Exercise more. I bought the yoga pass. Maybe find more indoor activities.
2) Eat more healthy foods. Drink more water. Eat more fruits and veggies.
Seems so easy..we will see how much I accomplish in the next few months. If this doesn't work, I need new recommendations.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Day 64: Yoga Conference
I realized that yoga is great. It is very relaxing and rejuvenating. It stretches your body and mind. I tried yoga for the very first time at the Yoga Conference this past weekend. My friend gave me freee tickets. I checked the information on their website. It was about getting all the yoga lovers together in one place for one weekend. There were workshops, a trade show and free 30 minute yoga classes. The workshops were an extra fee and were held upstairs. Because my friend gave me two tickets I was able to go for both the days the conference was on. The trade show was interesting with booths on the various yoga studios and yoga clothing. The first day I was there I met up with some friends and we walked around the trade show. Only one other friend and I participated in a free yoga lesson. The set up for the yoga class was a bit weird to me. It was in the middle of the trade show floor and didn't have any partitions. Every one walking around the trade show was able to watch the class. I felt a little bit self conscious when I was doing the yoga poses.
The second free yoga class I did showed me that it wasn't all about the stretching. It showed me that it was about the connection between the body and the mind. They both have to work together for you to live a life of harmony. There are various types of yoga. For example, some that focuses more on the stretching and strenthening of your muscles and some that focuses more on relaxation and meditation. I bought a Passport to Prana. It is a pass that cost $30 and I can go try out 38 yoga studios around the Lower Mainland. I can only use the pass once at each yoga studio. It is an opportunity to try the studios out to see which one I like best. It expires in July 2010. I have 10 months to try 38 yoga studios. I just set myself up for another challenge!
The second free yoga class I did showed me that it wasn't all about the stretching. It showed me that it was about the connection between the body and the mind. They both have to work together for you to live a life of harmony. There are various types of yoga. For example, some that focuses more on the stretching and strenthening of your muscles and some that focuses more on relaxation and meditation. I bought a Passport to Prana. It is a pass that cost $30 and I can go try out 38 yoga studios around the Lower Mainland. I can only use the pass once at each yoga studio. It is an opportunity to try the studios out to see which one I like best. It expires in July 2010. I have 10 months to try 38 yoga studios. I just set myself up for another challenge!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Day 63: Gratitude
I am thankful for what I have. I don't have much, but I am thankful for it. I live in a comfortable home. I have parents that love me. I am surrounded by many friends and family. I am relatively healthy with all my extremities intact and all my five senses working.
I am watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It is about a family where the father is blind, two of the 3 kids are blind and the son is deaf. The designers are making them a house where it is `friendly`for them. They talked about making the rooms brighter for the blind girls and making the walls more 3 dimensions so they will be able to touch and experience the walls. The episode tonight is the first half of the show. I can not even imagine if I was blind or deaf. I totally take for grated all my senses. I shouldn`t be complaining about the little things in my life.
Last night I was watching 20 20. They talked about albinos living in Africa. There are witchdoctors in Africa where they `need`albino legs and arms in their concoctions. There are groups of soldiers who go searching for albinos and cut off their limbs for the witchdoctors. The albinos live a life of fear that the soldiers will come back to kill them. I am very grateful that I am not an albino living in Africa.
I have thought about writing in a gratitude journal. But it goes back to me being lazy and not enough discipline. The gratitude journal will reinforce my gratefulness for everything.
I am watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It is about a family where the father is blind, two of the 3 kids are blind and the son is deaf. The designers are making them a house where it is `friendly`for them. They talked about making the rooms brighter for the blind girls and making the walls more 3 dimensions so they will be able to touch and experience the walls. The episode tonight is the first half of the show. I can not even imagine if I was blind or deaf. I totally take for grated all my senses. I shouldn`t be complaining about the little things in my life.
Last night I was watching 20 20. They talked about albinos living in Africa. There are witchdoctors in Africa where they `need`albino legs and arms in their concoctions. There are groups of soldiers who go searching for albinos and cut off their limbs for the witchdoctors. The albinos live a life of fear that the soldiers will come back to kill them. I am very grateful that I am not an albino living in Africa.
I have thought about writing in a gratitude journal. But it goes back to me being lazy and not enough discipline. The gratitude journal will reinforce my gratefulness for everything.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Day 62: What's my story?
My story is............
It's dot dot dot because I dont have a good story to tell YET. I spent tonight with my parents and my cousins. My cousins are from China. They are here visiting for a month and staying at our place downstairs. They came upstairs for dinner. After dinner we were chatting and they started to share their stories.
My parents are overseas Chinese people who grew up in Vietnam. In the late 70's they were forced to leave Vietnam. We left by boat, as many other Chinese Vietnamese people (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boat_people). We finally arrived in Hong Kong. We were placed in a refugee camp for awhile before Canada accepted us. This is the summary version. Every time when my parents get together with someone they haven't seen in a long time for some reason or another they share stories of when they were on the boats leaving Vietnam. There are so many stories because they are from another boat. Different things happen to each boat. Because my cousins lived in China, my parents were telling them some stories of what happened to us on our journey as boat people.
I think it is pretty amazing what my parents have gone through. When my mom was my age she was married and had two kids. They had to leave their country to go to a foreign country. In the foreign country they had to learn the culture, the language and raise two kids. I'm 32 years old now and I don't think I would be able to do what my parents did.
My parents have a great story to tell. I do hope they will have the opportunty to tell my kids their story. What's my story ? I got nothing...for now. Hopefully I do something dramatic or life changing to have a worthy story to tell.
It's dot dot dot because I dont have a good story to tell YET. I spent tonight with my parents and my cousins. My cousins are from China. They are here visiting for a month and staying at our place downstairs. They came upstairs for dinner. After dinner we were chatting and they started to share their stories.
My parents are overseas Chinese people who grew up in Vietnam. In the late 70's they were forced to leave Vietnam. We left by boat, as many other Chinese Vietnamese people (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boat_people). We finally arrived in Hong Kong. We were placed in a refugee camp for awhile before Canada accepted us. This is the summary version. Every time when my parents get together with someone they haven't seen in a long time for some reason or another they share stories of when they were on the boats leaving Vietnam. There are so many stories because they are from another boat. Different things happen to each boat. Because my cousins lived in China, my parents were telling them some stories of what happened to us on our journey as boat people.
I think it is pretty amazing what my parents have gone through. When my mom was my age she was married and had two kids. They had to leave their country to go to a foreign country. In the foreign country they had to learn the culture, the language and raise two kids. I'm 32 years old now and I don't think I would be able to do what my parents did.
My parents have a great story to tell. I do hope they will have the opportunty to tell my kids their story. What's my story ? I got nothing...for now. Hopefully I do something dramatic or life changing to have a worthy story to tell.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Day 61: Strength
Do I have any strength?
Physical
I think I lack physical strength. I don't think I can join a sports team because I am not strong enough. I am sure with some practice and conditioning I can increase my strength. Every work night I get about 6 hours of sleep. My ideal amount of sleep per night is 9 hours. Sometimes I don't have the strength to carry on with my day. Once my work day is over I go home to take a nap. After the nap, I have the strength to go out or do another activity. This past Sunday my friends and I went rollerblading. I bailed on the sidewalk and got some nice bruises. My left arm didn't even have the strength to do basic activities. I really wanted to do aqua fit this past Tuesday. I didn't think I had the strength to move my left arm in the water. When do I push myself harder? Maybe I have the strength but don't know it yet?
Emotional
When something negative happens to me, do I have the strength to move on? I think I do. I need the time to sulk and analyze what happened. After a week or so, I gather up my strength to move on. It is not easy at all. There is a lot of frustration and anger from what happened. What gives me the strength? I am not sure. But there is something in me that gets me to continue with my life. It leaves me emotional scars but you live and learn.
Physical
I think I lack physical strength. I don't think I can join a sports team because I am not strong enough. I am sure with some practice and conditioning I can increase my strength. Every work night I get about 6 hours of sleep. My ideal amount of sleep per night is 9 hours. Sometimes I don't have the strength to carry on with my day. Once my work day is over I go home to take a nap. After the nap, I have the strength to go out or do another activity. This past Sunday my friends and I went rollerblading. I bailed on the sidewalk and got some nice bruises. My left arm didn't even have the strength to do basic activities. I really wanted to do aqua fit this past Tuesday. I didn't think I had the strength to move my left arm in the water. When do I push myself harder? Maybe I have the strength but don't know it yet?
Emotional
When something negative happens to me, do I have the strength to move on? I think I do. I need the time to sulk and analyze what happened. After a week or so, I gather up my strength to move on. It is not easy at all. There is a lot of frustration and anger from what happened. What gives me the strength? I am not sure. But there is something in me that gets me to continue with my life. It leaves me emotional scars but you live and learn.
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