Parkour and the Wounds to Prove It

So I finally went to my first official Parkour Workshop! I would say 3/28/09 marks the beginning of my official Parkour practice. I was super excited and Zach and Charles did a great job organizing the event. I had an awesome time and can;t wait to start going every saturday. 

I have to say, if it is possible for you to go to some kind of Parkour workshop please do! Everyone was there from late 40's (maybe early 50's) to 4 years old. And everyone had a blast! Not to mention my quads never hurt so bad the day after a work-out. NOt even during the most intense PCP regimen! That could have something to do with not working out well for a couple months though! haha. I also got scraped up and bruised. Which was awesome because I needed a wake-up, I needed a little pain, I have become too comfortable and that was the most alive I have felt in months.

I learned a lot of great stuff about landings, rolling, jumps and precisions, and wall-runs and top-outs. I also learned a lot about my city, and the great places it has to offer for PK.

So please go out there and move! The fact that our relatively small city and the relatively small Rochester Parkour group had over 100 people show up proves that it's in all of us to want to MOVE! And to be efficient and confront our easy lives and feel a little challenge and even pain. 

A lot of those 100+ people vaulted a bench or climbed over a wall or did a diving roll for the first times since they were kids or in their lives! It's not right. Everyone should do Parkour. Everyone should study how their body moves. We should all not be ashamed to walk around on all-fours and do handstands!

Go move! Here's to a summer of growth and progress. And here is to 5 weeks of training to get into some semblance of good shape before back-packing Europe!

So check out Zach's write up at ROCPK and the photos that go along with it!

My Theory of the Male Cycle : First Public Airing

If you ask any male of the human species who happens to be in a long term relationship with a female of the species, he will be able to tell you that his mate goes through a regular and predictable series of body changes and mood swings depending on the time of month.  For some women these swings are mild, for others, wild.  

I have know women who, like clockwork, have an easy month followed by a manic one.  I have known some who get a zit in the same place every single cycle.  I've seen it all, elation, depression, swollen parts, dry patches, hot flashes, and cold stares.  I've even helped a few ladies through menopause.

We have come to expect, and respect, the fact that a woman's body is an extremely fine tuned organic wave pattern.  There's a consensus that a female is simply more physically and emotionally complicated than a man, which I mostly agree with.

But I wanted to write about how men actually operate in their own mysterious cycle.  This is a fact that most couples overlook and which causes a lot of unnecessary strife in relationships.  

Most of this is based on my own experience keeping track of subtle changes in my mind/body condition during the years of yoga and meditation.  But once I lay out my theory to other guys they seem to recognize similar patterns in their own lives, once they know what to look for.

So, here's what I've figured out so far:

• The male cycle lasts about 3 months.  Whether this has anything to do with the seasons has yet to be determined but that would make sense.
  

• It is characterized not so much by changes in mood, but by fluctuations in motivation and energy levels.
  

• The cycle is defined by two polarities:
  

1. The high point, in which a guy is eager to work, has a creative boost, and feels more positive and in control about the direction of his life.  A lot of things will finally get done in this 1-2 week period.
   
2. And the low point, the male becomes more introverted.  It can be hard to muster excitement for even fun activities.  At this time the male will question his choices and motivations.  He will tend to stick to his dwelling or usual hangouts.  There will also be a strong need for solitude or solo activities.

• There is a similar arc in the sexuality of the male, although libido runs along a smaller series of cycles that are harmonious with this 3 month cycle.  (I.e, the guy will feel keen sexual desire at both the highest and lowest points of this cycle.  During the inbetween times the desire for sex will diminish.)
  

• When the cycle is at odds with life events, the shadow-side of the high and low points will arise. In practice this means that motivation can become aggression, and quiet solitude depression.
  

So, how can we use this information to make our lives run more smoothly?

First, guys need to start paying attention and identify where they are in their own cycle.  This can be established pretty easily once you're on the look out for it.  Once you've got a handle on this, start doing what I call "surfing the wave".

If you've ever tried real surfing, you'll know that you can't catch every wave.  Sometimes you're in the wrong spot, and no amount of paddling is going to get your board where it needs to be. So you just let the wave wash under you, and keep your eyes open for one that will be in the right place at the right time.

So, for example, you have a new project that you want to take on.  Think about your timing and try to align the time that the project will require a big push with the 1-2 week high point of your cycle.  Similarly, if there is a lot of grunt work to be done at some point, that is an ideal kind of activity for the trough of the wave, when it's hard to be creative and visionary.

And moms, friends, spouses, and sisters, you too need to tune in to the male wave pattern.  Knowing that a guy is entering his low weeks, beware that it will be tough to get him to do much, but that it's not forever.  In a few weeks he'll be back to his old self and in a few more weeks he'll be your ideal man again.  Of course, that's only for a brief time too!

I've labeled this cycle with "high and low points", which isn't the best phrasing because it makes one sound desirable over the other.  In fact, like any wave pattern, the peak wouldn't exist without the trough.  The low point of the cycle is in fact when the seeds of creativity and problem solving are sown.

Naturally I've got a lot to say about this but I'll stop here for now.  Try to investigate these things for yourselves and get back to me with correlating or contrary evidence!

And guys, don't sell yourselves short.  In your own way, you have just as many deep unexplored aspects of yourselves as your female counterparts.  Learn to work with these subtle forces rather than fight against them.

Judgement Day!

Every time Friday rolls around, I feel like it is time to evaluate my week. Like it's my Judgement Day. I don't know if that's good or bad, but here goes!

I had a fairly good week. I really feel like my diet is on track. I am not saying that I am perfect all of the time, but I do feel like it's getting easier for me to follow the diet without it taking up too much mental space. I suppose I have become more ingrained to have a bowl of yogurt or an apple at the right time in the day without too much thought. I like that. It's nice to just eat what I'm supposed to without having to think too hard about it.

Speaking of judgment day...A theater close by had a midnight showing of Terminator 2: Judgement Day which Adrian and I went to lastnight. Here's the trailer to refresh your memory of its awesomeness:



I mention this because I definitely had a PCP-influenced thought during the movie. Sarah Connor, a main character in the original Terminator, changed her body considerably for this movie. In the first movie, she has a thin but otherwise average body. This time around, she has trained and changed both mentally and physically. She is BUFF and tough!

Before the PCP, I would have seen her and thought, "Whoa, Sarah Connor is hella buff!" and that would have been the end of it. But last night my thoughts were more like, "I wonder what kind of diet and exercise regimen she followed to make such a dramatic change in her body fat percentage and muscle mass, and how long it took her?" Right after that train of thought went through my mind, I realized my own changes and how much more aware of these things I am now.

Adrian said that she should have been my PCP hero, and I think I agree!

Loving the family in Japan!

This week I'm talking about "the guest".  Well, family is not really a guest, but when they come and stay at your home all the way in Japan, you want to show them a good time.  Involved in that good time is not only sightseeing....but also eating and meals.  

My mom(from California) visited early this month and now my brother and his wife (from Las Vegas) are here.  I've been cooking a lot since my nanny is out of the country and I find it really hard to have dinners out with the baby.  It's all been healthy, but I just feel like it's been hard to weigh/maintain my portions....also it's been hard to stay away from the carbs and usual "no-no's" just because I don't always want to explain myself.  You know what I mean....how does it look to do all this cooking and then not eat your own cooked food....think about it......bad sign if the chef isn't eating the fried rice they just cooked up!  So, the result is I've eaten more "naughty" stuff than I should have.  I've done my best.....and definitely having a great (!!!!)  time with my family here.  Now I'm dreading that life will be back to "normal" really soon.

On the upside....we've been out and about all over Japan with the kids and so I've worked my body to death.  Even my arms which I'm sure have gotten stronger because of lifting 30lbs of Jaiden, not including the stroller!, up and down stairs at the train station.  My body hasn't seen a jumprope for a while....but it has been busy in other ways.  

SO.....I've had a fun fun month with family....now I'm just waiting for cherry blossoms to appear.....and looking forward to what April will bring!

Eat well....exercise enough....and get good sleep....that's what I want.

See you!

Munisha

Mindful Additions

So like in most cases I can't help but make my post be some sort of response to Patrick's last post. Patrick you really come up with some good stuff man I don't know how you do it but you always deliver some food for thought. So in response to your post I want to discuss mindful additions to our daily routine that makes non-beneficial activities contributive to our health.

I once read a list of 100 things Parkour to do at normal times during normal activities. Everything from sleeping on your back to promote ankle flexibility and posture, to walking around your house on all fours all the time, to guessing how many steps it will take you to reach something. I took away one thing from it all, mindfulness. Mindfulness is the key to EVERYTHING. Seriously. Without it you will never have good health, spirituality, happiness, a successful career, or reach the limits of your creativity. 

Mindfulness is the catalyst for growth.

So what are some things you can use as mindful additions to your daily life to promote good and lasting health?

1. Posture - Patrick really hits this one a lot and it's so true, while sitting, standing, or mobile mentally check your posture and correct it.

2. Visualization - Try to visualize everything. Make some mindful checks of your surroundings throughout the day, notice changes, remember them and react. Visualize what hard task or goal you are going to work at next if you are in the middle of an easy task. All great athletes, artists, and businessmen alike visualize constantly.

3. Do it the hard way - When your brain is on autopilot all the time it means it's doing the easy way every time. You are forming ruts in your brain that will become the chasms that lead to a lack of mindfulness, inability to adapt or learn something new, and poor mental and physical health. Mix things up! Do them differently or do them the harder less direct way. That way you are getting better all the time, challenging yourself to make things more engaging, and when you have to rush you will be more proficient than ever at the easy way. Even if it's something small. 

For example when I have to ring out customers at work I ask the same questions every time. "Picking up? Last name? First name? How many? Address? Any questions?" In that order. So it's a huge mindfulness check for me when I get so ingrained in that order that when someone gives me the data up front "I'm John Smith on 123 Peak Dr picking up 3 prescriptions" I find myself sometimes still saying after I go grab them "Address?" followed by "Oh, sorry you already said 123 Peak Dr."

So mix it up and break the habits that make you ineffective at adaptation.

4. Exercise 24/7 - Every simple, boring, or sedentary activity can be made into a fun, beneficial, exercising activity. While standing around, stand on one foot, improve your balance. While sitting stretch and improve your posture. While driving squeeze a grip with your free hand instead of that McMuffin. Eat standing up. Eat sitting on the floor, back-straight. Don't walk around your couch, go over it. Do yoga while watching TV, or better yet cut out the TV, do yoga (forward-bend) while writing your shopping list. Make everything engaging.

5. Breathing - This is killer. We all suffocate ourselves with shallow, short breaths. Checking your breathing and making sure you have controlled regular breathing all the time is amazing for your health. Teaching yourself to breath the right way takes time but once you create better breathing habits you will be a more relaxed, healthy and refreshed individual. Correct breathing is also something you can't do with incorrect posture.

Try it out! Tell me what you think. 

You Might Want to (not) Sit Down For This

I couldn't get much training in over the last two weeks as I traveled across the US.  I calculated that I spent 36 hours in a seated position over the course of the trip, in various planes, cars, buses, and taxis.  This was pretty dreadful for me.

The seated position, with the knees bent and the back resting on a support, is one of the most harmful postures for a human being.  It's a double whammy, attacking our structural stability from top and bottom.  Here's how the damage occurs.

Lower Body

If you're sitting right now, reach down and palpate the underside of your knee and thigh

.  Unless you've shifted in some strange way to touch the area, you will feel that the knee ligaments and hamstrings are soft and relaxed.  In itself this is fine, all day different muscle groups are contracting, relaxing, twisting, and stretching.  The problem comes when a body spends prolonged time in this knees bent seated posture.  Over time, because the hamstrings aren't being used, they actually shrink, so that their resting length resembles the length they have as you sit.

This means that when you stand up, your hamstrings will be shorter than the length required to stand properly.  They will tug down on the pelvis where they connect.  Your pelvis becomes tilted slightly back, which throws off the natural S curve of your spine, which then leads to forwards sloping shoulders and a neck that sticks out like a turtle.  If you don't know what this looks like find an office worker who doesn't exercise and you'll be guaranteed to see it.

Upper Body

At the same time all that shortening is happening in the legs, your back is also being affected.  When we sit in a chair, we aren't using our back muscles (specifically the spinae erectae) to support ourselves.  We're using the structure of the chair. 

Imagine I were to equip you with a robot support device that slipped over your arm and did 90% of the work your biceps and triceps usually do.  Here's a device just like that developed by Ratheon.

You can imagine that after a few weeks like this your arms would shrink to little more than skin and flab, and you'd rely on the robot arm more an more.

This is exactly what happens to people living a Western lifestyle who begin sitting in chairs from early childhood.  The supporting back muscles get both tighter and weaker from disuse.  In those rare times people sit in a backless chair or on the floor they find that after a few minutes it's very uncomfortable and hard to sit still.  This is because the back muscles are literally failing to do their intended work without the crutch of a chair back.

Weak back muscles will exaggerate the deformation of the S curve, compromise your posture, and lead to back pain and injury.

The Bottom Line

We need to think about sitting just as we're learning to think about rich, calorie laden foods.  As a once-in-a-while treat.  Had a long day and are totally exhausted?  Sure, crash on the sofa for a half hour.  But don't park there for hours on end.  And most importantly, avoid getting yourself into work situations that require 40+ hours of sitting a week.  If you have no choice, the best you can do is to create a standing desk, or even better, a treadmill desk.  

If that isn't feasible, use a balance ball for a chair.  

If that isn't possible, then try to keep your knees at 90 degrees so that the hamstrings are slightly flexed and don't use the back of your chair to support you.  But know that those small changes aren't enough to offset the damage, and look for ways out of a job that is chipping away at your health and posture.  You'll look and feel better for it.

It's Gonna Be Flabulous!

I just had an old friend visit from out of town. Do you ever start to feel much more aware of yourself when you see someone that you haven't seen in awhile? I find that I start to become much more aware of myself, and my appearance. I think that comes from stopping and trying to figure out how I've changed since I last saw this person. Do I look better or worse? Is it noticeable? Thanks to the PCP, I know that I look better. But I still felt this big shift in my self-awareness, and to some extent, my self-criticism.

I really want to keep improving my health, my level of fitness, my energy. And I want others to see and notice that in me. But sometimes it is easy to get lost in my regular schedule, and those things may slip out of focus. When someone new comes into my life, or reenters my life, if even for a day, I snap out of it. Although I don't really want to become so self-conscious, it can be a timely reality check and help me to refocus my sense of motivation. I seem to have found more time this week to slip in 15 minutes of jumps, a workout, and even some 8-minutes abs. That makes me happy.

I had Adrian take a picture of me this morning in a new PCC pose, but the camera battery died before I could upload it. I will edit in the picture to this post once I can figure out where the heck we put the battery charger. I can't wait to get this picture pool started!

So if you can, snap a picture of yourself for your next post. Don't worry, I'm flabbier than I would like to admit, too. But that's what starting the picture pool is all about! Like Kazue (of PCPJapan) said, "I always tell people the worse your Day 1 photo is, the better. Nothing motivates more than being sick of how you look and seeing the changes happen in front of your eyes." Let's do this thang!


Until my flabulous edit-in,
Emiko

Stocked, not Stuffed

I finally began to break my lazy eating habits yesterday by going to the grocery store and stocking up on good food. That is the key for me -- keeping the fridge stocked. I believe I mentioned this back on my PCP blog, but it's worth repeating. Keep your fridge stocked with healthy food!

This is yet another thing that I know but seem to neglect. When my fridge is empty I think, "I can just walk down the street and get something to eat quickly; and I don't have to prepare it! Woot!" But here's the dumb thing: it's not quicker in the end. For one, I don't have a car right now, so I have to walk or bus everywhere. It takes longer to get around, but it does feel good getting outside for a walk, so no complaints here. But when you count walking there, ordering, waiting, eating, and walking back compared to hitting the grocery store every week or two plus the convenience of walking to the fridge, it's really not faster! In my stupid head I know this. In my stomach I don't.

I also love how I don't feel stuffed after eating healthy food. I feel that I ate an adequate amount without feeling bloated. Gwen iterated this perfectly in a comment on Patrick's post on America. It's about feeling satiated, not stuffed.

It's sad that it's taken me long into the PCC to get serious about my eating habits again, but at least I'm taking a step forward. I refuse to admit failure unless I give up, and that's not happening. The encroaching warm weather is highly motivating in addition to looking good for the opposite sex. It's incredible how motivating that last one is.

-David

Rock-climbing

So I have mentioned it in the past but I wanted to continue with posting about some activities that are available to most everyone that support and active lifestyle, are fairly affordable (unless you get hardcore than anything can be expensive) and a load of fun.

So here is rock-climbing!

I love it so much after going just a couple times indoors I went out and bought my own chalk bag and shoes etc. It's a blast and depending on what climbing you do you work a huge array of muscles from your legs and toes to your forearms and fingers, And many things in between, back, shoulders, and abs obliques and glutes as stabilizers.

It's great fun indoors and can be done lightly over a few hours for a nice toning workout or can be a way to really shred your muscles and have a killer workout. The best part? Everyone can work at their optimum. There is never a point where you can do every route, and even when you get to a difficult level it doesn't mean intermediate courses aren't still challenging, it's just that they don't require as much focus or dedication to conquest. And your peak one day maybe more or less than the last. It always changes and old routes revisited are always great. 

Because of this you can go with someone who climbs a 5.6 (virtually a ladder) and someone who climbs a 5.12 (the hardest basically anyone but the pros can do haha) and all leave with a great sense of accomplishment from conquering your personal hardest. 

Not to mention there is so much mental fitness required, planning strategy, and you have to understand how your body works. Rock-climbing is one of those things people see and think "it's all arms" then they try to do it that way and get blasted after a 5.7 then they realize "it's all legs" and can knock out a 5.9 outta no where. 

Personally I am at a 5.9 level and have yet to attempt a 5.10. My goal is to get my first 5.11 by the fall.

Anyway here is a vid of the man Chris Sharma doing his thing on a 5.14. And for those of you that don't know rock-climbing ratings that basically means "Must be a gecko to climb"

America

I'm planning on writing a three part blog piece on The United States on my personal blog Here Lies Patrick later this week, but I wanted to get my thoughts out there about the state of health and eating in my home country while it's still fresh in my mind.

I've seen a lot of people work their way through the PCP and have noticed that people based in America have a harder time than others shedding fat and getting over that last hump, the final body changes that make the difference between a "not bad!" physique and a "wow" physique.

I've thought about this for months, and wanted to use this trip to the States to confirm some of my theories. Here is what I've come up with.

1 . In the US, you are punished for small slip-ups.

Anyone working towards peak condition will be watching their diet closely. But we're all human, there will be times when you simply HAVE to have something sweet, or you're on a road trip and have to get a snack at a gas-station, or you go out to eat with friends. In Japan, for example, I love to have manju as a treat when I'm craving something sweet. Manju is a thinly breaded dumpling with sweet bean paste in the middle. They usually come individually wrapped so I'll have one or two and feel satisfied. Manju is nothing but sugar and flour and rice, and definitely not a good choice if you're trying to stick to a diet.

However, in the US, when someone slips-up and veers off-diet the choices are much more damaging. Because this country has perfected the art of squeezing the maximum amount of sugars and calories into a small amount of food, what seems like a small treat is actually adding 30% more fat to your diet that day. And the worst part is that because these treats are made up of artificial ingredients (HFCS and its ilk) your body doesn't recognize that it's been fed and tends to crave more. So, a Japan based PCPer will be able to get away with a few slip-ups without a problem, but US based PCPers will be punished for the smallest mistakes.

2. Cars and Distance

I was talking to my aunt about her troubles keeping weight off despite having an active life and good diet. I brought up the point that, like most Americans, she spends a lot of time driving around her sprawling town and between cities.

Driving is a tricky thing. Let's imagine that, as she did, you take a two hour drive to go see a family member in a "nearby" town. You get there, meet your nephew, have lunch, catch up on the latest, do some errands in town, and drive back home. You would say, "Whew, that was a pretty busy day," right?

However, from your body's perspective you sat completely still for 4-5 hours as you drove and ate lunch. Imagine sitting on your sofa for four hours in a single day. You'd feel like a lazy slob. And yet people do the equivalent in their cars week after week, year after year. The tough thing is that you feel tired, driving requires an enormous amount of mental exertion and unflagging attention, but physically, you've had zero exercise. This will really catch up to people.

3. The Nutrition Facts label has backfired

If you buy anything in North America you will be familiar with this chart.
It seems like a good idea, an easy way for consumers to get a rough idea of what percent of fat, carbs, and nutrients are in their food. However, people are misunderstanding the Nutrition Facts label in several serious ways.

a) Based on a 2000 calorie diet

2000 calories is actually quite a lot. It's an average based on an already overweight American population. It will apply to only the tallest of women. It's how much a muscular man of regular height would eat to maintain his weight. And yet people who are overweight and lacking muscle will think they've had a good day if they hit the 100% marks on the Nutrition Facts. This is sheer folly.

b) Serving Size

I've noticed that the serving size from which the percentages are derived are hardly ever what anyone eats. 1 tablespoon of salad dressing? When is the last time you put a tablespoon of salad dressing on a salad? The manufacturers are well aware of this, but they choose a serving size that keeps the percentages low so that at a quick glance it doesn't look so bad for you.

c) The Salt Percentage is whack

Often the salt content isn't even given a percentage, it will just say something like "Sodium, 150 mg", but when it is, still beware. The US RDA of salt is 2,400 mg. This is an insane number. The American Heart Association recommends 1000 mg a day. I think even that is too much. But here is the real insanity:

The average American consumes 3000-4000 mg of salt a day. Eating that much salt will give you the red, puffy look that almost all Americans have. It will wear down your heart and kill you before your time. It is the single most overeaten substance in the US diet.

So let's add this all up. I'm looking at a bag of Double Stuff Oreos, Cool Mint Creme © that my Grandfather had in his house. The Nutrition Facts says that these are 11% or my daily fat and 5% of my daily sodium. Doesn't sound too bad for a little treat right? But when I factor in that my daily calorie intake should actually be 1500 calories, my salt the 1000mg that the AHA recommends, and that I will actually have 4 cookies, not the serving size of two cookies, the picture looks different. My little indulgence will come out to around 30% of my daily fat, and a whopping 35% of my daily salt. And that's from FOUR OREO COOKIES. Is it any wonder that for every 4 Americans, 2 are overweight and 1 in 4 is obese?

I teach people healthy lifestyles for a living, and even I get tripped up in America. I've gained a good 2-3 pounds of fat in my two weeks here. What chance does a regular person dealing with a job and kids have? Things have to change.

These are just my first thoughts on this, I'll be sharing more later. My last word is that if you are in America and trying to be healthy, consider yourself behind enemy lines. You will have to work harder and have stronger willpower than anyone else. The whole culture is working against you. Good luck.

Tardy Observations

Hello, everyone! Sorry this post is so late... I was out of the house almost all of Friday and didn't come back home until afternoon today.

I have been trying to observe myself more closely this week. I feel the need to understand more fully how my brain works, to experience my ingrained habits rather than just be a slave to them. To see more clearly how I craft excuses and reasons that help me to convince myself that I do, in fact, need some chocolate (right now!). Especially with the idea in mind that I might be posing for my first PCC weekly photo on Friday, I thought it might be nice to find a way to feel proud every time I could say no to the chocolate, rather than always delighting in any chance of indulgence.

It wasn't a grand a scheme by any means, just a little thought that I kept in the back of my mind. When I would crave something or think to go out of my way to attain some food that was not healthy, I just took a slight pause to question it. It has been a while since I really paused to question my actions. I don't think I have actually done so - at least not with any consistency - since my PCP. It was kind of a relief. I really do feel like a slave to my habitual cravings and reasonings. It helped me to drop the thought much more easily, and just get on with eating well more of the time.

I am going to hold off until next week to start my PCC weekly photo. I never got the chance to take a picture on Friday or today, and I would rather have a regular schedule with a full week in between each picture. That way, I can really see the changes from one week to the next. But I am excited to get it started.

Maybe someone else could kick off their next post with a photo? No pressure, though! :)

Until next week,
Emiko

Happy Birthday to me!

Yes!  It's my birthday today....a great day to reflect on the past year....think of where I was then in life and where I have come today.  The biggest change has been baby....last year he was only 8 months old, and I was still nursing and using him as an excuse for everything.  Now he is 20 months old and our lives have settled down.  I am losing the "baby fat" and paying more attention to my needs and wants.   Also now I've been through the PCP and feel much more informed and ready to take care of my body....inside and out!

I always really consider my birthday as the true start of my year......Jan 1st just seems so arbitrary to me....too over rated and we make promises we just can't keep during that time of the year.  So, since March 12th was the beginning of MY next year, I took total advantage of the week before and indulged.....all leading up to the TGIF cheese burger and ice cream sundae last.  I'll tell you.....I don't feel awful about it at all, because now I can start my new year of health and exercise feeling totally satisfied!  

And guess what the kids and hubby got me for my gift....Wii Fit!  So I am excited to start up a new fun type of activity.  I'm not quite sure what it's all about yet, but I do plan on using to it supplement my workouts and not replace them....or maybe use it on off days when I don't feel like picking up "the rope" or "the book".  Will definitely keep you posted and let you know how good it is.

OH......I did forget to post last week.....my mom is in town and I think between Tokyo Disneyland and the Yokohama bay cruise, I totally blanked out! And unfortunately so did my diet and exercise:(...... but it's my birthday and I'm back!

Bye for now!

Munisha

Being Sick and Racquetball

Hey guys. So It was kind of funny to have Patrick post that last post since it kind of applies to me right now. I am sick for the second time this year. Just a throat, head and sinus thing. It sucks. But I have to say that although I'm not as gung-ho about being really up on my work-outs right now having a healthy diet certainly does help in the prevention and in this case recovery of being sick.

Sorry for not being around last week, I had a crazy work schedule and before I remembered to post it was too late. Besides that I think I'll only be around through the end of this month and will have to take some time off. I leave for my back-packing trip in May and have a lot of things to do before I leave. And a lot of things to prep as well.

But for today I wanted to continue with some brief thoughts on my idea of staying active. As Patrick has pointed out to every PCPer is that the 90 is to get you to change your whole life for the better. To take a mere 3 months and be super strict and enthusiastic and not only will you get in the best shape of your life but you will develop new habits to keep your health going. Since our bodies want to be healthy and in shape.

So although after you complete the PCP and your activity levels or diets regulations become easier and less strict you still don't feel right if you just sit around. So I recommend taking up some activities that are good for you and not only enjoying how much better you can be at them now that you're in shape, but using them to maintain if not improve still.

Today I recommend racquetball. If you can, give it a try. It's a fast paced sport with a learning curve. But the greatest thing besides burning 600 calories an hour is if you are playing it right your heart level will be elevated but you will always be able to carry on a conversation and not be winded. The best cardio-level possible. 

I also like sports that don't require to much money. Buy yourself a racquet (or an old one at a garage sale) and some goggles and you are good to go. Some places you have to be a gym member but there are places in some cities where you can rent a court. So if you get a chance try it out and here is a little vid.

Until next week.

Don't Waste Your Money...

...on supplements and herbal remedies!

In my week in America I've overheard several people waxing poetic about the power of their vitamins and supplements. From fighting colds to building bone density, there seems to be something for any condition that comes in a scientific looking bottle and promises natural results.

I've been in stores that focus solely on these things, row after row of fish oils, vitamins A through Zinc, herbs, pollens, tinctures, balms, antioxidant teas, the list is endless.

These things are all a waste of your money and time, and you are being played for a sucker. If you eat a varied and wholesome diet you won't need any supplements because there won't be anything TO supplement. You'll already have reached maximum vitamin and mineral needs for your healthy body. There's no such thing as having 110% vitamin C in your system. After 100% you will just pee it out.

In our world of easily accessible fresh and frozen foods, a moderately healthy eater would be getting over the course of a few weeks all the vitamins he or she needed to have a normally functioning body. What's ironic is that the kind of people who spend hundred of dollars on supplements are already eating very well and are actually the people who need vitamins least.

The counterargument I hear the most is "But supplements can't hurt and there's a chance they could help." This is a pretty stupid way to go about things. Wearing tinfoil hats couldn't hurt either. But we have no evidence that they do anything besides make us look silly, and there's similar scanty evidence that vitamins do anything either for a normally eating person.

And what's worse is that the consumption of vitamins sends the message that alone we aren't equipped to give ourselves optimum health, we must rely on the wise men in white coats to manufacture substances that will sustain us. It's just a few years down the road that we won't think it's such a leap to take a pill for sleeping or to feel normal. This is all music to the ears of the drug and vitamin makers.

So don't give them any more money. Trust your body and not the psuedoscientific background noise of the "wellness products."

Hit up the vegetable and fruit section and give the pill-makers the finger.

Shall We Kick It Up A Notch?

This week has gone by really fast. Mostly I have had my butt glued to my dining room chair, working on designs to build up Adrian and my portfolio. I am happy to announce that we have finally gotten our illustration business off of the ground! But, in the meantime, I haven't really given myself the time to work out. I think about it every day, but before I know it it's 2am and I just have to hit the sack. It has been a crazy couple o' weeks, but I am happy with all the hard work we put in.

So today - after realizing that it was already Friday again - I decided to catch up on the last few days' posts and check in on everybody. But what happened? We are missing two of the last three posts! I guess I'm not the only one having a crazy week.

Anyways, I have been reflecting on how difficult it is trying to keep up with the PCP now, as opposed to my original 90-day project. It feels so different to me. Adrian and I have talked about this since the PCC started, and I think part of the what really motivated me to stick closer to the diet and squeeze in my workouts every day was the weekly Flickr photo. I really wanted to look better each week, and to see my positive progression over time. Also, because during the PCP we all were assigned the same exercises, we had a concrete thing that we shared. Many of our new posts show that our Community is having trouble following the diets and maintaining a regular work-out regimen, so I thought, Maybe we should try something new?

I am not saying that we all need to start posting weekly shots on Flickr again, necessarily. But maybe we could all brainstorm together and figure out a little extra incentive to stick to our plans and reach more goals. Even if the incentive is something small, perhaps simply sharing that one thing will help us follow each other's progress. We would be able to discuss it as a community, and kick our fitness up a notch, as well as encouragement and support for each other.

Any suggestions?

Can't wait to hear 'em!
Emiko

Back in One Piece

I'm finally back after vacation, back home to a land flowing rich with Internet, unlike the barren land I was in.

Staying on the PCP is extremely hard when on the go, especially in the dietary area. When I was on the PCP the first time, I knew I would only be gone a couple days, so I packed all of my food in a cooler and stuck to that. This time I was gone for two and a half weeks. It's a bit tougher to pre-plan all of your food for two and a half weeks.

That said, I hardly stuck to the diet. Running around lead to lots of quick stops for food. I did gain a new appreciation for more elaborately cooked meals through participating in a team of people preparing food for a kitchen.

I've also been reminded how our bodies speak to us in a sense. When you exercise regularly and eat healthy, it's easy to hear these strong voices that tell you that you feel great. But when you are eating junk after junk, if you listen closely, you can also a hear a more subtle voice that tells you, "Enough." Sure, there's that point where you literally become sick from eating junk, but I'm referring to something that occurs before that.

I heard this today when I went out to grab something to eat. I haven't been home long and thus haven't had time to stock my fridge. Upon arriving at my destination I couldn't help but feel put-off at the thought of eating yet more fast food. I went ahead and bought the fast food anyways, but this experience caught my attention enough that I aim to see what else I can unlock.

I finished the book, "Blink" over the course of my trip and was fascinated by the power of the subconscious. We all know that our minds are a powerful thing, but it's interesting learning about how they work and what they are truly capable of. A friend of mine found a nearby meditation group for me, and I hope to continue to unlock further "voices" within.

Take care,

David

Curl Baby Curl!

Last night I was talking to a friend of mine who's thinking about getting into better shape.  He really wants to put on some muscle, but work takes up most of his time and he doesn't really know where to start.  On top of that his wife is expecting their first baby in September.

The solution hit me like a lightning bolt.  A way for him to solve all his problems in one fell stroke.

Once that baby arrives he needs to start curling it.  A curl is the term for most any exercise where you hold the hands out and bring them towards you, working the biceps.  In the PCP we have 5 different kinds of curls, (Curl, One-Arm Curl, Thumbs-Up Curl, Outside Curl, and The Show Off) but we don't have a Baby Curl.

The magic of the Baby Curl is that you will start off with a very low weight between 4-6 kilos and be steadily improving your strength as the newborn gets bigger.  You will be able to learn really good form in the lighter months and be challenged as the kid tops 10,  20, then 30 kilos. By the time he's in junior high you're really going to have some serious burn!  But if you've followed the plan and curled him 4 times a week for 10 years it won't be anything you can't handle.

I almost want to have a kid just to try this.  If you're lucky enough to have a little tyke, don't waste anymore time, get off the couch and start curling that baby!