The endless search...

Hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend. In Chile I had some people over for a party to celebrate, which was a ton of fun.

Last week I was pretty good in the gym, I worked out 4 days, ran about 23 kilometers and did an extra 40 minutes of cardio on the elyptical. On Friday alone I ran 8 km and lifted for 20 minutes! This is all great, but my legs start to hurt and I get shin splints, so I have been trying to vary the cardio so its not so hard on my body.

This weekend I went shopping for some more clothes for the gym, and I was looking for a sports bra. I looked in the entire Parque Arauco mall (Huge Big Mall in Santiago), and I could not find a single sports bra! Not in the Nike Store, in Puma, or in any of the department stores. Do women in Chile use sports bras? Or do they just not work out? I am going to have to approach some lady in the gym and ask her where she got her sports bra from, becuase I am baffled!

Control!

In Buddhism they frequently discuss "the middle way", not overindulging or limiting yourself with anything. This is easily applicable to food of course, where I believe that I shouldnt starve myself but I shouldnt stuff myself either. Easy, right?

Wrong, when you put me in front of a carton of ice cream or a big bar of chocolate. Or even worse when the pololo (boyfriend) makes pasta dinner which is just soo yummy. This lack of self control also comes in to effect at Chipotle, when I am back in the US. Why are there just so many temptations out there?

Too quick?

How quick is too quick to lose weight?

I have lost 1 kilo in the past two weeks. Which I thought was pretty good and normal, but last night my boyfriend asked me if that was too quick. Almost cautioning me. But I have been eating a normal diet (although I have been eating smaller meals, more frequently) the only thing that has really changed is that I am working out at the gym 3-4 days a week burning any where from 500-600 calories on cardio machines and doing about 20 minutes of lifting (all of this as advised by a trainer at my gym). So personally I am happy to see my hard work paying off with losing some weight My pants are fitting differently, and I feel better. I have more energy. But, what is the normal amount of weight to lose in a week?

Sensational Santiago

Santiago after a rain in the winter is probably the most beautiful city in the world. There is no smog. The air is clean. And from my bedroom I have a clear view of the snow-capped Andes mountains. All of this just makes me want to go outside for a jog.

Chile is also a great place because there are so many holidays. Of course, nothing is open on these holidays, especially not the gyms (Although Planet Muscle off of Pedro de Valdivia might be). So yesterday I took the opportunity to go for a jog outside, enjoying the fresh air and beautiful view of the mountains. I didnt run as far as I wanted to (only 5km, in the gym lately ive been running 7-8km a day), but it was great to get some fresh cold air in my lungs. It reminded me of my home far far away.

Balance

I realize that losing weight and becoming healthier is all about finding a balance in your life. This balance includes not only excercise but a proper diet. I understand this. I get this. But putting it into practice is another story.
I mean I LOVE candy. and I LOVE pasta. Oh and I dont mind going to happy hour with friends and having a beer or two. And I know that candy, pasta and beer are probably the worst things you can eat/drink, but you only live once you know?

So I am trying to control my cravings for all of these things and clean up my act. Last night I even asked for a glass of water instead of a second beer! So I feel like I am slowly on the road to recovery here. We will see how long it lasts though...

First steps

I finally took the first steps to improving my health. I joined a gym.

Maybe I should explain. I live in Santiago, Chile and I like to run outside. In the summer its great to be outside getting excercise. Unfortunatly, this city becomes extremely smoggy in winter time and I think running outside is basically a fast-paced route to lung cancer. So, after much debate over where I should go to the gym and which gym I am actually going to attend frequently (I am known for being lazy and putting things off if it means I can take a nap or grab a drink with a friend instead), I joined a gym!

The next shock was when I went in for my "evaluación". Which I have never done before. I thought I would be okay, considering I ran a 10k only a few months ago in a decent time. However, this guy started pinching my fat with this measurer, and turns out, I am fat. I have 30% body fat. 30%?!?! I couldnt believe it. I mean, Ive never considered myself Skinny, but FAT? no. I thought I was healthy. And I have been the same size for the past 6 years... which means I have probably been FAT for the past 6 years. OH my gosh. Shock. Embarressment. Motivation- all at once.

So, its been 2 weeks on this training plan which involves 50 minutes of cardio and 15-20 minutes of lifting. And I am proud to say that I have already lost 1 kilo!! Its a great feeling and I cant wait to keep on working towards better fitness!