How Fitness became my Mantra
Happy Halloween! Today’s the day when monsters and ghouls roam the streets in search of a sweet fix and even adults succumb to the guilty pleasures of consuming way more candies and treats than they could hold down. People love to get a good scare this day, and so it is doubly strange that it was on this very day a year ago that I got the biggest scare of my life: a real-life lesson in the truth about fitness and how I was going about it the wrong way.
It began with a freebie
Halloween 2005. Audible, the audiobook company was offering one free audiobook just for signing up (don’t bother checking - they don’t have a similar deal this year, unfortunately). I had a page full of choices including Life of Pi, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values and Tyrannosaur Canyon.
But my eyes were drawn to a bright orange colored book sitting silently on one corner of the page. Ho hum, I yawned - another fad diet book with a cover full of promises and content full of lies. I already knew what worked, right? I had just started using the company gym for a few months and I thought knew just what I had to do to make over my body - i just had to hit the machines everyday picking whichever ones were free and work out till I was tired. As for eating I had to eat less to lose weight - simple! I just had to this and I knew I would have the body I desired.
But there was one problem: I was 3 months into this regimen and could see no sign of any change whatsoever. What could be wrong? Heck, this was a free audiobook - what did I have to lose? Nothing, I realised a week later. Except years of misinformation, bad eating habits and random exercising!
Learning and implementing the facts about fitness
Everyday for a week, to and from work, the audiobook guided me chapter upon eye-opening chapter to help me understand the truth behind some of the deceptive marketing practices so prevalent today. I learned about calories, trans fats and high fructose corn syrup. Almonds, oatmeal and flaxseeds. Lowfat milk, cottage cheese and yogurt. Whole grains, eggs and lean meats - the juggernaut of information just kept on coming.
I had to listen to the whole thing again to make sure I got it right - I had been wrong all this time! My foods were wrong, my exercises were wrong - no wonder I saw no change in my physique or general health! I immediately did two things: implemented the recommendations into my life right away and made a plan to spread the word.
The first was easy because certain changes were downright simple to make:
- Banish fried snacks (chips, doughnuts) and calorie-dense (but nutritionally empty) foods like ice-cream and cookies. These were now “special occasion” or “party foods” only and even then, in moderation.
- Switch to whole grain alternatives for bread, pasta and rice.
- Include a lot of dairy and eggs (being vegetarian I realised the importance of whey protein sources all the more)
- Incorporate a comprehensive exercise plan that comprises weights as well as cardio.
Spreading the word with a blog
The difficult part was trying to spread the word about what I had learned. I already knew that obesity was a growing (!) problem in the world but the massive amount of misinformation and deceptive advertising was only making it worse. It wasn’t until early this year that I realised that blogging about my experiences with fitness and nutrition was probably the best way to get the word out there.
They say you learn the most when you teach and although Fitness Mantra is not really meant to teach but rather recount my experiences with products and fitness news , I have indeed gained a lot in this entire process. Certain posts take a lot of research because I strive to present an unbiased view yet take into account all the latest information available about a product. Doing this takes time, but the research keeps me much more informed and I take that as a healthful side-effect of running a blog like this.
The results and what’s next
A year later, I am certain that the efforts have not been in vain. I look better and am certain I am in the best shape of my life although I can see massive room for improvement. I feel more energetic, my clothes fit better, my posture has vastly improved and the best part is that I know what is good for me and my family helping us make better choices everyday. I certainly hope this site has been useful to you too and I can assure you of continuous and pertinent information about the world of health, nutrition and general fitness as I get hold of it.
Fitness became my Mantra because of a chance offer on Halloween, but I hope you wouldn’t leave it to chance, but instead make a conscious effort right now to get educated and inspired to make a positive change in your life through a good mix of healthful eating and exercising. The benefits of doing so (and the costs of not) are simply too great to ignore.
All together now, let’s repeat our mantra: Let’s Make Fitness Our Way Of Life!
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