Renzie and Working Out Don’t Mix.

No. Working out never came naturally for me. Never did. In fact, I don’t think I ever was the active type. I sucked at sports, I’ve led a rather vegetative life (couch potato that I am), and I’ve never been known for any extraordinary physical achievement.

While my new career as a keyboard monkey is still pretty much sedentary- it does allow me a good amount of free time. And if I were in any way sensible, that free time should be channeled going to the gym and fighting off these ornery globs of fat clinging to my body.

I know, it takes 21 days to form a habit. But I’m fighting against 33 years of bad patterns of behavior and about an equal number in years of decadent lifestyle.

So yeah, working out for me IS an effort in itself.

Of course, I don’t really have a choice. You can even say that I’m into it out of sheer desperation. For the sake of my continued existence, I NEED to lose those extra pounds.

And with working out comes living a low-carb lifestyle, a healthy amount of rest and relaxation, and basically taking things nice and mellow- at age 34, I’d say things would be looking up if I stick to the plan…

Living La Vida Low-Carb!

I gotta thank a good friend of mine, Migs Tenazas, for introducing me to Atkins. It was the year 2000, and peaked at 260 lbs. He lent me his book on Dr. Atkins and his diet, so I read it, tried it, and was absolutely amazed at the results.I’m sure it’s not for everybody, or at least everybody has an opinion about just about any kind of diet. In any case, a good diet works best with a good amount of exercise.

Atkins and South Beach are pretty much the same in that they both control the amount and quality of carbs you can wolf down at any given time. Practicing Atkins in the Philippines is particularly hard, since Filipino cuisine revolves around rice, viands that work best with rice, and a wide variety of snacks and munchables. Only a few restaurants here support low-carb diets, as you’re really better off preparing your own food at home.

So go ahead and share your stories, ask your questions, post your thoughts, even share your recipes, your tips for a low-carb lifestyle and meal plans!

My Aches and Pains.

This conscious effort to make my life more healthy and stress-free has only been a recent development. The past 33 years of my existence has pretty much been inactive- sedentary, even.

No surprise that I’ve accumulated so much extra weight. Throw in a case of flat feet and weak ankles, and an early onset of gout (had it as early as 22 years old!), and that’s a disaster just waiting to happen right there (unless it already happened)!

Body pain from working out, or muscular fatigue, is completely acceptable- but gout? Foot strain? Knee pain? The occasional shoulder pain? Just gotta ride the damn things out.

I suppose I deserve all that, considering I’ve never put the time and effort into taking care of my body. Which is what this entire blog is all about now. Of course, things COULD get worse, or I could simply take charge and manage all these inconveniences by doing what I have to do- losing weight!