Last year was such a fulfilling year as I have finished my very first half-marathon. Right after the adrenaline rush, we bought our tickets for the next one - vowing to do the full marathon this year! We trained hard, ran long miles 3-4x a week, ate healthy, and prepped our minds for the challenge.
My first full marathon would have been this weekend if not for the cancellation of the event due to the mandatory statewide lockdown. So, instead of running, I find myself reflecting upon why I even workout.
It's a legitimate question if one wants to understand the motive behind the goal of working out. Is it a punishment for what you have eaten the day before? Is it because you want to fit in a dress for a special occasion? Do you want to slow down the natural aging process? Or perhaps just lose the weight and fit in so your crush would finally pay attention to you… It could be any of these; it could be a combination, or maybe it's something else.
The truth is, we need to learn to be healthy because we only have one body. This one body was entrusted to us by our creator and we should do all it takes to take good care of our temple because no one else will do it for us. Did I feel this way when I was younger? Absolutely not! My workout motives had evolved as I grew up, changing along with my body and my sense of maturity.
When I was as teenager, I started working out because all my friends were thin and confident, and I was a bit on the chubbier side. My crushes did pay attention to me, but I still didn't like how I looked. My friends had 24-inch waist lines and it bothered me that I had a 32-inch waistline. Back in the day, the "in" thing was not Zumba, but rather Aerobics, so I took a few classes and disciplined myself to work out in my own bedroom, dancing to the 80s music as I couldn't afford to take constant classes. I didn't lose much, but I was enjoying the motions and the movements, so I kept at it.
A few years later when I got engaged, I had the conscious effort to reach a certain weight - 124 lbs. for my 5'4" frame was my magic number. This time, I changed my diet as well, avoiding carbs and sticking with more protein. It did work as I reached my goal on my wedding day. The problem was that I became complacent after the wedding vows and the honeymoon. I didn't feel the need to look too pretty because I was already married…so in the end, I let go of myself. I gained my weight back, plus some while I was pregnant with my first child. And what can pregnancy do to you? Boy, did I balloon into a whopping 184 lbs.! I was hoping I had twins to at least justify the amount of weight that I gained, but it was just one baby floating in a river of water inside me.
After I gave birth, I vowed to myself that I would lose all the weight; this time I wanted to be healthy for my baby and my husband. My secret weapon back then was breast feeding. It's true that you lose a lot of weight when you breastfeed - plus it's the best food for your child, it's cheap, accessible, and lessens the possibility of breast cancer - so go for it, moms! I was blessed enough to have milk at 7 months of pregnancy. I was like a cow, constantly leaking while my baby was still in my tummy. The good news is that I produced so much milk, I was able to afford to breast feed both my boys for two years each (with 6 1/2-year gap). It worked like magic as I shed the pounds, I strived more to eat healthier and lift dumbbells, walk in the treadmill, and I started dancing to DVDs and doing Tae-Bo.
It was very inspiring as I start shedding the pounds that the workout became a lifestyle. I was a busy mom, but I didn't make any excuses. I tried my best to fit in the workouts, even if I had to wake up at the wee hours in the morning while everyone was asleep. It was invigorating, to see the change. It felt good to have that discipline inside me, the focus and the motivation to do what's good for my body…and everyone else noticed the change.
Now, mind you, on my second pregnancy, I gained everything back and weighed 184 lbs. - again for my second child. But this time, I wasn't concerned as I had built my metabolism up and was confident that I will shed all those unwanted pounds with the same discipline and motivation that I had before, backed up by my magic potion, which was breast feeding.
What changed was my motivation - I wasn't doing it for my children or my husband - I wanted to do it for myself.
To this day, I enjoy fitness, but the goal of changing my body to be perfect is totally forgotten. Now, I do it because my body is craving it. I do it because I wanted to stay healthy and strong… and the plus side, is I do feel a lot younger. I have the confidence of a 40-something-year old who is comfortable in her own skin, and yet I feel like I am "forever 21."
For the last 6 years, I have enrolled in a gym close to my home. I actually go more than what regular people might think is normal, as I try to go 4-6 times a week and I usually take 2-3 hours when I'm there, doing back-to-back classes alternating kickboxing, body works, Pilates, and yoga. But of course, Zumba is my dessert for the day so I do dancing daily! Later on, I learned to love running outdoors (with the added bonus of picking blackberries along the way), as opposed to the regular treadmill. I have rose to the challenge of lifting heavier weights and swimming laps, as well.
It's a constant evolution for me, as I learn new things and techniques about working out and eating healthy from gym peers and instructors; and from my own experimentation and research. But you must question your motive, in order to max out what you're doing with your body. Ask yourself why you're doing it and from there you will figure out the rest - the how and the where. It's a great road map, that I would suggest my readers to follow. It's a waste of time to go back and forth with the yo-yo weight of lose and gain and lose… it can be very frustrating and even depressing. I am telling you, it is doable, you guys, but you must believe in yourselves.
Remember that everything you believe is your reality, so believe that you can be healthy, you can lose the weight, you can feel good, you can be confident… whatever it is that you want, you can have; it's all within you -- waiting to be unleashed! Ask yourself why you're doing it… and the how, when, and where will follow suit. Follow your own road map, and discover for yourself what kind of workout routine works best for your body, your schedule, your flexibility, or limitations. You do owe it to yourself to take care of your body and be the best version you can be.
As for my marathon goals, my bucket list remains unchecked for now, but one day, when all else has settled, I will train again and get to enjoy both the pleasure and the pain of hard work.
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