There are a lot of things to be grateful for – love, life, music, nature and in my case today, my weight. I weigh less than a hundred pounds to be exact 97 lbs for a miniature height of five feet. My height is another story but my weight is grand topic.
I eat a lot but I eat a balanced meal. The dieting industry could never earn from me because I do otherwise. I eat loads like a truck driver and hardly gain weight. I am an unforgiveable offense in the dining scene. While most of my colleagues pick on their food slowly, limiting only to one or half a cup of rice. I go for additional rice and more viand. The one thing that probably offsets my caloric intake of two cups of rice and lots of viand is that I also gorge on lots of vegetables and fruits. Veggies and fruities are my staples. I cannot go on a day without the two otherwise I feel faint. I am just like my mother who can consume boxful of fruits and eat a galloon of ice cream in one sitting (sometimes she hides chocolates in the ref) and my father whom I share the same appetite for ampalaya (bitter gourd) dipped in vinegar and salt. I don’t drink coffee. I rarely eat junk and processed foods but I also hardly drink milk. I love drinking water, real fruit juices and teas without sugar. I supplement my milk requirement for yogurt. Which is also my favorite. The lesson here probably is that you can eat more but eat a nutritious meal.
I have thin genes. Some scientists believed that obesity starts in the womb. An obese woman is likely to pass obesity to her children. That is not just of course an issue of genes but probably an obese mother’s eating habits and lifestyle passed on to the fetus. My mother’s genes is thin and so was she thin when she carried me. My father is also thin and so is his family. My father’s family is a happy folk with an amazing indulgence on food. Often, we hold family gatherings even on simple occasions. Sometimes I think the triviality of the occasion is made as a logical excuse not only to eat and to feast on our usual lechon and my favorite crabs and tiger prawns prepared by Auntie Mading but also to laugh together at anything and everything. We laugh and laugh and eat in between. A family with a big appetite, thin genes and great big laughter. Laughter is indeed a medicine. I learned that we expend calories from laughing.
I sleep a lot. Sleeping is not just a necessity it is also an indulgence for me. Sleeping is happiness. Sleep also has something to do with our levels of appetite and metabolism. When we sleep well our body increases the level of leptin in our body. Leptin is a hormone produced in fat cells that sends a signal to the brain when you are full. Ghrelin a hormone which stimulates appetite is reduced when you sleep more. A good night’s sleep therefore means your appetite is reduced and you feel satiated. Imagine what my apetite would be if I sleep less?
I engage in Yoga and Pilates. Yoga is a good exercise for flexibility. My petite height is a disadvantage for many but with yoga I have noticed myself reaching heights standing where I used to climb. I can even reach the luggage compartment in the plane even without heels. That I feel so proud about I do not need to ask assistance from the flight attendants. My arms have become elastic and it feels so good. Yoga is a good stretching exercise that gives you a wonderful feeling of relaxation. Pilates is the best exercise for balance, coordination and strength of the core muscles – the abdomen, back and hips. With pilates my caloric intake has not translated to bulges in my abdomen. I still maintain the same flat tummy even with the gallons of ice cream, chocolates, rice and sweets. My posture is also better and my walking gait held strong and confident with my strong core muscles. If you want to start doing yoga and pilates consult your doctor first for a physical check up to determine your fitness to start an exercise. With your doctor’s clearance seek a professional yoga and pilates trainer. Once you have learned the principles and established a mind and body connection you can do it at home.
I do cardiovascular exercise. I hardly run. It is something that is yet on my things-to-do list. I walk. I walk every morning and in the afternoon for about ten minutes. I climb stairs as high as three flights three to four times everyday at work. In hotels, I also take the stairs not because I want to burn calories but because I do not know how to operate the elevator. I used to dance but since my trainers left, I joined simple aerobic dances at the gym. I got bored and besides the dancing there was pretty much out of my league – dancing off-beat and off-rhythm is not my style, hopping on ledges also twitches my legs. Lately I am into boxing. I love the sports with its manly and macho appeal. Its a good hobby for me being a little bit on the masculine side growing up with my brothers and socialized with a male dominated-neighborhood.
With my genes, a nutritious diet, my happy family, exercise, yoga and pilates. There is no way I will join the war of the bulges. I feel that I am so blessedly thin.
