I'm not fat, I have a highly evolved metabolic efficiency.

Last week we had a wellness panel at Geek Physique, involving several health and wellness professionals, covering a variety of topics relevant to the overall theme of developing a healthy lifestyle.  

One idea I found particularly thought-provoking was that of our metabolic efficiency, and how we think of it as a curse, to be able to store energy the way we do, because for some of us, it means we tend toward weight gain. The thing that struck me about that is not just that we have this amazingly evolved metabolic system that is geared toward making the most of the fuel we provide it... certainly, that's something worth examination, because it is a basic reality of our genetic inheritance as human beings.

But the question of why we evolved that way is one we should consider. Why would we need to store energy? Why is metabolic efficiency advantageous from an evolutionary perspective? And what does this mean for us now? Obviously, prior to industrialized society, even within an agrarian model, the fickleness of the seasons, and potential for famines and hard years provides some of that answer. Our ancestors needed to make the most of the food they consumed, because there was no guarantee tomorrow's hunt would be successful, or that the growing season would be ideal.

The trick for modern humans is that, for most of us, food is relatively easy to acquire. We don't work in the fields all day, we don't chase down our next meal, we don't hike out into the woods to forage for nuts and berries. We get in our cars, we sit at desks all day, we drive to a grocery store or restaurant, and there's all this amazing food for us to choose from.  We go home and spend the evening watching tv, or reading a book, or playing (mostly) sedentary video games.  Sometimes we get together with friends, but how much of that time is spent sitting around yakking?  (I know I can answer that with "endless hours.")

I like to think that all this evolutionary advantage is something we should embrace. One of the things I focus on here at Geek Physique is a mentality of "playing" with my friends. When I was a child, nobody had to persuade me to get up and chase my friends, or go out to explore the woods behind the house, or get on my bike and ride all over the place. I just did it. I had lots of energy to burn, and I made the most of it. That's the mentality I'm trying to cultivate in myself again. So this idea of our metabolic efficiency reinforces the model I've already been shaping for myself -- I have all this energy my body has stored up, and that means my body wants me to use it.

I don't have to perform manual labor to feed myself, so I need to playfully recreate some of the activity level of our amazingly adaptable ancestors. Those ancestors are the reason why I'm so darn good at storing excess caloric energy, and I imagine they would envy the amount of free time we enjoy.  I also wonder at how they might perceive our need to "schedule" time to burn the fuel we consume. I don't need to go out and hunt woolly mammoth, but I really ought to be preparing for the zombie apocalypse at foam dart tag (you know I'm right about this!). I don't need to forage in forests, but there are lands and frontiers to be explored in YogaQuest.  I'm unlikely to end up in many sword fights, but just in case some Highlander shows up at my door, I've learned some sweet Aikido Bokken moves, and I'm not afraid to use them.

Our genetic inheritance of metabolic efficiency is not a curse.  It's a bit of evolutionary insurance against starvation, which is most definitely a good thing.  This efficiency only becomes problematic in a culture with easy and abundant access to food, and an accompanying sedentary lifestyle.  There were several great messages at the wellness panel, but I found this particular subject particularly relevant to my current pursuits, as I continue my fitness journey. 

Floor Bow: Mission Accomplished

Just a quick post about an exciting milestone I achieved last night at YogaQuest.  I've been an active participant in YogaQuest for months now, and have noticed definite improvements in my flexibility, balance, and core strength.  Still, there are poses that have eluded me, and continue to do so.  I keep trying to push a little harder, and figure eventually I'll get there.  Last night, I managed one of those elusive poses... Dhanurasana, or floor bow, which resembles an archer's bow when performed correctly.  (See the video for a demonstration of the pose... no, that's not me.)

As a person who plays bow-wielding ranger-types in just about every RPG, I've really wanted to be able to do this pose.  (Yes, I know, I'm a giant nerd.  I'm blogging about my participation in a geek-oriented fitness club, and specifically about a roleplaying yoga class.  Seriously.  This should not come as a surprise.)   It should be my signature pose, man.  But no.  I haven't been able to use it as my signature pose, because I just couldn't freakin' do it. 

Anyway.  Every time we've tried it in the past, I've struggled to reach both my feet, and have ended up either contorting to just grab one foot, or have extended my arms backward in the general direction of my feet, and called it "close enough."  This time, however, I found that when I'd grabbed one foot, I was still able to grasp the other, and achieved the actual pose.  Exhilarating!  I couldn't help but declare, "Holy crap, this is the first time I've been able to do this!"  The group gave a round of "hoot hoots" of approval and congratulations, which was really very cool.  What a supportive, amazing group.  I love my YoGeeks!

Life is Fun.

"When you discard arrogance, complexity, and a few other things that get in the way, sooner or later you will discover that simple, childlike, and mysterious secret known to those of the Uncarved Block: Life is Fun." --Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh

I'm in another one of those busy stretches of time.  So many things to do, and simply not enough time for it all.  All this activity translated to another good week of weight loss (3.5 lbs!), and continued gains in flexibility, balance, and an overall sense of well-being.  Woot.  Yay me.

Saturday was the Superhero 5k walk for charity.  We had a group of Geek Physiquers out there, all in costume, all walking to raise money to fight child abuse. It was a great day, and a wonderful excuse to spend time with some truly amazing people.  The weather was interesting, to say the least.  When we first arrived, there were clouds approaching, but it was still sunny and a bit muggy and warm.  Shortly after arrival, while some of us were registering for the walk, the clouds gathered, the wind picked up, and torrential rain began to pour down in sheets.  It was crazy.  We all remained under cover for a while, and the start of the walk was delayed by about half an hour, while we waited for the worst of the storm to blow over.  It rained while we walked, and it was a bit breezy, but not quite so... monsoon-like.  It was really kind of nice, and much more pleasant than if it had remained sunny and muggy.  We managed a decent walking pace, despite the inclement weather, and it felt great to be completing another charity walk.

I think this post's mostly filler...

Not really. 

Wednesday night was brilliant.  Simply brilliant.  YogaQuest has been a delight at every turn, but this week's class took us to a whole new level of cleverness and inventive fun.  As a special event, our fearless leader choreographed yoga moves to the Buffy musical episode, "Once More, With Feeling," and after she demonstrated a few poses and sequences for us, we dove right in.  The combinations of specific poses with certain songs was so right, so amusing, so much fun to witness, so delightful to perform.  I laughed so many times at the truly awesome choices in yogi-ography (for instance... the poses best described as "hip openers" were prominently featured during Spike's big song, "Rest in Peace").  Even people who had never watched Buffy before were drawn in and had a fantastic time.  We had several first-time YogaQuest attendees, which was exciting and gratifying.  It's neat seeing other people discover the fun we've been having these last few months with this!

This week's YogaQuest was a great example of something I've observed and enjoyed week after week at these events -- this isn't something I have to force myself to do.  This is exercise, and at times it is challenging -- I feel it the next day, let me tell you-- but it never feels like "bleh, off to workout now."  It's a workout, but it's genuinely fun, and I'm carried along by the story, and the camaraderie, and the ever-changing landscape of yoga poses, so I don't have time to wonder how much time is left.  When the end of the evening's session draws to a close, I'm always surprised that the time flew by so quickly.  I love that.  I love that I'm not even remotely tempted to check a clock while we're doing our quests.  It's that entertaining, and that great an exercise in truly being immersed in the moment. 

I can't wait to see what's next!  So many possibilities!  So many stories to tell, and poses to learn, and geeky things to explore!

"All right, Pooh, you're not Overstuffed. You're Physically Superfluous."

Things have been in a bit of a lull lately with Geek Physique.  We were one of the sponsors/coordinators for the Steampunk Ball and Fete at CONvergence 2011, so there was a lot of work to be done to prepare for that.  Fortunately, we got through that with flying colors, so we're ready to dive back into YogaQuest and other activities again.  Yay!

CONvergence was great.  I had a few goals for the week: stay active, don't eat too much garbage, and maintain my weight.  I managed the first two -- I definitely stayed active, and kept the junk food to a bare minimum.  I didn't maintain my weight this week, though.  I actually dropped 4.6 lbs.  WOOT.  That, my friends, is a successful week for me.  Add to that my participation in the Aikido demo at con (in my Renaissance Festival garb, no less!), which was just plain FUN, and my introduction to a few more members of the dojo, and I have to say, this was a really amazing experience.

Piglet's going to give us all a song...

"Let's find a Way
Today
That can take us to tomorrow--
Follow that Way,
A Way like flowing water.

Let's leave
Behind
The things that do not matter,
And turn
Our lives
To a more important chapter..."

I've found myself thinking lately about the things that matter, and about the things that don't.  I tend to do that from time to time.  The more I've explored new and challenging activities over these last several months, the more I find I'm enjoying what I'm doing.

"I'm still here," said Piglet.

"Wisdom, Happiness, and Courage are not waiting somewhere out beyond sight at the end of a straight line; they're part of a continuous cycle that begins right here. They're not only the ending, but the beginning as well."-- Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh

Last night, we concluded "Season Two" of YogaQuest, with a special "yoga in the park" outing.  Despite an extraordinary number of caterpillars creeping about, on and around our mats, it was a great experience.  The weather was perfect for spending some time outdoors, and the camaraderie in the group after two "seasons" of questing is a genuine pleasure.

One thing this "season" brought me was a much better sense of balance.  I'd struggled with that during the first season, but have begun to see some definite improvements in that area.  Much of that can be attributed to the frequent use of Half-Moon as our "space" pose (we were traveling in Time and Space, in a blue box... hee hee).  The first time we did it, I didn't think I'd manage to stay balanced in that pose, but we've done it so many times now, I'm able to do it without wobbling around all over the place.  It's nice to have appreciable gains to report!

I've been very focused lately, and have been making great progress on several fronts.  My evening bike rides with Xena are part of my daily routine, and I've actually been enjoying them again (for a while there, it was a struggle just to get on the bike -- the seasonal allergies threw me for a loop, and I just wasn't feeling it).  Even on the days when I have yoga or Aikido, I still make room in my day for that bike ride, because I know I feel so much better on the days when I do.  My sleep is much more productive, and restful, and I wake up ready to kick ass all over the place.  I've also dropped about 10 pounds in the last couple of weeks, and I'm sure the uptick in consistency in my physical activity has a great deal to do with that.  Here's to keeping that going...

A revelation this week: I am having a lot of fun right now.  My life is pretty great.  I think as adults, we get so focused on work, and serious things, and relationships, and divorces, and contemplating our mortality, and paying bills, and wrestling with whatever else life throws at us, we forget how to PLAY.  We lose sight of the tremendous fun there is to be had in goofing around, laughing with friends, moving our bodies, making the most of the whole experience of being human.  Tuesday night, I blew off a lot of steam at my Aikido Bokken class, swinging my bokken and hearing that satisfying clunk of one wooden sword on another.  I remembered the tricky cuts that have tended to trip me up, and was able to execute them with only a couple of minor flubs.  When I got home from class (the last in this series, waah), I couldn't help but have one of those moments of intense joy and contentment as I realized, "Whoa!  This is my life!  And I like it!"  And it isn't because of anyone other than me -- I'm simply BEING, and finding that tremendously satisfying.  My happiness isn't contingent on anything or anyone.  It just is.  And that's pretty cool.

“I’m still here;” said Piglet.
“Oh – so you are.” “I enjoyed the stories.” “That’s good:”
“They helped me to – reflect on things.”
“Things?” Such as “Fear.”

“Well, I’m going out on a walk, to do some thinking. I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Right you are. Have a pleasant time.”--Benjamin Hoff, The Te of Piglet

Merry is May-time, and merry our meeting.

This week's Geek Physique activities, Bokken Aikido and YogaQuest, were a tremendous success.  There's something wonderfully satisfying about wielding a wooden sword and practicing thrusting and chopping at someone with it!  It was a much larger group than I expected to see, so apparently I'm not the only one who feels this way about those swords.

At YogaQuest, we started "season two," embarking on an entirely new adventure with the group.  We had a decent turnout for that, although several of our regulars were not in attendance.  Despite the smaller group, we had a fantastic time.  The storytelling was top notch, and the creative, clever ways our YoGeekie (aka yoga instructor) translated yoga poses into the story was delightful and lighthearted.

I don't believe I've ever laughed quite so much at any of the previous YogaQuest evenings -- partly, I think this is due to the nature of the story and the particular geek fandom it indulged, and partly, I think that may be due to the increasing familiarity and comfort of the group as a whole.  Last week, we completed the first eight-week session, and now we've begun this new session.  Perhaps it took us this long to truly relax and trust one another, and to begin to forge deeper ties. 

Spring rambling

Neil Gaiman has lost some weight, and kindly blogged about it.  I can't say I'd necessarily opt for Dickens, but I like the general idea.  Of course, what he's doing is probably very close to what I'm doing... exercising, and trying to find ways to engage the mind in something else entirely while so doing.  I heartily approve.  I'm glad to see him taking care of himself, as he's one of those people I'd like to see around for a good long while, cranking out new and wondrous things for me to read.

I'm still plugging away, but took several days off last week after a rather ill-advised encounter with lugging and assembling nearly 200 lbs of IKEA merchandise.   I spent the week rehabilitating my aggravated back, and trying not to go utterly bonkers.  I had to skip YogaQuest last week as a result, but was back in action this week, and was there for the final installment of that quest.  Next week, a whole new quest starts, and I'm eager to see what new adventures lie ahead in May.

Another new activity for me in May will be Bokken Aikido, in which I will be given a wooden practice sword (which will be mine, all mine! and I will love it,  and squeeze it, and call it George!).  I'll learn the appropriate Aikido moves, and generally go all warrior princess on my classmates.  I'm very excited about that prospect... yiyiyiyiyi!

One other thing I'm contemplating is archery.  There isn't anything offered through the nerd group that hosts these other activities, but I'm thinking I will look into my options in the area.  I know there are some archery ranges at some of the parks around here, so I'm thinking I may just get a practice bow and arrows, and go out and play around for a bit.  I took an archery class in high school, and loved it, but haven't done anything with it since then.  It's a completely nerdy thing for me to want to pursue, and yes, I think it's part of my tendency to pick Ranger personae in RPGs, but obviously, I've outed myself as a gigantic geek already, so it's not like I can make it worse by going there, right?

I leave you with this, as I struggle to remind myself that I love trees.  It's their pollen I detest.  The trees themselves are lovely... they've just made my sinuses very, very miserable this week.

Where many paths and errands meet...

I'm spending a bit of the day with this Tolkien Ensemble album of songs and poems from the Lord of the Rings.  If you haven't heard it before, it's well worth checking out -- very pretty arrangements of beloved and familiar words.



Sundays are lovely days for catching up on things, and for letting things slide.  Today is exactly such a day... a day to do a few neglected tasks, ride my bike while spending a bit of time with a warrior princess, and perhaps finish reading Gentlemen of the Road.  It's not a terribly lofty plan, but it is eminently appealing.  I spent my entire Saturday playing D&D, so a bit of manual labor and exertion followed by quiet, solitary pursuits is just what I need, to make this weekend feel truly weekendish.

Strider

"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost."--J.R.R. Tolkien 

 

Generally, it's easy for me to sidestep the snares laid by the "easy" enemies of our popular culture.  I can quite readily sneer at magazines and "reality" television shows.  It's something else entirely to confront and explore the shadows in myself, to catch myself straying from my path into all that crazy-making number crunching, and somehow navigate my way back out of that.  Those numbers, diminishing from week to week, are voluptuous and decadent in their own way.  They murmur to us, with words fraught with meaning and hope, and they tease us, sometimes skittering in entirely the wrong direction.  How much we invest in the utterances of the great oracle on the bathroom floor!

 

A year ago, my cholesterol and triglycerides were high, and my blood pressure was edging its way up there, as well.  My doctor made some recommendations, none of which were terribly innovative or surprising.  After finally implementing those suggestions, I was interested in seeing whether I'd managed to effect any appreciable change in my bloodwork.  When I received my test results this week, I was pleasantly surprised to see significant changes for the better.  

 

I've spent a couple of days thinking about those numbers, trying to find a way to express what I'm feeling about them.  I've never had occasion to feel inspired or excited about something like my cholesterol, or my blood pressure, but these test results have seized my mind in a way the scale can't touch.  Certainly, I can cite a previous weight, and my present weight, and demonstrate that I have in fact lost weight.  But... despite that progress, I'm still a long way from my as-yet-elusive "goal" weight.  But my blood pressure?  It's lovely.  My cholesterol?  Gorgeous.  Triglycerides?  Well on their way to being a work of art!  And the great thing about these numbers, versus the numbers of the scale, is that they are not remotely tied to my vanity.  It's highly unlikely anyone will write sonnets about my delightful cholesterol and triglycerides, nor will wars be fought over the beauty of my blood pressure.  These numbers don't announce themselves to the world as do those of the scale or tape measure.  They just inhabit me, quietly going about their business, doing what they do.

 

There is a vast wilderness ahead of me.  I have miles, and miles, and miles to go, but for the moment, I am content to bask in the priceless treasure of a realization that my course is not determined by a scale, and that, though this gold may not glitter, it is still precious (oh ho ho, noooo, not Precious).  I've done something wonderful for myself, in choosing to undertake this journey.  My body is responding to the choices I'm making, not just by fitting into smaller clothes, but by functioning as it should.  I have tangible evidence of improved health.  My journey is becoming clearer... it is so much greater and more life-affirming than simply trying to "lose weight."  The treasure that awaits at journey's end is already in my grasp.  Set aside the focus on losing, and embrace in its place a focus on gaining -- gaining health, and wellness, and strength, and fortitude.

A New Road...

"Still round the corner there may wait

A new road or a secret gate,

And though we pass them by today,

Tomorrow we may come this way

And take the hidden paths that run

Towards the Moon or to the Sun." -- J.R.R. Tolkien

Last fall, I turned forty.  It is no great feat to find oneself examining one's life upon such a milestone -- it is well-trod territory, I know.  Still.  The universality of this experience, this rite of passage, does not diminish the significance of my own encounter with forty.
 

I've spent the better part of my adult life struggling with my weight.  Well, I suppose that's not entirely true -- for the last twenty years, I mostly surrendered to the current of weight gain, and allowed it to carry me downstream.  As a child, I was athletic, and very active, but during my teen years, a back injury shifted my entire approach to life, and I gained a lot of weight (over 100 pounds) very quickly.  Pictures of me over the years have shown me at a variety of weights, sometimes as high as three hundred fifty pounds, but never under two hundred pounds.
 

A few years ago, in the process of divorce, I made some changes, and began to lose weight.  I made a few changes to my diet, but mostly focused on increasing my activity level, which helped me to manage my mood as well as my metabolic function.  I lost approximately 100 pounds.  Then my mother died, and I allowed that loss to distract me from what I'd been doing for myself.  A few pounds crept back on, but I was mostly able to maintain my weight.  (It's interesting for me to think about how the loss of my marriage motivated me to get active and eat better, but the loss of my mother stopped me in my tracks and made me crave the comfort of her cooking -- lots and lots of it.)
 

Now I'm forty years old.  It's been a couple of years since Mom passed away.  I've moved on with my life.  At the end of December, a friend of mine expressed some concern that, at my present weight and with a relatively sedentary lifestyle, I was unlikely to live to see fifty.  Whether that is accurate is debatable, but that's really beside the point.  In years past, I might have reacted with defensiveness and hostility, but for some reason, I didn't throw up that familiar old wall.  I listened, and I took those concerns seriously.  I realized then, nobody else could do this for me.  This is something I alone have the power to change.
 

I made a promise that day, to myself and to my friend, to exercise at least 30 minutes every day in 2011.  I have a recumbent stationary bike I ride at home.  In January, it was a challenge for me to get to that 30 minute mark without taking breaks.  Now I can ride for 45 minutes at a time, usually while watching an episode of "Xena: Warrior Princess" or "Doctor Who" (Netflix has a wealth of appropriately inspirational nerd fare for me to watch while I ride).  I'm working on expanding my routine to include a number of other activities, and have been helped in this regard by the discovery of local, nerd-oriented fitness group Geek Physique.  I'm a weekly participant in their YogaQuest activity, an innovative approach to yoga, which combines the physicality of yoga with the storytelling and role-playing mindset of Dungeons and Dragons.  T'ai Chi classes start this Friday, and I am eagerly anticipating "bookending" my work weeks with Geek Physique activities.
 

Each of these new activities is a new road, a secret gate, that leads me to greater discovery of myself and my potential.  Every day in which I incorporate my choice to pursue the enjoyment of physical activity is a day of adventure, a day of heroic quests, dragons slain, riddles solved, and treasures obtained.  Like Samwise Gamgee, I'm discovering that the heroes of the great stories were not people who found themselves in great peril and turned back.  What made them heroes was that they kept going.  My quest may not require me to carry Frodo up Mount Doom (sniff! sob! weep!), but it does require me to leave the comfort of my own Shire, and start trudging the wilderness myself.  It requires that I get up and move -- like I'm being pursued by Ringwraiths, or outrunning my past as a vicious warlord (with my faithful bard sidekick, yiyiyi!), or racing toward the TARDIS before it leaves me behind.  It requires me to hold fast to a commitment to myself, to value my health and well-being, to cherish my growing ability to actually DO things that require stamina and flexibility, to nourish my body so it can carry me along those "hidden paths that run towards the Moon or to the Sun."  
 

So, if you're feeling the call of years, or simply tired of sitting around doing nothing, I'd like to encourage you to grab a walking stick, and some comfortable footwear (or leathery bare feet if you are of the Hobbit-y persuasion), and if your voice is up to the task, join me in my walking songs.  I'm excited to be on this journey, and would love some company on the road.