NOTES: Fat Floats

"I have found that over time I slowly began to let go of some of the ideas about what constituted weightloss success, which led to letting go of unrealistic expectations, which led to less guilt and self loathing for never reaching those goals, which led to a happier state of being and then this all led to a healthier lifestyle and ultimately weightloss. Not weightloss in a can, bottle, or box but weightloss in the truest spiritual sense. Now that my excess weight is not the priority in my life I find that I enjoy life more and this in turn makes me a happier person. Cure the mind and the ass will follow."
Steve Vaught
http://www.thefatmanwalking.com

I was going to jump right into a three (?) part entry on the Korean education system tonight, but my thoughts quickly turned elsewhere. As this is my journal, I want to share some encouragement I got tonight.

First of all, it was weigh-in time at the gym. Althoguh I have not really seen any improvement, I have apparently lost 1.2 kilos (2.6 lbs) in one month. It does not sound like much, but I have also changed .8 kilos (1.8) of fat to muscle. Basically, I have lost one brick of Tilamrook Pepperjack Chesse (drool drool) of body fat. Of course, I still have "miles to go before I sleep," but it is encouraging.

While I was browsing the Yahoo News today (pathetic, but the only real English-language news I get here), I noted an article about a man who was walking across America to lose weight. When I tried the website, the site was down (due to heavy traffic, evidently), and made a mental note to try again this evening. I just spent about a half hour on his journal/blog, and I am quite encouraged.

Mr. Vaught speaks candidly and openly about the good, bad, and the ugly about weight loss and mental health (he has lost over 100 lbs on his journey so far). Of course, we should already know that there is a connection between weight gain and coping with life, but some people seem to have forgotten.

I was forced to admit that I stress eat sometimes. I am primarily overweight due to lack of exersise rather than food intake (I am in Asia after all!) but I am working on it. I will also admit that I suffer from chronic depression, and eating is sometimes the only thing that quells the inner hunger. Something about this man's story struck a chord in me, and, judging from the responses to his website, struck a chord with other people too. Are we a nation of seriously depressed individuals?

Think about it. In American society, at various times in history, alcohol has been banned, smoking has been banned, sex has been banned....now "fat" is being banned. What "vices" do we have left? No wonder we are depressed. It's a tough world out there, and, after fighting our way through our jobs, traffic, and relationships, is it any wonder that we feel the need to splurge on something?

Of course, in moderation, the above "vices," when taken/indulged in moderately, become relatively innocuous (except perhaps smoking). A drink or two on the weekend isn't going to kills anyone or GASP make them an alcoholic. Moreover, a little drink is useful in preventing heart disease. Sex releases useful endorphins and seratonin in the brain (regardless of prowess or technique) that help create a steady mental balance. Maybe lack of this type of activity is why many single people are so uptight and aggresive. A little body fat is also good; we should not get below 20% BFI or we start getting ill.

Although I have a long way to go, I feel a bit upbeat tonight. The mental and physical exhaustion from doing my "hamster in a wheel" routine did achieve some results, though progress is slow. Check out Steve Vaught's site at:
http://www.thefatmanwalking.com