It felt unreal that 10 years have passed since I decided to live healthy after
being informed of the physical check results when I turned 40. I was then fat,
sick, and nearly dead. A decade later, for the first time in my life, I went
through a year sickness-free. Whatever I did in-between, I did it for health.
The first step was to lose weight. In six months, just by eating less (
kcal daily) and speed-walking, I dumped one quarter of body weight and went from
196 lbs to below 150. The dramatic success fueled curiosity and ambition.
Next, I began to jog. I took the style of the Tarahumara Indians and ran in sport
sandals for about six years. Once I paid attention to breathing patterns, daily
jogging became a meditation. Officially, I had run only two marathons and one 50K.
I was eyeing my first 50 mile race when a nagging injury hit.
I discovered the kettlebell a couple of years into running, took up intermittent
fasting, and from then on each day of my life became one cycle of practice. The
last word has had a magic calming power over me.
I switched to jiu-jitsu in mid 2020, endured many more injuries on the mat, and
earned a blue belt in 17 months. The art is unique in that it stresses and,
through recovery, strengthens many parts of the body. I have grown a bigger neck
and become very efficient in getting up from the floor, e.g.
All these years, I've been strict with my diet. I stopped eating anything made
of white flour and only relaxed recently (5oz of pasta a week in the past couple
of years). How could I be so relentless? Heaven has no rage like love to hate
turned, as the saying goes. Decades of living on buns, breads, noodles, pastries,
and chugging sugary drinks almost killed me and I witnessed similar diets taking
loved ones away. My revenge will not stop till the end.
A runner friend taught me by example that it was possible to not to get sick.
I suspected I didn't have the genes for that feat as even after years of active
living I still caught the bug twice a year. 2023 is the first time I've done it.
All I have done is staying on the path for 10 years.
Looking back, even a cynical ingrate like me has to be thankful.
