The Next Step

So when I first started this whole adventure to a healthier me, Matt encouraged me strongly to pick a workout regiment that I could modify or change to my liking. He expressed that if I start a certain program and I don’t get the results I want after a period of time, I should not feel bad about changing workouts.

Yesterday I realized that I am not being challenged enough, and that I want more out of my workout than what Power 90 can give me. Although many people have suggested “graduating” to P90X (which is Power 90 Extreme), I’ve decided to go without something that is more cardio focused.

Even though I am 50 lbs overweight I have noticed something about my stamina and fitness level. Over the years despite my weight gain, I have been able to bounce back into a fairly strenuous workout. Although I am carrying around a lot of excess fat, I never feel winded when I climb the stairs (like so many of my fellow Korean teachers who weigh 90 lbs do). Without exercising for months and months I can quickly pick up a jogging regiment or a step class. I hiked for 3 weeks on the Appalachian Trail, and while I was certainly pushed extremely hard and had many head between my knees moments, I was still able to hike up and down mountains for 8 hours a day. On my longest day I hiked more than 21 miles.

I remember back at college working out with one of my best friends and dorm room mates. I had just starting working out after a few months and invited her to join me. She swore she had been working out nightly for weeks, but when she got onto the treadmill next to me, she could barely jog for 1 minute before having to walk. She weighed around 110 lbs. I am saying this because sometimes I need to remind myself that just because someone is thin doesn’t mean they’re in shape. Koreans are the best example of this. I live in a country where only 3% of the population is overweight. You are hard pressed to find any clothing above a size 4 in most stores. Obese Koreans have to shop online or travel to Seoul to shop in the “plus” or “big” stores (that are normally frequented by foreigners). The majority of Koreans, frankly, look amazing. They are so fashionable and girls are always donning mini skirts and high heeled boots, regardless of season or weather. But when taking a closer look, you realize that it’s all for show. Watching an average Korean climb a mountain (aside from the old, tougher than leather ajummas and ajosshis) is pretty pathetic. If you are able to stare at an average girl’s legs (without drawing too much attention to yourself), you notice that there is absolutely zero definition. I have seen so many times Korean women try to pick up items to carry back from the grocery store only to make it 3 feet before handing it over to their counterpart.

Just because I am overweight doesn’t mean I have to start “slow”. It doesn’t mean I automatically start sweating profusely when I walk more than half a mile or have to pause between each staircase. People have preconceived notions about all obese people and frankly, it’s just another stereotype.At first I had convinced myself that I needed to take it slow and order the P90 instead of the P90X, because so many people had warned about it being too difficult. Now I am realizing that I was downplaying my level of fitness simply because I’m fat.

Well, not anymore. Even after graduating to level 3-4 of the P90 I am finding myself not challenged enough. I need more cardio, I need a tougher workout. I want to be drenched in sweat the entire time and feel absolutely amazing when I’m finished. Right now I am not feeling that way.

I’ve decided to try a program called Turbo Fire. It’s an intense cardio burning workout that looks like a ton of fun. I had absolutely zero fun doing the Power90. It was so boring and frankly, I dreaded it every night. Hopefully this new program will inspire me to finish it.

Along with switching cardio workouts, I am going to make a few big changes to my routine. I am going to try extremely hard to workout in the mornings. Yes, you heard me. I have a lot of trouble getting up in the morning, but I think this will be the best way for me to stay focused, commit to the program and stay on a schedule.

It’s all starting Monday!

The Tao of Pooh

So yesterday I caught myself browsing through one of Matt and my favorite books, the Tao of Pooh, looking for possible readings for the wedding. I know, I know, it’s probably too early to be doing this, but give a girl a break. I only have 5 English language books here in Korea and sometimes I crave being able to read something without spending hours trying to decipher it.

I know that I want to incorporate a Buddhist reading or two in our wedding, along with readings from other faiths. In college I took a course on Buddhism and really fell in love with Thich Nhat Hanh’s books. There are so many passages relevant to love in relationship to the world that I found so refreshing and natural. Although I don’t have any of his books on hand, hopefully I can acquire a few before next August.

So yesterday I flipped open the Tao of Pooh and began reading at a random spot (which works well for this book). To my happiness, I came across this passage right away:

Those who do things by the Pooh Way find this sort of thing happening to them all the time. It’s hard to explain, except by example, but it works. Things just happen in the right way, at the right time. At least they do when you let them, when you work with the circumstances instead of saying “this isn’t supposed to be happening this way”, and trying hard to make it happen some other way. If you’re in tune with The Way Things Work, then they work the way they need to, no matter what you may think about it at the time. Later on, you can look back and say “Oh, now I understand. That had to happen so that those could happen, and those had to happen in order for this to happen..” then you realize that even if you’d tried to make it all turn out perfectly, you couldn’t have done better, and if you’d really tried, you could have made a mess of the whole thing.

I remember listening to Matt read that excerpt while we were cozied in a tent for two while hiking along the Appalachian Trail. I had brought the book for him when I met up with him in Northern Virginia as inspiration for his 2000 mile journey. We spent many a night in headlamp light reading from that book. I remember agreeing with Pooh’s words then, but the truth resounds within me now more than ever.

My life in the past 2.5 years has followed this path. Whether I wanted things to happen or not, they did. I couldn’t find a teaching job right after graduating. My ex-boyfriend of 6 years broke up with me. Matt’s ex-girlfriend of 3 years broke up with him. I found a job as a before and after care teacher to elementary students. I got back in touch with Matt. We fell back in love. Matt was laid off from his well paying analyst job after only 6 months. With his severance, his was able to hike the trail, a dream he’s had since childhood. Because I worked at a school I was able to join him, only to find out halfway through my hike that I no longer had a job to go back to. Desperate, we both went back to the grocery store where we had worked since 16. Matt finished the last few classes of his degree. Because we both had 4 year degrees, we could apply for teaching jobs in Korea. Because of Korea, we are incredibly happy, and can pay for our bills. Because of the low cost of living, we can travel on vacations and experience the world together. Over the next year we’ll be able to save and pay for our own wedding.

It’s amazing how things work out. If you told me 2.5 years ago that I would be able to pay my student loan bills, travel every 6 months and pay for a wedding, I would have never believed you. But it’s a reality now.

Of course every reality has positives and negatives. Although I lead a blessed life, there are still things that I have to sacrifice for all of this. Living in Korea is hard, especially for more than a year. A lot of people can perhaps deal with a year away from family and friends easily enough, but when you’ve made the decision to stay for a longer term, it becomes real. Things happen at home that we wish we could be there for. Time passes without seeing family, without playing with my dog, without enjoying a frozen custard on a hot summer’s day in Maine. You give things up to get things. Matt and I both know how fortunate we are, but we also never forget about our lives back home. 3 years is not a long time in the big scheme of life. We are content here, and we know that the sacrifices we make now will benefit us in the future.

Life is a game of give and take.

I hope it just keeps on giving :)

Incorporating Two Worlds

So, we live in Daejeon, South Korea. Home of Korea's most prestigious science and technology university (KAIST), an autumn hot air balloon festival and 4 unattractive government complex buildings that were relocated from Seoul. We also have a pretty cool blue and red pedestrian bridge over the Gapcheon River a mile from our house.
Okay, so it's not the most exciting Korean city. It pales in comparison to the vibrant insanity of Seoul, but we love it here. Daejeon is our new home. South Korea is a "foreign" country that we no longer consider foreign.

Of course, we've only been living here for EXACTLY 16 months today, not an incredibly long time some might argue. But when you move to another country and secure your first "real" steady, full-time job, it feels like the new life you have created for yourself has become something bigger than you ever thought possible. It's true, we didn't plan on staying in Korea for more than a year, most people don't. Most people come for the experience and move on to bigger and better things, or go home and settle down, or continue traveling. But not us. Korea means something more to us, and it's extremely important for both of us to incorporate it into our special day.

Deciding to have the wedding in Maine was obviously a no-brainer. We can't possibly have a destination Korean wedding, being 8,000 miles and a $1300.00 plane ticket away from the majority of our friends and family. Besides, even though Korea is our home, Maine is where we met in junior high, where we share so many incredible memories with those we love, and where we will eventually go back to.

So, how do you weave two completely different lives into one wedding day?

That's the fun part. Although I don't want to spoil a lot, I will share some ideas that Matt and I have come up with already.

We are going to be using an Asian symbol in our wedding, for the stationary, and also as decoration at our reception. Although the actual symbol is Japanese, it also is strongly associated with Korea and Koreans have certain beliefs about this symbol.

We're also going to use lanterns at our reception. While most likely Chinese lanterns, they will give the party an Asian feel, while still being surrounded by gorgeous Maine woods.

We will be singing a few songs in Korean at the reception.

Tables will most likely be labeled as cities that we've been to instead of by numbers or letters. We really like the idea of including our love of travel in the wedding.

Depending on how everything goes, we might have a reading and/or Korean tradition woven into the ceremony.

One last thing is a big surprise, but includes some kind of culmination of our time in the Land of the Morning Calm. After the wedding, we will only be in Korea for another 6 months before heading off to travel. To wrap our lives up here we will be showing our guests something special to give them an idea of some of the experiences we've had here.

We can't wait!

I'll reveal more details at a later date :)

Week 4 Recap

So although this past weekend was another "wash", last week wasn't terrible. What I ate wasn't so much of the problem as my lack of exercise. I only ended up exercising 4 days last week total. Bummer.

Oh, well. A new week has begun and it started off last night with a healthy dose of the Power 90 workout video. I have "graduated" to level 3-4 now (instead of level 1-2) so let's just say the cardio is enough to keep me lightheaded and sweating profusely for the entire 45 minutes. Tonight I am starting the 3-4 level in sculpting (weightlifting) and plan on adding in a 2 mile jog/walk into the mix.

While on the whole we've been eating better and exercising more these past 4 weeks, I am not getting the results that I want. Although I haven't weighed myself and have gotten a lot of compliments from teachers at school about my "slimness", I don't think I've lost anything. My pants fit a little loser, but nothing dramatic. After 4 weeks I was hoping for at least a little more.

I've decided to ramp up the exercise. Doing the cardio video 3 nights a week while adding more cardio to my sculpting nights will help.

I also really need to cut the crap. I did NOT need that ice cream last night. I didn't need that iced latte from Dunkin' Donuts the other night, either. Although my diet has drastically changed, it hasn't changed completely.

Even though I am not seeing the results I'd like, I am still optimistic. Each week is a new week and each day that goes by where I make smart choices is one step closer.

Goals for this week:
add cardio (even if it's just a walk) to my sculpting nights
go on a hike/long walk on my one day off a week from the exercise video
cut out all of the "freebie" snacks/drinks
continue to eat healthy, balanced meals
buy bus tickets for the airport for MALAYSIA!

Okay, so I threw that last one in there for good measure :)

June.

Oops. So it's been a while. I wish I had a good excuse like teacher training or lesson planning, but last week was pretty easy. I am giving speech tests to EVERY student at school so I've had a break from "real" teaching.

This past weekend Matt and I journeyed on public bus to a sequoia recreational forest outside of the city. It was so beautiful and might be a potential site for an engagement photo shoot. What?! I know. We've been engaged for almost 5 months but that's not stopping us from wanting a Korean photo shoot.

Although I have not posted on here lately, both of us HAVE been actively wedding planning. Almost every day this week we have spent some time hashing out save-the-date ideas and searching online for card stock and envelopes. When I said I was going to have a DIY wedding, I meant it. Fortunately, Matt is just as engaged in the invitation process as me, and has had some awesome ideas and input! This whole thing would be a lot more stressful without any help :)

paper products and colors have been decided, and even though I don't want to give away what everything will all look like, perhaps I will eventually post pictures when the save-the-dates have been mailed. Even though that won't be until later this fall, we're estimating around 75 altogether, so it's going to take us some time. Besides, this summer we'll be busy with summer camps and traveling, so it's never too early to order all of the materials.

Sometime this week I will post some awesome ideas I've gotten from this amazing blogging website: The Wedding Bee. It's a community of bloggers who all update on their wedding planning and preparation and it's just fantastic!

Before we know it, it will be July and I'll be getting ready for summer camps and buying bottle upon bottle of sunscreen and bug repellent for Malaysia. You can never have enough of either!

Until next time :)

3 Weeks Down

3 weeks down! I am not happy to report that this weekend was a wash. Although we had copius amounts of Korean food (re: relatively healthy), we splurged on a few meals that we're not happy about. But such is life.

Back into the routine today after a wonderful 3 day weekend away with friends at a national park.

Exercise stats for week 3: I exercised 5 out of the seven days, 6 if you include long walks and a few smaller hikes.

Eating stats for week 3: Good during the week, but bombed on the weekend. We ate out at one of our favorite Italian restaurants (first time eating real pizza since starting the diet). We also drank some beer with friends this weekend, which we don't care too much about. Yesterday after checking out a new Costco-esque store in town we caved and ended up eating food court for dinner to see how it compared to the real Coscto. So over-all, not very good. Time to move forward, though.

The new goal for the next two weeks is to not eat out at all. This should be easy since we just went grocery shopping and stocked up on tons of fruits and veggies. With a 3 kilo bag of frozen chicken and some turkey burgers we are good to go!

The humidity is picking up here, and I'm not liking it one bit. I am sitting here writing this at school and practically dripping. Korea's summers are brutal, and with just a few weeks until the disgustingly hot and humid rainy season, we are already counting down the days until fall. Fortunately we will be leaving Korea for 2.5 weeks in August for Malaysia (again, another sweltering country), but at least we will be able to enjoy it beachside.

So, to wrap things up, week 3 wasn't that spectacular in terms of diet or exercise, but week 4 will be better!! :)

Inspiration Board

Here are some pictures from an article I read on the broke ass bride website. (If you're planning a wedding or love weddings check it out! Here is the link to the article: the broke ass bride)

I am really loving this. Stressed about which colors to pick? Want to choose more than one or two? Why not the whole rainbow! These pictures show how awesome a rainbow colored wedding could be. Part of me (maybe the part whose trail name while hiking for 3 weeks on the Appalachian Trail was 'bow after a rainbow!) totally wants to do this.

I mean, skeptics behold this amazing cake:
Fantastic, huh? On the outside it looks like a seemingly boring cake but NO! The inside is fabulous, time consuming to make, but fabulous. Although I am not going to have a layered rainbow cake, I am planning on putting some color into my cake, but that's a surprise! Fortunately, one of my bridesmaids and good friends from Korea is going to be making my cake for me. I am so lucky.

And these dresses! Of course finding a different colored dress for each bridesmaid would be stressful, so why not just wear black and accessorize? So great.


I feel like the flowers is where you could really go all out in a rainbow wedding. Of course, for us DIYer's, I think it would cost a pretty penny unless you planned ahead.

You could let the rainbow theme run wild: different colored table clothes, rainbow paper cranes, rainbow lanterns, rainbow everything!

Too bad I've already settled on blue :)