Back to Beginning

Yes!! I have made the first move. Now my body has to react and show results. Of course, its just the beginning and i am very greedy to expect instant results :) Every morning, i give 45mins to myself. No thoughts of anything or anyone else. Esp nothing abt work n co-workers.
I did a little self evaluation. The back is weak - portion betwn my shoulder blades is stiff and the lower back from the arch to the tail bone has constant pain. Me thinks, largely due to the paunch it is supporting. Legs are holding up, but knees feel the grind and ankles are sore due to inaction. Flexibility is at an all time low, cause its almost impossible to tie my shoelaces as it makes me breathless and my wings hurt as i try to reach my feet. Stamina is in poor state as earlier i could climb three floors to work with relative ease, but the same effort puts me out of breath now.
So to put the crisis at hand in points : lack of stamina, flexibility, weak back. the obvious highlight is the weight, but thats something i am going to tackle along the way.
What have i started? Well, in the first week, i did what can be called purging. I can normally drink abt a litre of water at one go. So, for 7 days i woke up boiled 2 litres of water, let it cool a bit, added salt, squated on the floor with my left knee on the floor and right knee folded to my chest and drank the salty warm water at one go - as much as i could finish.
From week two, i have started to focus on the back. its in isolation right now, but the nagging pain got to me. There is a series of back exercises i do and i am feeling pretty good. The soreness is going away and the pain is substantially lesser.
** THESE EXERCISES WORK FOR ME AS I HAVE DONE THEM EARLIER. DON'T FOLLOW IF YOU HAVE REAL HARDCORE BACK ISSUES **
I do these exercises in relaxed manner, without any jerks and jolts. Should you choose to do them, remember two things: (a) Back is what keeps you up. Dont mess with it; and (b) Stretch betwn exercises, either by holding your knees to your chest (left, right and together) or by pulling your arms and legs in opposite direction while lying down.
1. Lie on the floor with knees folded and soles as close to the ass as possible. Hands on the sides. Then i push the arch of the back downward so its flat against the floor. Hold it for 10 counts and back to normal. I repeat this for 10 times.
2. Continuing to lie down in same position, i raise my pelvis. Effectively, i am resting on my shoulder and feet. The end goal is to be able to do "dhanush-aasan" where i will have to contort my body like a bow (like bow n arrow). Every day i try to lift my back higher. Again, i hold it for 10 counts.
3. Lying on my back in same position with legs folded up, i rest my hands perpendicular to my body - like i am flying. Then i let both my knees fall to right side, as i look to the left from my neck. again holding for 10 counts, i do the same for opposite side.
4. Facing the floor, i get on my fours. Hands are below the shoulder and knees together. Arching my back up, i look down in towards my legs. Hold this for 10 counts and then i arch my back downwards, i look up ahead and hold for 10 counts. Before i get into either position, i breathe out and suck in my stomach. This is popularly called as "the cat and the camel".
5. Getting in the normal on fours, i then raise my left leg and right hand and keep them parallel to the floor. Its a balancing act of sorts when you do it for the first time. Repeat same for opposite hand and leg. Again, its important for me to hold it for 10 counts so i can feel the strain.
6. After this, i do the popular "donkey kick backs" where continuing on all fours, i now rest my elbows down and cradle my head in my palms. Staying in this position, i straighten and raise my left leg as high as possible. Hold it for 10 counts and then repeat with the other leg. Its important to feel the pressure on your legs and lower back.
7. Then lying on my stomach with hands near my body, i raise my right leg and hold it for 10 counts. The idea is to keep it straight and again feel the tension in the thigh and lower back. Do the same with left leg.
8. Now, with my hands stretched out in front and full body in straight line. I raise alternate limb - left leg and right right hand / right leg and left hand - and hold it for 10 counts. You should feel the stretch in the middle of your back.
9. The next one is my favorite, where lying on my stomach i keep my hands next to my shoulders. Then i raise my upper body, till abt my navel, in a "cobra" like pose. I can actually feel the stress vanish from my back as i hold it.
10. Folding my ankles under me, i sit straight with hands on my thighs. Breathing out, i hold my hands together and raise my arms up and stretch as much as possible. Hold it for 10 counts and then TURN ahead, not bend. Keeping my back straight is a challenge right now as my stomach obstructs the pose.

These exercises sum up my back exercise regime and i am sure it will help me in the long run. its simple, convenient and something i can do even when i travel. What is important is to breathe out before the pose is assumed, and continue breathing, and to begin with what your body is comfortable doing - abt 5 repeats for almost all of these exercises is a decent number to start.

Shall continue to document my journey to a newer me along the way and not promote this blog.

Storing

The human mind and body are complex. Few months back i met a client and typical of most ppl in their 30s the discussion veered to bulging waistlines and sagging energy levels. He gave an interesting perspective - we dont put on weight cos we eat; we are fat cos we dont burn what we eat. Its no rocket science, and everyone has been saying the same. All the eating and drinking had to catch up sometime. We are all lifestyle victims. We continue to eat like our parents but dont do even an iota of physical labour that they put in their day to day lives or over a period of time. Most chores dont exist anymore, are redundant or we have found technological substitutes, or have been outsourced. Clearly, the input is far more than the output.
There are those who watch their inputs and just cant seem to break the weight barrier downward. We have been taught, we eat, digest, assimilate, excrete. Is this process only true for food? Does it work for emotions also? Have we ever pondered abt why do we eat / overeat the way we do? Is there some emotional need that spurs random eating? I met an interesting person couple of days back, who gave an interesting insight to our eating habit. Apparently, our eating habits are a net result of who we are. Deep down. I immediately remember reading something abt Elvis. His childhood years were spent in absolute poverty, where food was scarce and scarred him for life. With stardom came wealth, that could buy any food he wanted, but did nothing for the scars. Towards the mid-70s, he was consuming over 4000 calories per week with days starting early evening and going till early morning, with king size milkshakes, giant cheeseburgers and soda. The childhood insecurity of not knowing where the next meal is gonna come from, ate him from inside i guess, and eventually, he reportedly died of over eating.
The point is, we are what we are. The sum total of all experiences and emotions. Presently i am getting help recognising emotions behind my storing layers of adipose. Is it fear? Or some insecurity? Or some worry or stress? Or something i have been carrying unknowingly? Once that emotion is isolated and dealt with, the efforts i am putting in, should show results.
As of now, i know i am too critical and harsh on myself. Let me discover what i have been fighting!!