Health and Fitness Reality Check

Going on a "Diet" doesn't work and is unhealthy.

I believe that "Diets" don't actually work, and if they do, the person doing the diet most likely had strong will power, or once they got to their goal weight, began regaining the weight and had to start all over. However, note that my opinion is probably slightly biased. Being a girl in a society where being skinny, having thigh gaps and a good overall appearance, continues to be a struggle for most young women all over the world. The media makes it seem as if models are what women should be aiming to look like, and that the only way to achieve looking like a model is to diet and exercise. Just to be sure, dieting is defined by Merriam Webster as "a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one's weight." Dieting implies that one must RESTRICT oneself from certain foods in order to lose weight. Though not a very reliable source, Urban Dictionary describes a diet as a "four-letter word that often leads to deprivation, frustration and, ultimately, failure," which essentially explains how I feel about diets - I don't think they work.

Dieting can do more harm than good. As a result of the constant weight loss and gain from dieting, "the risk of death from heart disease, including heart attacks, and the risk of premature death in general [becomes doubled]". This puts dieters at higher risk than they were before. It was also found that dieters  "end up weighing more than they did to begin with."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-447651/Diets-damage-health-shows-biggest-study.html

Dieting can be extremely dangerous for athletes, as well. The website below lists the problems associated with diets, referring mainly to low-carb and high-protein diets. These types of diets "are extremely popular because of the quick water-weight loss that occurs at the start of the diet." However, after losing the water weight, dieters are faced with a myriad of problems ranging from increased risk of kidney and heart disease to mood changes and depression.

Read more on FamilyEducation: http://life.familyeducation.com/nutrition-and-diet/weight/35884.html#ixzz310ZTm8v9

On the contrary, diets work for some people, and they had a positive outcome from dieting. Suzanne Gerber says, "when it comes to self-discipline, [she's] no paragon of virtue. But thanks to [her] teacher’s directive and a clear understanding of cheating’s cost, [she] was able to stay on course." There are some people like Gerber that are able to stay focused on their goals enough to complete the diet and have minimal side effects. 

Read more:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2013/11/19/why-diets-dont-work-and-what-to-do-instead/

After researching, I still believe that dieting is really unhealthy and does not work. Though there are cases in which people have "survived" a diet, I still don't think it's worth risking a whole line up of diseases and side effects. I think a better alternative would be to CHANGE your diet instead of GOING ON a diet. Simply incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet, eating food in moderation, and drinking more water can make a substantial difference, and it's a lot healthier than depriving yourself. By changing your diet, not only will you get the benefit of an actual diet by losing the weight, but you will also avoid the list of health issues that can arise from dieting. You might even help prevent those health issues from happening just by making healthier choices with the food you eat.

Hill Run

On Friday, we did the Hill Run. I was pretty proud of my run. I tried to run to the very top each time, meaning no shortcuts. I also tried to run each time, but wasn't able to accomplish this. I walked up the hill once, and the other times, I ran a bit past halfway and then walked the rest. Although I didn't run as much as I should have, I'm still proud of the determination and perseverance I had while doing the run. Sprinting up a hill isn't the easiest thing to do, so I know that I shouldn't be too hard on myself for walking a few times. I think one thing that could have really helped me do the run better (faster and less walking) is competition. I saw that there were a few people racing to the top, and thought that if I had some competition, I would have done more runs. For next time, I hope to do the full run. No more walking up the hill.

Self assessment

I've noticed that I'm not the same as I was when I was in Get Fit, and that kind of scares me. I haven't been doing as many blogposts and I haven't been as enthusiastic as I was before. I guess I forgot that everything I do affects the people around me - my attitude towards different activities, how hard I try during fitness days, etc. I've forgotten to keep track of my progress through blogging. I haven't posted since before spring break, whereas last year, I'd post at least once a week. Those are my two main concerns in this class, that I'm not allowing myself to grow and learn as much as I can. I'm almost preventing myself from learning. I need to improve on these two things so that I can get the most out of this class.

On the other hand, I have also been noticing some major improvements. I've gotten better at motivating myself to do at least one more. One more push up. One more jump. I've noticed that my endurance is getting a lot stronger now that I'm in rugby. Rugby really helped me stay active during the break, making the transition back to fitness days much easier. Another thing I noticed, just yesterday, was that I can do a lot more push ups (without breaks) than I was able to when I first started. It's things like these that I look forward to at the end of PE, seeing results. 

I think I'm pretty good at being personally responsible. I have good attendance and always come prepared to class. I'm also getting pretty good at telling myself when to stop and when to keep going. I know my limits. I try as hard as I can during fitness days. One thing I could improve on is my enthusiasm. I found that I haven't been as enthusiastic about certain activities, and I don't try my hardest if I don't like the activity we're doing. But I have been trying to turn things around. Yesterday, we were doing Insanity, and though it's not my favorite fitness activity, I tried really hard. I don't think I've ever swear so much before.

One last improvement I could make is to be more of a leader. I noticed that I haven't been helping out with setting up nets or getting groups organized. I always just assume someone else will do it. It won't be a hard fix, I just need to take initiative and help out more when we to block-wide activities.

I know that I need to make some major improvements, but I'm also proud of the progress I've made so far. I hope to continue making progress and make the necessary improvements that will allow me to get the most out of this class.

Woo Kim - Tae Kwon Do

On Friday, we took a field trip to Woo Kim and did some Tae Kwon Do. Although I originally planned not to go, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was a bit apprehensive at first, since there weren't very many girls going on the field trip, but it worked out eventually, with us girls having our own separate line. I really enjoyed learning self-defense tactics. It was interesting getting to see how easily you could take someone down just with a few simple moves. All in all, it was a fun experience, and even though tae kwon do is not really my type of thing, I would do it again. :)

GURU PYRAMID

Today, we did the Guru Pyramid. I think I've done it before, but I didn't try as hard as I did today. I don't think I've ever been so tired, but so happy with my results. I tried really hard to push myself to the very end, and I think I achieved this, since I was one of the last people to finish. However, looking back now, I feel like I may have skipped the 5th level. Oops... Even so, I know that I tried my hardest today. In the future, I think the only thing I would improve is to finish faster. I think I could have ran to the middle more often than walk there. One thing I did improve was taking less breaks. I didn't take any water breaks until the very end, and only took a few two second breaks in between exercises. One last thing I should note is that I did the modified push up, but I did twice as many push ups to make up for the modification. All in all, I'm very proud of the progress I made today knowing that I pushed myself and did my best.

Extended Beep Test

On Friday, we did extended beep test. I was really happy with what I accomplished on Friday. The most beep breaks I took was 3 or 4 beeps, and then I ran again. I don't think I've ever been able to do that before. I was really happy that I was able to motivate myself enough to keep running after 3 or 4 beeps. I was also really happy that near the end, I ran after 2 beeps. I think I really pushed myself and I was really satisfied with the sense of accomplishment I felt. I found that running with someone who is around the same fitness level as me really helped me. It made me think, "If they can do it, why shouldn't I be able to?" I hope for next time to continue to decrease the number of breaks I take. I also need to work on getting to the line before the beep, since I wasn't able to do so near the end of the beep test. All in all, I think I did really well, and I hope to continue making improvements as the semester goes on.

INSANITY!

On Tuesday, we did Insanity for fitness. It was so hard! I found it really difficult to stay active. I had to take a few breaks other than the given water breaks, which is okay with me, since Insanity isn't exactly the easiest exercise in the world. I was especially proud of myself during the beginning of the workout. I was working really hard, really pushing myself. I think what messed me up was the water break. I think it indicated to my body that it was over. It was after the first water break that I started to slow down, when I was really supposed to go faster. I hope that for next time, I will continue to push myself even after the water breaks. I hope to do the whole work out non-stop (except for water breaks) next time. 

I was actually really proud of myself when I did Insanity. I felt like I got a really good work out. It was really intense, and I was definitely sore the day after. Other than the improvements already stated, I think I did pretty well. I'm proud of the effort I put in that day. :)

Second Fitness Day!

      Today, we did a 40 seconds of exercise and 20 seconds of rest. It killed the day after, but I had a lot of fun doing it. I enjoyed the variety of activities we did. I also liked that it was like an at home workout. I think I got better at motivating myself in this fitness activity. I think what works for me is looking at how much time is left. It's sort of a reminder that it's almost over, and that I only have to do it for a few more seconds. I made a few modifications for some of the exercises, because I wouldn't have been able to last the full 40 seconds had I not done so. For example, I think there was an exercise where you reach your knee to the side and do a push up, then do the same to the other side. I took out the push up, since the push up was a bit much for me. I was still able to do the exercise, just without the push up. For next time, I hope to do less modifications, and do the full exercises. Another improvement for next time would be motivating the people around me more. I noticed that some of the people, including myself, would sometimes give up when there was still a few seconds left. I hope for next time that I will cheer people on, and think positive thoughts, so that I, too, won't give up so easily. 

First Fitness Day!

     Today, I did my first beep test. I did pretty well for my first time. I got a 8.4 on the beep test, which is pretty good, since I've gotten around 7.5 in the past. I' m not too upset, but I'm hoping for next time to get a 9, and work my way up to a 10, my goal beep test score. I hope to motivate myself more for next time, so my next beep test will be higher than 8.5.

Here are the rest of my test scores:
 - beep test: 8.4
 - push ups/30 sec: 12
 - wall touch: 245-230=15
 - T-test: (didn't get to do it)
 - balance board touches/30 sec: 7
 - flexibility: 5
 - plank: ~45 sec

       I was pretty impressed with my results in the beep test. I tried really hard in all the activities listed above, and managed to get decent results. One thing I really want to improve is my plank. I've done the plank for a much longer period of time in previous fitness testing days. I'm aiming for 3.5 to 4 minutes by the end of the semester. Another thing I want to improve is doing more push ups. I think for the push ups, I tried really hard, but I gave up before I could fit in a few more push ups. Looking back now, I could have done at least 3 more push ups.
       Internally, I want to improve on finding things to motivate me. I need to tell myself to keep going and that my "pain" or uncomfortable feelings are only temporary. I also need to better understand that the sense of achievement I will get after is better than giving up and not gaining anything.
      All in all, I was quite proud of myself, since it was the first fitness day. I know what I need to do for next time, and I know what I need to do to achieve the new goals I have set. 

My Personal Profile

*I registered for this course because…

I enjoy being active. I've actually missed doing fitness and challenging myself, pushing myself to my full potential. I feel like that's the only way I can feel like I accomplished something, by pushing myself. It's also a course that I find gives me ideas of activities I could be potentially doing in the future. Lastly, I joined this course so I would be more motivated to be active. It's hard for me to have a fitness routine, since my schedule is constantly changing. It's also hard for me to get up and actually go to the gym or do something active.

* My favorite part of PE is…

Playing sports. I feel like I am quite competitive, and it can sometimes be excessive, but I really like playing sports. I also like the field trips, the little adventures we take as a class to do something fun and active. I also like seeing my progression as I go through the course. It's cool getting to see how much I've improved as the course went on. It's also nice to see what I want to improve upon for the next fitness day.

*I think my current level of fitness is…

NOT GOOD. I don't think I've done a decent workout in half a year, which is pretty bad. I feel that once I finished my GTP physical activity hours, I lost interest in being fit, which is sort of ironic since the GTPs are supposed to help me plan to be MORE active. It needs a LOT of improvement. Quite disappointed in myself now that I think about it.

*My previous personal best beep test is...

I think it was a 9.5.

*I am currently doing the following things to be active (outside of PE)…

Unfortunately, not much. I'm not very active at all. I don't go to the gym very often, and I don't do much else to be fit. I'm a little embarrassed saying this, but it's the truth...However, when I am in a PE course, I tend to do a lot more. My family recently bought a treadmill, which I can use to help improve my endurance. I'm also planning to get some weights, so I can do more home workouts.

*Things that PHYSICALLY prevent me from doing exercise (i.e. medical, injury)

N/A

*Things that MENTALLY prevent me from doing exercise (i.e. energy, time)

For me, it's mostly time. I worked out a bit during the summer, and staying active came to a halt when school started. I had a full course load, and I couldn't find time to do any workouts during the week (I know...excuses excuses). I also had no motivation to go to the gym or do anything active. It was hard for me to motivate myself to get active since I didn't have anyone to go with me. I also didn't feel like it. Doing something active was always a thought at the back of my head, and I just kept putting it off.

*My eating habits are…

Not too sure. I only eat the food my mom makes me, which is half good and half bad. My family and I eat stir fry and food with lots of vegetables, but mostly on weekends. During the weekdays, my meals usually consist of meat and a few vegetables. But on the plus side, I don't eat out too often, only on special occasions. I think I've cut down to eating out once every two months. I would like to eat more vegetables during the week. Sometimes I actually crave vegetables...like a normal kid would...

*I Want to be able to learn more about…

How stress impacts health, and how to deal with stress.

*I want to improve my abilities in… (ex. fitness, communication, positive impact)

Fitness. I really want to push myself to my full potential, and feel the gratification of having achieved the goals I set for this class. I also want to improve on doing more outside of class time. I want to be able to motivate myself enough to do a simple 20 minute workout, or just a simple jog around the neighbourhood. 

*Outside school activities I’d like to try are...

Hiking, surfing, sprinting, rock climbing, snowboarding, gymnastics?

*My fitness goals for the semester are…

To really push myself and get a 10 on the beep test at least twice. I know it's quite a stretch, considering that I haven't had a PE course in a more than a year, and I haven't been staying consistently active since GET FIT, but I think this year is my year to really push myself and get a 10. I think I can accomplish this if I put in the time, both in class and outside of school hours. I also think that I've trained myself well enough in the past to motivate myself to just keep going, no matter how uncomfortable I feel or how much my legs hurt. I think this goal can also apply to the other aspects of the course. I need to set high goals for myself and actually accomplish my goals by putting in the time.

*My personal character goals are...

To be positive, even if no one else is. Positive thinking spreads almost instantaneously. I want to be able to lift people's spirits and hopefully motivate them to be more positive and more enthusiastic about the activity, as well. I think a positive thinking class makes the class more fun and enjoyable for everyone.