Category Archives: health & fitness

A narrative of my journeys with diet, exercise, and various healthcare professionals

aikido 2 Comments

Highlights from Kyu Testing

The especially good parts:

0:24 to 0:40 – Check me out with my shomenuchi ikkyo omote osai. OMG, does my gi make me look fat? 😉
2:00 to 2:25 – Parts of Rich’s test. He really had the energy happening. Fun to watch.
3:30 to 3:52 – Part of Andy’s test. This part involves some fun hip-throws and breakfalls.
4:28 to end – More of Andy’s test, starting with jo (staff) work and ending with randori (multiple attackers).

Andy was on his third round of randori by this point, and these were the black belts (yudansha) coming at him for his final test. If he looks a little exhausted… that’s because he is. 🙂

And that’s what I did on Saturday the 26th. If it looks like fun, maybe you should give it a go.

aikido 1 Comment

Rankless No More

Saturday the 26th was the long-awaited day: the day I tested for my rank of rokyu (6th kyu, the lowest actual rank) in Aikido.

The day started with a Basics Seminar from 9am to noon, wherein we spent the first two hours learning kneeling techniques. I was already familiar with most of the techniques we reviewed, although we did manage to go into more detail than I ever had previously. I also became familiar with techniques that I won’t have to know for another few ranks yet, which was fun.

After the morning session, I asked one of my classmates to help me with my rolls for a few minutes. He did so gladly, and even pulled out one of the tumbling mats for some extra cushion. With his guidance, I finally managed to figure out where I was going wrong with my rolls, although I could tell it would take some time before I could consistently fix the problem. (For those of you keeping score: I was turning myself just before my shoulder hit the mat, so my forward roll turned into more of a sideways roll. The key is to keep forward momentum and think about looking at the knot of my belt.)

The entire dojo usually goes out to lunch together after the morning session; to a local buffet, either Indian or Chinese. I ended up passing on lunch with the dojo, and instead drove home and had a light lunch with my sick hubby. Then, per Sensei’s instructions, I laid down on the couch and just chilled out for a while, letting my sore muscles rest. Once it came time to go back to the dojo for testing, Aaron actually seemed well enough to go along to watch me test. So, after running past Kroger to pick up a veggie tray for the post-testing potluck, the two of us headed over to the dojo just before 3pm.

The first half hour or so was used as a loosening-up period; we paired off and took some rolls, did some basic techniques, and Sensei answered specific technique questions from people who would be testing. Then, after a short break, formal testing began.

The five mukyu (those of us with no rank) went first. I beelined for the side of the mat closest to Aaron and furthest away from Sensei — not so Sensei wouldn’t see me, but so Aaron would. Five volunteer uke presented themselves, we made our formal bows to begin the testing, and so it began. The ten techniques I’d been so worried about flew by in a matter of minutes, and before I knew it, it was time to take my ten rolls. After the first three or four, I felt like I started to understand how forward rolls are supposed to feel, and I got into a bit of a rhythm.

(Unbeknownst to me, several people in the dojo were specifically watching me to see if my rolls had improved. From their comments after the test, it sounds like I have indeed improved. I still need to watch the video for myself, though…)

We formally ended our 6th kyu test with bows to the front of the dojo (the shomen) and to Sensei, and we were done. We returned to our places with the applause of the dojo.

Every other level of testing only had one aikidoka at a time — it just happened to work out that way. Highlights, for me, included Rich’s test for… fourth kyu? Third? I forget. At any rate, I enjoyed watching him really get into his technique. Plus, he got his glasses knocked off halfway through his test. ^_^

The real highlight of the day, though, was Andy’s test for ikkyu — first kyu, brown belt, just one step down from black belt. Not only did we get to watch Andy do sword (bokken) and staff (jo) work, but we also got to watch him perform randori, or fending off three attackers at once. I hope Sensei posts the video to YouTube; if he does, I’ll embed it here for your viewing pleasure. Because it was indeed a pleasure to watch.

After the formal end of testing, there was much congratulations by all. Then there was much food and drink, and some live music provided by members of the dojo (including Sensei, of course).

Thanks go out to Rich and Chelsea for helping me out with my forward rolls, and to Robert for volunteering to take ukemi for my testing. Thanks also to Aaron for coming to watch and cheer me on! That really meant a lot to me.

Maybe I’ll post a photo of me in my fancy hakama pants (not to be confused with Hammer pants) once I get them. ^_^

weight loss

The Challenge: Week #4

Diana James
Week 1: 0.5% 1.5%
Week 2: 1.6% 2.3%
Week 3: 3.8% 2.3%
Week 4: 3.8% 3.5%

Over the course of the week, I gained and lost three pounds, ending up today where I was at the last weigh-in: 204.5. Considering that I’ve been sick with bronchitis since Saturday evening, I’m OK with that result.

I focused my sights this week on Saturday’s Aikido test (which I still need to document), attending class on Monday and Wednesday, and the Basic Seminar on Saturday morning. I was surprised when that didn’t bolster my weight loss, and I gained weight instead. It’s possible my muscles were retaining fluid while they were trying to heal (isn’t that how it works?).

Another thing that may have hampered my weight loss was a lack of meal planning. In weeks past, I’ve had brown rice pre-made for every lunch, just waiting for some ground turkey or canned chicken or tuna and whatever healthy goodness goes with my protein of choice. This week, though, it’s been mainly fruit and ready-to-eat foods like low-sugar yogurt, or a pita with hummus. Still not bad for me, but not as protein-rich and fiber-full as my lunches should have been.

Last week’s goal of “Early To Bed, Early To Rise” didn’t work out so well. Actually, it didn’t work at all. I’m hoping that this week, in trying to get myself healthy again, I end up getting to bed earlier and sleeping more. I don’t think I’m going to set any other goal for myself this week, honestly. Get the rattle out of my chest. Maintain my weight as well as I can. Take care of myself. Pamper myself. Be gentle, and not go for walks out in the sub-freezing temperatures (probably not so good for bronchitis). Stretch out my still-stiff muscles. Pass on Aikido until I feel truly healthy again.

James has almost caught up to me this week, after having his own sick time during Week 3. It’s still anyone’s game.

health & fitness 3 Comments

Yay For Bronchitis!

Aaron wasn’t feeling so well on Thursday night. When he got up on Friday, he was feeling downright shitty. He stayed home from work on Friday night, sick and feverish and hacking up a lung.

Saturday was my Aikido seminar and testing. I left Aaron sleeping when I went to the morning seminar, and returned after noon to find him still sleeping (which is pretty normal, considering his schedule). He’d had a hard time sleeping; once he got up and around, he started feeling better. He came with me to the testing on Saturday afternoon, to watch me earn my rank in Aikido (more on that later), and we stuck around for the potluck dinner afterward. He didn’t seem so bad — his cough had died down considerably, and he wasn’t feeling as warm.

I, on the other hand, started getting a tickle of a cough while watching the tests that came after mine. By Saturday night, I was hacking almost as much as Aaron had been.

On Sunday, both of us were completely miserable, although he seemed to be doing better than I was. I was feverish, dizzy, nauseated, not hungry in the least; I basically just beached myself on the couch with water and tea and books all day. I took my temperature while Aaron was out doing grocery shopping: 101°F. That made me feel even worse.

Knowing how Aaron had felt, I e-mailed my supervisor in advance and told him I wouldn’t be in on Monday. I went to bed with the intention of sleeping it off, sweating it out, and being well enough to go to work by Tuesday. Aaron was feeling fine by the time he went to bed a few hours after me.

Last night sucked.

I couldn’t get to sleep, thanks to my Aikido soreness and my periodic hacking, rattling cough. I dozed in and out, and kept waking up either in pools of my own sweat or shivering like a mofo. I finally managed to get to sleep around 6:30am, and slept until around 10:30 or 11am. Aaron didn’t fare as well, as he barely slept all night.

When we both dozed awake, he informed me that we were going to get up, shower, eat something, and go to Urgent Care. Both of us. Turns out, he’d woken up in the middle of the night to hack and cough and get a drink of water, and had looked up the closest Urgent Care place in the phone book because he was so freaking miserable.

So, that’s what we did. We got to Maumee Urgent Care at 12:15pm, and Aaron got called in to see the doctor at 1:30pm. I got called in shortly thereafter. Long story short, I was diagnosed with bronchitis and pharyngitis, and Aaron was diagnosed with much worse bronchitis than mine. I didn’t have any immediate treatments at Urgent Care; just a prescription for antibiotics and a decongestant. Aaron, on the other hand, got a breathing treatment and a shot in the ass at the clinic, plus three prescriptions, including an inhaler and an antibiotic.

Per doctor’s orders, I’m off work tomorrow, and Aaron’s off work until Thursday.

Aren’t we the pair?

weight loss

The Challenge: Week #3

Running Weight Loss Totals:

Diana James
Week 1: 0.5% 1.5%
Week 2: 1.6% 2.3%
Week 3: 3.8% ???

Official Tuesday weight: 204.5 pounds. This was a one-and-a-half pound loss from yesterday, and I attribute it to yesterday’s hefty two-hour session of aikido, after which I was too queasy to eat more than a small bowl of cereal for dinner. I fully expect to bounce back by a pound by tomorrow morning. And I’m OK with that.

The big accomplishment of the week was a steady weight loss over the weekend. We still ate out once, at Zoup, where I had a bowl of seafood chowder with multigrain bread. (I love eating at places where I can narrow down my meal choices ahead of time by checking the nutrition facts.) We made all our other meals at home: leftover salmon and green beans for Saturday dinner, omelettes for Sunday lunch, and Three Amigos Chili (thanks, Sheryl!) for Sunday dinner.

Exercise for the week was basically aikido on Wednesday — and yesterday — and a few days of lunch walks. I didn’t do aikido on Saturday morning because I was too exhausted to bother (thanks, womanhood). I’ve had aikido on the brain, thanks to my upcoming test, and I’m hesitant to do any strenuous exercise during the week (read: strength training) other than aikido, for fear of hurting myself so that I can’t test. This is also a great lame excuse for me to avoid cardio, as well, even though it’s what I need.

This Saturday is my aikido test, after which will be a potluck with all kinds of food. Hopefully, some of it will actually be good for me, being that there are plenty of vegetarians and proponents of macrobiotics and general health nuts in the dojo. If the Zen Brownies make an appearance, though, I’m definitely going to partake. 🙂 (There’s nothing overly untoward / weird / illegal in the Zen Brownies; they’re just REALLY good.) If I gain weight from that one meal, so be it. I give myself permission to indulge after (hopefully) earning my rank in aikido.

My focus for this week is going to involve getting enough sleep, and getting up at a reasonable time in the morning. I’d rather have my breakfast at home than just bring a banana to work and call that a meal, and I’d also like to start showing up to work ON TIME (even though, yes, I am salaried, and no one’s said anything yet). I’m going to spend a goodly amount of time on ME before bed, including all the normal hygiene (that I sometimes skip — I’m so bad), plus some quiet time sitting zazen, and generally helping myself calm down and relax and make myself feel just a little pampered. So often, I’ll just let myself get ridiculously tired, and finally throw together a lunch, tromp upstairs, braid my hair, strip (er, I mean, put on my jammies), get in bed, read a few pages of a book out of habit, then turn off the light once I can’t keep my eyes open. This is, I fear, not the healthiest of nighttime rituals. I resolve to change that this week, and see if it changes my attitude and mood (and possibly my eating and/or exercise habits).

Thanks to Lauren (a.k.a. “Bouffa“) and Sheryl and Aaron for their support this week. It’s helpful to know I have friends who want me to succeed and be happy, as simple and cheesy as that sounds.