Core Performance Starts Tomorrow!

After a battery of tests (physical, personality, etc.) this week, Core Performance in MTV starts for real tomorrow. 3x a week. Let's DO THIS!

 

Posted via email from sunset to SUNRISE

Stand Up At Work

I recently converted to a stand-up desk at work. I love it. It forces me to stand up and walk around. I guess it's also good for your health, too. I love the idea of treadmilling during an interview or during a phone call.

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/sitting-long-work-pose-health-danger/story?id=11926874

 

Posted via email from sunset to SUNRISE

Food Rules

I got to watch a video of Michael Pollan talking about his book, "Food Rules" at Google. It was such a good talk. I'm sad I didn't get to see him in person.

I've had the book for a few months. I just read it today. It's a light read. Very good information and premise! I want to now give it as a gift. :)

 

Posted via email from sunset to SUNRISE

10 Things Dieters Need To Know About Metabolism

I saw a really interesting article on Discovery Health's website that talks about metabolism. It essentially shatters and confirms all the myths about metabolism.

Original Article Link via Discovery Health.

As someone who's seen a drastic change in weight over the years, I intuitively knew a lot of this information. It's not completely a shocker, but it's a good list to keep in mind when you're trying to achieve a weight goal.

1. You can't change your metabolism, but you can influence it
2. You can calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
3. "Fast" metabolism is (mostly) a myth
4. Exercise boosts metabolism
5. More muscle mass means faster metabolism
6. Healthy sleep means healthy metabolism
7. Metabolism slows with age
8. Slow thyroid means slow metabolism
9. Caffeine (may) boost your metabolism
10. Calories trump metabolism for weight loss

When I lost 120 lbs in just over a year (circa 2006-2007), I relied upon 4, 5, 9 and 10. I vaguely knew about muscle mass improving metabolism. So my strategy in my early exercise days was to build a ton of muscle in my legs, as it was probably the easiest place to start. With the boost in metabolism from muscle gain, I was able to supercharge my workouts in the future. :)

 

Posted via email from sunset to SUNRISE

Jorge Cruise stops by YouTube

We are fortunate to have awesome people swing by Google and YouTube every so often. I wrangled my health buddy Brittany to come up from Mountain View to San Bruno for a YouTube Tech Talk called 'The Calorie Myth' from author/health guru Jorge Cruise. He's an awesome guy who's passionate about evangelizing good health. He and I have similar backgrounds (were overweight, of latino descent, etc) and I'm impressed with what he's been able to accomplish.

He has a movie coming out called 'The Calorie Myth' which aims to debunk all we've learned about calories that comes out in January 2010. Instead, we should focus on our sugar intake.



We took a few pictures. Maybe I'll appear on his website soon. :D

Keepin' It Off

So I've had time to reflect as of late. Vacation on Maui was a good start. I began to think about my Weight Loss a bit more. I basically haven't really changed all that much physically in the past year/year and a half. So if you first met me within the past year, then you probably have no idea what I'm talking about.

Overall, I'm happier with my weight than I've ever been. I've been a few pounds skinnier, but not by that much. I've kept off my 100+ lb. weightloss for over a year! That's really the most difficult part to be honest. When you're losing a massive amount of weight, you definiely hit road blocks and mental insanity at some point. But keeping off weight if definitely a bit more challenging. You play mental games with your head. Like, for example, you may think 'Oh hey... I'm skinnier, I can have that cupcake.' Well, that turns into a slippery slope. So really, it's good to put things into perspective.

Keep in mind your goals and stick with them. If you have bad days, brush them off and start fresh. Don't get discouraged, especially if you happen to gain a few pounds. Just remember where you came from and how far you've gotten. It's definitely not worth travelling back in time, now is it?

Clothed

I admire the older generation being able to be so damn comfortable with their bodies.

As I lay tanning by my hotel pool in Kaanapali, I can't help but notice how comfortable the older generation is with their bodies. Of course, they've grown older together with a significant other in many cases. My assumption is by this point in their life, they have a 'i don't really care what others think' 'tude. I truly admire that.

Here I am, really uncomfortable with my body --- due mainly to the effects of major weight loss -- cringing inside when I have to remove my shirt to get rid of my farmers tan.

I do realize I won't see any of these people around me ever again, so I really shouldn't care what they think.

It's just so damn hard.

2008 Mantra: Focus on Myself and not Romance

So I was watching Oprah last week on the rare occasion I'm home on a workday. The episode discussed the power of positive thinking and 'The Secret.' They also discussed this in a love/relationship fashion. Basically, to sum up, the positive thoughts you put out in the universe will come back to you in a multiplied form. They gave a couple of examples of women creating lists of their ideal man/relationship and when they weren't expecting it, their man showed up. Basically, the trick is to be positive and be content with YOURSELF before seeking that ideal partner.

I ended 2007 and started 2008 with being asked out on dates. In late 2007, I ended a 4-month long distance relationship with Tony, whom I met in San Francisco but he lived in San Diego. I wasn't out looking for love, but I gave going on dates a shot in January. I kind of knew this was a bad idea, given the fact I was still in Michigan until Mid-January and was in a transition phase. I also wasn't where I wanted to be in my own life. I still have a lot of things I want to accomplish before I focus on relationships.

To be honest, I wouldn't want to date me now. When I go out and meet new people on dates, the inevitable 'So What Do you Like To Do?' question comes into play. My answer: uhhhh.

In 2008, I plan to focus on myself, not romance. The idea being, focusing on myself will lead to a solid relationship in the future.

I will focus on the following, and have action plans accordingly:

• Continued Education: I love learning about business. It's a passion. I especially love marketing and advertising. I'm also interested in other aspects of the business world and would love to continue developing my analytical skills. How am I going to foster this? Take an MBA class, courtesy of Google. I'm enrolled in an Operations Management course, which I started this week. It's also no secret that I would like to earn an MBA in my late 20's. I also took an MBA class while in undergrad at UC Riverside.
  
• Sports: I would like to take up one sport in 2008. I've been talking with Nai about this. We're thinking of doing Tennis. He's currently in a bowling league.
  
• Health/Wellness: After losing 100+ pounds over the course of a year and a half, I want to continue to improve my health and wellness. I need to go to the doctor. I need to go to the dentist. I will get this done. I also would like to learn more and educate myself on the Human Anatomy and Nutrition. Getting a personal trainer in Ann Arbor was a start, but by no means is the solution to everything. I want to subscribe to Men's Health Magazine as a start. I also want to run a 5K for the first time.
  
• Photography: I have a new camera that I plan to use. I want to explore the Bay Area landscape and photograph it like no other. I would like to at first dabble into photography and then refine my skills later in the year. Maybe a course at a community college. I also plan to get a new computer to help me re-touch my new Digital SLR shots. I took pictures this past weekend in Napa Valley. I'm excited to share them!
  
• Travel: I've got domestic travel down (except for a cross country road trip and a few more cities I want to visit). It's now onto the rest of the world. My first step was getting my passport, which I've already done. I plan to take an international trip in the Spring or Summer. It would be nice to have a travel companion, but it isn't a deal breaker. I don't mind traveling by myself.
  
• Work: I've been at Google for over 2 years. I know, I sometimes can't believe it. I've specialized in Quality Control, an area I never thought I'd get into. Over 2008, I want to seriously evaluate my career path. I need to (1) Evaluate my current path, (2) Decide whether or not to move to a different team/division, or (3) Consider other options (i.e. Self Work, Going Back to School, etc.)
  
• Reading: I've never been much of a book reader. I like magazines, but don't have the time to read them. I'm going to MAKE time and read them. I'm also going to explore books more, both fiction and non-fiction. I want to read one book a season, at minimum.
  
• Finance: In years past, I started to educate myself on 401K, Mutual Funds and Online Savings. This year, I want to learn how to do my own taxes, learn to invest in stocks a bit more, and learn other ways to invest, save, and improve my credit.
  
• Friendships: This year is the year of solidifying old friendships and making some new friends outside of work. In the past few years, I slowly realized my whole social life is surrounded by co-workers. That is cool, given the fact that Googlers are amazing. But I want to meet new friends and develop new relationships, outside of work.
  
• Cooking: I've relied on Free Google Food during the Week and Restaurant Dining on Weekends. I occasionally make a Whole Foods or Safeway grocery store run. But I rarely cook. I want to learn how to cook better. I want to research recipies, buy cookbooks, and throw a dinner party/potluck.
• Politics: I need to follow the Presidential Election. I've been out of the loop a bit. I need to research, read and make more informed decisions. I intend to watch more news (BBC, CNN, etc.) and listen to NPR.
• Attend More Live Theater, Explore Museums, Listen to Live Music (i.e. Get into the Arts): While traveling in late 2007, I started to go to more Museums and More Live Theater. I intend to keep this going. A group of my friends has set personal goals to attend 'More Live Theater in 2008.' The Bay Area has such a good scene, why not take advantage of it? I NEED to hit up SF MOMA and the de Young for sure. I went several concerts last year and intend to keep that up. I would also like to go to more low key live music venues. For example, I want to explore the live Jazz scene in the Bay Area.
  
• Volunteer: This is one area I've neglected most of my life and I really regret it. I donate money to causes I believe in, but I really want to do more. I should first narrow down which causes I want to give my time to and then from there move on to donate my time.
  

There you have it. Happy Valentines Day and Singles Awareness Day! I've declared 2/14/08 'Me Day not V Day.'

My Dad's Surgery

Last Friday my Dad went in to Century City Doctor's Hospital to have Hip Replacement Surgery. He's had a bad hip for a while. He's not one to complain. He will sometimes let pain last a long time for fear of being a burden.

The surgery lasted only an hour and a half and everything went well. I visited him on Friday Night to make sure he was feeling okay. At one point My Mom, My Sister and I were in the room with him at the same time. We talked, watched Everyone Loves Raymond on KTLA, and just hung out. All 4 of us rarely see each other at the same time anymore. I suppose It's because I'm in Nor Cal while everyone else is still in LA.

On a side note, the rooms in the hospital were pretty. I like how each bed had a Flat Screen TV & Computer so you can check your email and such. At one point, a male nurse came in to test some vital signs for my Dad. He looked Filipino (and was presumably gay). I always find it fascinating how gays typically pick careers that have a focus on helping other people.

My Dad came back home on Monday and I got to give him a hug before I flew back to San Jose. Sometimes the small things are priceless.

He will be taking 3 weeks off work and can't drive for 10 days. Apparently there is a huge risk of dislocation during the first 10 days after surgery.