PICKNESS FIRST: A FITNESS BLOG BY THE PICKIEST EATER IN THE WORLD

        Its hard enough having to diet, but being a food blogger has made it even more difficult than usual. But with my mission to take care of Rina and Rain my number one priority in life, it dawned upon me how important my physical fitness is. I don't need to be a muscular Spartan type.. I just want to become physically fit, so climbing the stairs, or even just bending to pick something up on the floor doesn't involve hyperventilating moments afterward.

        Then Rina gave me a great suggestion. Why not make a blog about it? That way, I could monitor my progress, and at the same time, readers could chime in their suggestions on what I could do better to improve my diet plan, and other work regiments. 

      I've documented my first three sessions of working out, with my two attempts not going as well as planned, and with me finally hitting my stride on the second. 

     Without further ado, I would like to present to you a preview of my newest blog... 

 BEHOLD!

"PICKNESS FIRST", THE NEW FITNESS BLOG 

OF THE FOOD BLOGGER FORMERLY KNOWN AS 

"THE PICKIEST EATER IN THE WORLD"!

FLASH BACK

  

           Throughout my entire life, i've been overweight. Even when I was in High School, I was always considered one of the fat kids. Which is funny, because when I show people my High School graduation picture NOW, people always tell me, "You were so thin! Balik mo yan (Bring that back)!". 

           True Story: Around 15 years ago, a female High School friend of mine asked If I could meet a friend of hers that had a crush on me after seeing my picture in one of her albums (Actual photo album.. no facebook yet back then). When I got to the restaurant to meet both of them, the girl seemed annoyed I was there, and kept leaning over to glance at the door. After 20 minutes of conversation, the girl leans over to my friend and goes, "So what time is he coming?". My friend looked at her really baffled and pointed at me and said, "Umm.. Richie is right here.". She looked at me all wide eyed, with her mouth agape and said, "Oh my god, what happened?". 

photo courtesy of The Tummy Traveler

        Though I have always really been overweight, last year, I really let myself go. I couldn't help it. The blog really picked up, and I've gotten so many invitations to restaurants that I've been wanting to try, that I neglected to realize the toll it would take on my body. It was only after I saw this photo, that I realized I was starting to look "Dugong-ish", and something needed to be done. (It's also ironic that i'm standing between Mr. Delicious and Spanky Enriquez in this picture, as both have played a significant part in my weight gain).   

      So my new blog will be a chronicling of the first few steps I've taken to bring "back" whatever it is I seemed to have lost (In actuality I didn't lose anything as much as gained... weight hehe).

THE FIRST SESSION: A BUNCH OF CRUNCH

    Rina would constantly tell me that the very least I could do is exercise. So I decided to try my luck at the gym. However, I felt it would have been better if I could find a gym buddy.. Someone who could help motivate me, and keep me inspired. My first visit to the gym, I ended up hanging out at the snack bar the entire time. 

Photo courtesy of Jana Go

               My blogger friend, Sugar & Spice, suggested I ask help from her daughter, Jana, that has recently become a fitness enthusiast. Jane, like the proud mommy that she is (and with every right to be),  showed me photos of Jana at the gym, doing some very painful looking exercises, but her dedication and discipline belied her young age. 

       Jana is an incredibly sweet young lady, and her statuesque physique and her "Mana-Kay-Mommy-And-Daddy" good looks virtually assures her a career in modelling or a beauty queen title if she wants it. She was more than willing to help me out as my own personal "Coach", teaching me some of the regiments that was taught to her.

      She seemed awfully shy and quiet the first few times I met her, and in fact, she would call me, "Tito Richie" (WTF?!.. Oh yeah, I forgot.. I'm old.. sniff). So I figured this would be a piece of cake.. Since she probably wouldn't force her "Tito Richie" to do something he clearly didn't want to, right? (You know.. Like exercise? hehe)

      But the look on her face when I arrived at the gym 4 minutes late from the agreed upon 7am(!) said otherwise. As soon as I walked in, I was expecting a "Beso" for Tito Richie. Instead, She had her game face on, and even berated me for not coming in the proper gym attire (Apparently, no matter how comfy they are, "Crocs" aren't considered "gym material"). 

     No amount of "Pa-Cute" could crack that icy facade. The woman meant business.

            Given my rather shapely belly, Jana decided that my exercise program should start of with some "Crunches". She showed the exercise called "Heels To Heaven" that she would do, and wanted me to try the same thing.

       I told her that wasn't going to happen without me splitting the seams of my pants. 

Fed up with all my excuses, Coach Jana decided that she was done playing games with me, and demanded I give her a Bunch of Crunches.

It was a good thing I came prepared.

         Clearly at her wits end, Coach Jana decided that the gym wasn't for me. She told me to meet her at the pool in proper swimming gear, including the proper safety measures, as she does not want to be responsible for my health. 

SECOND SESSION: WATER WORKOUT

Once again, my Boy Scout Master would have been proud,

 because I was more than ready.

      Coach Jana isn't one to waste any time, so we immediately got started with the laps. She targeted what she called a "modest" goal of 100 laps for me, and I was dead set in making up for my lackluster showing in the gym, just a few minutes earlier.

        I leaped into the pool and got started.  

          When I woke up, the other people in the pool told me that Coach Jana pulled me out of the water even before I made it halfway through the first lap. After doing a little CPR, she just made sure I was still breathing before leaving, but not without asking the other guests to tell me that it would be best to find a new fitness coach when/if I wake up. 

THE EXTREME TEAM

       As much as I appreciated all the help Coach Jana was giving me, I realized my mistake was thinking I could keep up with someone of her age. She was a bit too balls to the wall for my liking. I needed someone closer to my age that could understand my limitations, without wanting to tear my head off if I couldn't do a jumping jack properly.               

Photo courtesy of www.chuckiedreyfus.ph

    I then came across the website of my blogger friend, actor Chuckie Dreyfus. I read about how he too had let himself go for awhile, before taking charge of his life once again, and turning into quite an impressive physical specimen. 

Photo courtesy of www.chuckiedreyfus.ph

   From a pudgy schlub whose idea of "Heavy Lifting" was how many plates he could carry at a buffet table, the man transformed himself into an absolute beast in the gym. And thankfully, he agreed to take me and my fat ass under his wing. 

   Chuckie, however, realized that my losing weight would need a more cerebral approach. Knowing that I am quite stubborn, especially when it comes to physically demanding activities, he suggested I hire a Motivational Coach, as well. Someone who knows me well enough, and know how to push my buttons.. someone who knows how to make exercising for me, fun. 

      That was my good friend, Food Blogger Richard Co... Aka Tales From The Tummy. Richard will be the first one to admit that he's not exactly in the best physical shape (although admittedly "Round" is a shape"), but since he's been one of my perennial food trip partners for the past couple of years, he's gotten a good view of how my mind works. 

     Coach Chuckie agreed with Coach Jana demanding that I go to the gym in proper attire, as a way of embracing the whole exercising process (meaning Crocs were a big no-no). I realized I was never going to become the focused, lean mean work-out machine. I'm a guy that is rarely ever serious, so if exercise is going to be a part of my everyday life, I needed it to be fun for me as well. 

       If the legendary Richard Simmons could make exercising fun, then why can't I, right? 

So I said, "Screw it!" and decided to go all in! 

I'm at the Gym,  and i'm gonna make sure I'm having fun while I'm at it!

And that is how The Extreme Team was formed.

        Our origin might not be as dramatic as the X-Men or The Avengers, but it doesn't matter. 

THIRD SESSION: Exercise.. Eggs are Sides... For..

          Chuckie told me to start by doing some stretching exercises first.. just to get the blood flow circulating. I had to cut it a little short when I realized that it wasn't just my muscles, but my shorts that was being stretched to the limit.

          So I decided to do some leg lifts instead. I discovered that its easier to do leg lifts because I don't have much "Leg" to "lift" in the first place!

               I had walking, or running. My dream is that someday, walk-a-lators would be installed everywhere that I need to go. Which is why I always saw treadmills as my arch enemy. The path simply never ends. 

       But this time, I went at the treadmill with reckless abandon, at full speed, too! Coach Chuckie was incredibly impressed. Even HE had never gone at those speeds for such a long amount of time! 

       How did I do it?

         This is where Coach Richard's genius shined through. 

      He made sure that I had some inspiration, in the form of my most prized possession (Umm.. next to my family of course). Knowing there would be a strip of bacon waiting for me at the end of the workout gave me extra incentive to OWN that treadmill. 

And guess what? It even worked with Crunches too!! 

      After one session, I felt like a new man. 

      With The Extreme Team behind me, I have a feeling none of you will recognize me in the next few months! (Or at the very least, you won't admit you ever knew me to your friends.. happened to me before.. I don't want to talk about it.. sniff)

       Coach Chuckie and Coach Richard told me that I should always feel confident in everything I do, but Rina said I might have overdone it just a little bit.

            But that first workout really took its toll on me.. (even the girl in blue felt sorry for me). But regardless, with The Extreme Team behind me, I shall push on! 

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE OF THE ADVENTURES OF TEAM EXTREME, 

IN MY NEWEST BLOG.. PICKNESS FIRST!!






Special thanks to My Rina for her patience with her sira-ulo husband, Chuckie & Yen Dreyfus, Richard & Irene Co, Abet and Joan Lim, Jane and Jana as well as the entire Go Family, Twinkle and Kar of Crimson Hotel Alabang, and Micko and Cindy of F1 Hotel Manila!