I go through this thing where I randomly take stock of where I am in my life and try to make some sense of what I like and don’t like. More often than not, I find things about myself which I don’t like, which I think is a good thing. I’ve spent a lot of time reading books on time management, leadership, organization, and other topics related to personal development for this very reason.
As I take stock of things, I try to look at certain basic areas:
- Islamic Practice
- Physical Health
- Relationships
- Career
- Education
These days, the focus is on physical health. Why? Well, let me ’splain you a few things. Back in the days when I was known as Sarosh Arunkumar (I’m not a revert/convert, so don’t ask), I was a free lad without a care in the world and a metabolism that basically made sure I could eat whatever saturated fat I wanted without worrying too much about the repercussions. I entered college at 6′0″ and 160lbs.
After 8 years at Purdue (took a year off, switched majors somewhere in there, and worked as a researcher for two years), a few things changed:
- I got married
- I got a kid
- I got a car (came with the wife)
- My metabolism slowed down
- My weight went to 230lbs, but my height stayed the same
Now, I’ll be honest – somewhere in the last two years, I became more health conscious and began reading magazines and articles on weight-training and proper eating. My weight went from 220 lbs to 199 lbs (I was approached by people in the gym wanting to know if I was a personal trainer) through weightlifting and proper eating (e-diets plans), and then back to 230 after marriage. Since moving to Chicago, I’ve gone on and off to Lifetime Fitness and kept myself in some sort of shape, though not the kind I would like. I’m currently somewhere between 217 – 220 lbs.
The key to attaining a great body, from my experience and reading, is the following:
- A strength training plan from a certified coach
- A moderate cardio plan that progresses in difficulty
- A simple, but healthy eating plan
- Motivation and Discipline
A lot of my previous stints at the gym have been lacking in one or more of the four categories above. I’m past that point in my life now. I know exactly what my goal is for my body and it’s the following:
- 10% body fat within 6 months
- 10% body fat at 230 lbs in 2 years
Notice that I’ve not cited any particular weight. A lot of people focusing on losing weight without regard to whether this is muscle, fat, or even water. I want that fat off my body, specifically the fat around the midsection. For a guy like me, who isn’t really fat, but has a larger midsection than needed, this is a very bad thing – this could potentially be the cause of diabetes. And considering that it’s very much in my family history, I have to be especially vigilant of this problem.
So how am I putting my principles into practice? That’ll be in the next post.
