Two months ago I started this crazy journey in Beijing, documenting how I want to get back to a more healthy lifestyle. I’ve had so much support from many people and organizations, but I am far from done, I have only lost two kilos over the last two months. Honestly I wished for at least 20 kilos to drop off my body, but the good news is that Halie (my personal trainer at B Active) made pictures of me before we started my 12 session workout regime, and last Wednesday we made the after pictures.
The difference is so real! This was the next push that I needed, because what I felt in my body is evident in these pictures. No worries, I will at some point reveal these almost naked pictures of myself, but not today. My belly is smaller, my butt is smaller, and my arms look strong instead of fat.
And thats what I feel, stong. I won’t lie, I had many hiccups during the past couple months. I just love nice food, enjoy going to restaurants, and having one or two frozen margaritas. I am a chef at heart, and will always have a fondness for eating. But that does not mean I have to eat it all. Now, I make selections, and limit my wild eating habits to the weekend. I have actually made some “rules” for myself.
- I eat healthy during the week, and on the weekend I have two or three cheat meals. I order in, or go to a restaurant and have a drink. I indulge myself.
- I work out three times a week and plan my life around this. Work and being a mother come after my time in the gym.
- I make pictures of the food that tempts me, but I don’t need, or is very unhealthy. The picture above is from a rainbow cake I chose not to eat!
- I remember everything I craved to eat during the week, and if its still on my mind on Saturday night I’ll have it. Somebody gave me this tip and its working pretty well so far.
I have also seen a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctor, Shelley. I was so sick a month ago and she recommended a couple rounds of acupuncture to help me regain my energy. Funny enough I thought moving to China would make me do Chinese medicine every week and I would be able to find them on every corner of the street. Like a pedicure but better. Turns out Chinese medicine is not like a pedicure and finding the right doctor might take some time. It was important to me that I could understand my doctor, so I asked around and found one lady that came highly recommended by many expats and made an appointment with her.
I assumed that this doctor would be Chinese and speak English but she is from the US and has been residing in China for a long time. Shelly is very kind and welcoming and we spent the first 30 minutes speaking about everything that was wrong in my body and mind. She patiently wrote it all down and prioritized my flu like feelings and the wish to loose weight and have extra energy. I have no fright of needles as I have been poked around in hospitals a lot. I laid down on a massage table and she gently started putting needles in various parts of my body. For me it felt like a mosquito bite. She then left the needles in my body and left me alone in the room to relax with some spa music. This was all an incredible painless experience and costed only RMB 300 per session. Also, some insurance providers will cover this if you get the fapiao.
I am very certain that these two sessions put me in a good way with my energy and I am going to keep seeing Shelly throughout the rest of my time in China. I can highly recommend taking advantage of living in Beijing by trying some things foreign to you. Because, guess what? Warm water is really so much better for your body!
Pauline is a passionate international mother who wants to show that Beijing is not a unhealthy city, proving that it’s possible to become a healthy mother and woman, with the right support and resources. Mommy friends, colleagues, family, Tribe Nutrition, B Active Fitness, and now the rest of Beijing will be her support, proving that every mother deserves to have a healthy body and mind; tackling her own food issues along the way and showing the rough, the ugly and honest way she does this.
Picture Credit; Pauline van Hasselt www.cravebits.com